As a physical therapist for over 25 years specializing in orthopedics and pelvic health, I have seen firsthand how important a healthy pelvic floor is for symptom free day to day activities. This is especially true during the pregnant and postpartum stages of life. You’ve probably read lots of things about your pelvic floor and how pregnancy and childbirth affect this part of your body. However, you may not know how to give your pelvic floor the attention it needs. The pelvic floor plays a crucial role in everyday functions like supporting your core, continence, and more. It’s not only important to strengthen this vital area with pelvic floor exercises, but it’s just as important to make sure you know how to properly relax these tissues as well.
What is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, nerves, and connective tissues that essentially makes up the bottom of your core. These muscles form a hammock like structure that stretch from the pubic bone in the front to the tailbone at the back, as well as across your “sits” bones on either side of your pelvis. These tissues help support your organs and really never rest.
Why Do We Need Strength in Our Pelvic Floor?
Strengthening the pelvic floor is crucial for maintaining core and spine stability, supporting the pelvic organs, and overall bodily function. This strength can help issues such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and hip/ lower back pain. By incorporating pelvic floor exercises into your routine, you can improve your changing posture in pregnancy and postpartum stages, enhance your core strength, and ensure your pelvic organs are well-supported, leading to better control and function in daily activities.
Why Do We Need to Relax the Pelvic Floor?
We know strengthening is needed, but the ability to relax the pelvic floor is just as important. For any muscle to function properly, you need it to move through its full motion; the pelvic floor is no different. Tension and tightness in these muscles can lead to incontinence, difficulty with bowel movements, painful insertion of hygiene products or intercourse, and hip or back pain. Learning to relax and lengthen the pelvic floor can improve pain, reduce muscle spasms, and contribute to a more balanced and functional pelvic region. This balance is essential for overall pelvic health and comfort, not only in pregnancy, but for all life spans.
Try These Pelvic Floor Exercises
Whether you’re recovering from childbirth, managing incontinence, or simply looking to enhance your core stability, these pelvic floor exercises will set the foundation for a healthier, more resilient pelvic floor.
1. Pelvic Floor Connection Breathing
One of the first exercises myself and the other co-owner of FitPartum like to have individuals start with is connection breathing. This pelvic floor exercise connects the breathing muscle called the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. By inhaling and expanding our ribcage to fill with oxygen, our body will naturally relax and elongate the pelvic floor. Then, when we exhale and blow the air out, our pelvic floor naturally lifts and contracts. This breath connection allows the muscles in your pelvic floor to move through their entire motion for a healthy body!
How do we do it? Inhale through your nose and think about your pelvic floor “blooming a flower” and exhale through your mouth and think about your pelvic floor “lifting to the roof”. By tapping into this natural movement, we keep our pelvic floor both mobile and strong.
2. Hands and Knees Abdominal Hold
Core strength, especially postpartum, is one of the biggest goals of our moms. During pregnancy, the abdominal muscles expand and lengthen, which is totally normal and needed! After childbirth they need help working efficiently again.
To kickstart your core, start this pelvic floor exercise by going on your hands and knees. Keeping your back straight, take a deep breath in and let your belly drop toward the floor. Then, exhale and pull your belly button up to your spine. You can advance this by holding for a 5 second exhale to really get your pelvic floor and core working!
3. Air Squat
Mom life is full of squats, bending and playing with your kids, so training your pelvic floor to activate in these everyday positions helps pelvic health. Start by squatting to a chair or box, and if you feel confident and without pain, move to squatting in place or even adding weight (or your baby!) for a challenge. Pro tip: Try inhaling on the way down and exhaling as you stand up to get the extra pelvic floor connection!
4. Bridging with a Yoga Block
Our backs and pelvic floor work all day long, so we need the help of our powerhouse muscles, the glutes, to help assist our pelvic floor in keeping us active and pain/leak free. For this pelvic floor exercise, start on your back with your knees bent. Place a yoga block or pillow between your knees. Squeeze your knees together while lifting your buttocks off the floor into a bridge. These motions together help activate the muscles of the pelvic floor in a great, functional way!
5. Heel Raises
We know what you’re thinking; how does doing something with my foot help my pelvic floor? We often think our feet grow during pregnancy, but really it is more that our arch tends to fall or become weak because of all the postural changes we go through in such a short time. Having both a flexible and strong arch in your foot helps your pelvic floor absorb the shock it needs for activities like walking or running. If your foot is weak, your pelvic floor has to work harder to handle the impact of everyday life which can ultimately be a factor in leaking. Doing simple exercises like heel raises helps maintain your foot strength and a strong arch to keep you balanced during pregnancy and postpartum stages. Pro tip: Start on two feet and raise your heels up then switch to one leg at a time to progress yourself.
6. Happy Baby
Just as strengthening is important, so is relaxing your pelvic floor and happy baby pose is a great way to get those muscles to be their best selves. This position can help for labor preparation as well as help you release your muscles after childbirth and beyond. To do this pose, lie on your back with your head flat on a yoga mat. Bend your knees toward your chest at a 90 degree angle and your feet up toward the ceiling. Use your hands to grab your feet or behind your knees and spread your knees apart comfortably toward your armpits. From here take some deep breaths to elongate and relax your pelvic floor or “bloom a flower”. You can also move side to side for a little back massage! Releasing these muscles will provide some much needed relief from all the carrying and lifting in your life!
Your Pregnancy & Postpartum Journey
At FitPartum, we love to say pregnancy is temporary, postpartum is forever. Incorporating pelvic floor exercises into your everyday life will enhance your overall health. Having a strong and mobile pelvic floor sets you up for long term success in minimizing incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pain while living the active life you want as a mom! If you are looking for safe exercise guidance during your pregnancy and postpartum journey, please reach out to FitPartum today!
As you continue into motherhood Boston Baby Nurse & Nanny hopes to offer your family a postpartum doula, nanny, or even household manager to help support your growing family.
About The Author
Dr. Kellie Bedoni is a orthopedic and pelvic health physical therapist and co-owns FitPartum with Ally Hayes, strength and conditioning specialist. Fitpartum is a mom owned company in Hingham specializing in guiding women through safe and effective exercise programs during pregnancy and postpartum, ensuring a smooth transition back to physical activity. Their signature class “Muscles and Mamas” combines pelvic floor PT and education, strength, mobility, and effective workouts to help moms get back to the active lives they want. When Kellie isn’t working, you can find her at a local sports field watching one of her 3 boys play, field hockey where she officiates, or Northeastern University where she is a part time lab instructor.
