6 exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor

Core breath

Sit on a stability ball or chair with your spine neutral and your shoulders relaxed. Place your hands on either side of your torso and breathe in through your nose, expanding your rib cage. Exhale through pursed lips while contracting the muscles around your rib cage. Continue for three to four breaths, then start to engage your pelvic floor by imagining you have a jelly bean at the opening of your labia and that you're picking it up with each exhale and releasing it with each inhale. This engages your core muscle foundation, the pelvic floor.

Bridge

Lie on your back and place a small ball between bent knees. Inhale and, as you exhale, slowly lift your glutes off the floor and pick up that jelly bean (as explained in move 1). Keep your heels under your knees and give the ball a slight squeeze, targeting your hip adductor muscles, as you come up. Hold this position for two to three seconds. Inhale and place your hips back on the ground, relaxing your pelvic floor. Repeat eight to 10 times.

Clamshell

Lie on your side with a neutral spine and your head resting on your lower arm. Keep your legs bent and place your heels together. Breathe in and, as you exhale, squeeze your pelvic floor (pick up your jelly bean) and open your top leg upward, keeping your heels together. Hold this position for two to three seconds. Inhale and return to resting position. Repeat eight to 10 times.

Hover

With your knees just a little wider than hip-width apart and your toes touching, sit back on your heels. Breathe in and, as you exhale, squeeze your pelvic floor (pick up your jelly bean) and lift upward and slightly forward into a kneeling position. Inhale and sit back in slow, controlled movements. Repeat eight to 10 times.

Squat

Stand with your shoulders relaxed and a neutral spine. Breathe in and sit back into a squat until your quads are parallel to the floor, keeping your back flat and feet parallel. Exhale, squeezing your pelvic floor (pick up that jelly bean) as you return to standing. Repeat eight to 10 times.

Lunge

With one leg straight in front and the other bent behind, breathe in and dip into a lunge position, until both legs are at 90-degree angles. As you exhale, squeeze your pelvic floor (pick up your jelly bean) and push back to the starting position, keeping your back heel off the floor. Hold five-to eight-pound weights in both hands for a more advanced lunge. Repeat eight to 10 times. Check out this video for more pelvic floor exercises.