Pelvic floor lifts

Quiet strength for the muscles that carry you through pregnancy and back after birth.

Area

Pelvic floor

Sets

Each set

10, holding 5 seconds

How often

Every day

A woman sitting cross-legged on a mauve cushion with her hands on her belly

Set by

Chiara Bellini

Profile

How to do it

Sit or lie comfortably and let your belly relax.
Breathe out and gently lift the muscles you would use to stop passing wind and urine.
Hold for five seconds while breathing normally.
Let go completely and rest for five seconds before the next one.

Why it helps

The pelvic floor supports the bladder, bowel and, in pregnancy, the baby. Gentle daily training reduces leaking and helps the core recover after birth.

Common mistakes

Holding your breath or squeezing your buttocks. The lift is small and inward. Letting go fully is just as important as lifting.

More exercises

All exercises

A woman on all fours on a mauve mat, rounding her back in a slow stretch

Cat and camel

Back, gentle

A slow, rolling stretch that wakes up a stiff back without asking much of it.

2 sets of 10 slow rounds

How to do it

Cat and camel

Back, gentle

A slow, rolling stretch that wakes up a stiff back without asking much of it.

2 sets of 10 slow rounds

How to do it

A woman on all fours reaching one arm forward and the opposite leg back

Bird dog

Back, steady

Builds the deep muscles that hold your back steady while your arms and legs move.

3 sets of 8 each side

How to do it

Bird dog

Back, steady

Builds the deep muscles that hold your back steady while your arms and legs move.

3 sets of 8 each side

How to do it