Use Pilates to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

The pelvic floor muscles are the foundation for the core of the body. They both help stabilize the pelvis and support the organs of the lower abdominal cavity, such as the bladder and uterus.

The pelvic floor muscles and the deep muscles of the back and abdomen form the group of muscles we work when we focus on developing core strength, as we do in Pilates. The word powerhouse refers to this group of muscles as well as the abdominals and gluteals.

Risks of Pelvic Floor Weakness

You can think of the pelvic floor muscles as a web of interrelated muscles, tendons, and ligaments that form a supportive hammock at the base of the pelvic bowl. One of these muscles, the Pubococcygeus, also known as the PC or PCG muscle, goes around the openings for the urethra, vagina, and anus.

When the pelvic floor muscles are weak or damaged, the support of these organs and the integrity of these openings can be compromised.

You might not pay any attention to your pelvic floor until something goes awry. Childbirth, genetic factors, chronic coughing, aging, and inactivity are among the common causes of weakened or damaged pelvic floor muscles.

Once weakened, the pelvic floor can lead to problems like incontinence, diminished sexual enjoyment, and in severe cases, a dropping of the organs into the pelvic muscles known as prolapse.

Some less dramatic effects of an impaired pelvic floor are the structural imbalances that lead to abdominal and back pain. When asymmetries in the body occur, compensation patterns can ensue, leading to poor biomechanics, inflammation, and injury.

For both men and women, maintaining and strengthening the pelvic floor is vital. The go-to exercise is called Kegels, so named after the inventor Dr. Kegel. Read on to learn how to perform this targeted move.

Exercises that Strengthen the Pelvic Floor Muscles

Kegels are very specific to the pelvic floor. Here's how to do them:

1. Squeeze the pelvic floor muscles as if you were going to stop the urine flow when you go to the bathroom.
2. Hold the pose for 10 seconds
3. Relax and repeat 10–20 times per day.

Use stopping the flow of urine a few times to find the muscles you need, but do not use it as a way to practice Kegels in general as constantly stopping the flow of urine can weaken, rather than strengthen, the pelvic floor.

Kegels are most well-known for helping women recover muscle tone after pregnancy, but they are suitable for everyone. Kegels can also optimize sexual function.

Pilates is also an excellent exercise for strengthening the pelvic floor. In Pilates, the pelvic floor muscles are used as natural muscular support for movement. This is a firm and sustained engagement of the muscles where one pulls the pelvic floor in and up as part of exercises where abdominal muscles and other muscles are involved.

Finding Pelvic Floor Muscles

The catch here is that the pelvic floor muscles can be difficult to feel when exercising or moving through daily life. "Engage the pelvic floor" is a common cue in Pilates instruction, but many students are unsure about how to get that to happen.

My favorite image for getting the pelvic floor muscles in on an exercise is to think of bringing the sit bones together and up. Another exemplary image is to think of drawing a fountain of energy up from the base of the pelvic bowl—up through the middle of the body and out the top of the head.

This image helps to connect the in and up actions with the other core muscles and increase awareness of the body's mid-line.

To find your pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises (use the stopping the flow of urine trick if you need it), then apply that understanding to engage your pelvic floor in your Pilates exercises.