Exercises and Tips

Pelvic Floor Exercises and Core Training Programs

Strengthening your pelvic floor is more accessible than you might think, and more powerful. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to intensify your routine, there are tons of options. Pelvic floor training can be done standing, lying down, or woven into almost any workout. With the right technique, you can contract and relax these muscles anywhere, anytime.

Your pelvic floor is part of your deep core, meaning that combining pelvic floor training with core exercises creates a strong foundation that supports your internal organs, your posture, and your overall movement. From preventing and treating pelvic floor dysfunction to building a resilient abdomen and back, the two go hand in hand.

The Femme Flexor adds gentle resistance to your training, helping you get results faster — so you can spend less time working and see more of the benefits.

Ready to get started? Below you'll find everything from simple breathing techniques and beginner-friendly pelvic floor exercises, to resistance training with the Femme Flexor, squats, yoga positions, and more. There's something here for every level.


Breathing, posture, and pressure: your quiet superpowers

Your pelvic floor and diaphragm are dance partners. When you inhale, the diaphragm descends and the pelvic floor responds; when you exhale, a gentle lift becomes easier. Stack your ribs over your pelvis (not a military brace, just tall and easy). For daily life:

  • Lifting: exhale on the effort and think “zip up” through the pelvic floor.

  • Cough/sneeze: a tiny pre-lift can reduce leaking

  • Running/jumping: train rhythm—lift/relax with your breath, not against it.

Diagram showing breathing and core muscles with labels on a white background


The Famous Kegel

A Kegel is a deep core exercise that can be done by contracting and releasing the pelvic floor muscles. In the 1940s, Dr. Arnold H. Kegel invented what we know as the Kegel. The purpose of Dr. Kegel’s exercise method was to give women struggling with incontinence an alternative route to surgery. Kegels are done by aligning breathing with the contraction of the pelvic floor.

Once you learn how to do a kegel, you’ll see how incorporating this simple technique can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Using the Femme Flexor and incorporating resistance builds strength more quickly and takes the guesswork out of the Kegel. Resistance training can accelerate building muscle, much like lifting weights at the gym. With consistent, repetitive training, pelvic floor muscles will strengthen over time.

Kegel exercises using a resistance tool like the Femme Flexor are the quickest and easiest ways to improve pelvic floor muscle tone. 


A beginner routine you can actually stick with (The 3–2–1 Routine)

Build strength and awareness in just a few minutes a day. The 3-2-1 routine combines breath, gentle contractions, endurance holds, and release work to train all layers of your pelvic floor. Follow along with this visual guide for a clear, easy-to-remember practice you can do anywhere.

Infographic banner showing the 3-2-1 beginner pelvic floor routine with breath priming, contractions, endurance holds, and release.


Start 3–4 days per week. Find a calm minute. Breathe. No rushing.

1) Breath priming — 1 minute

  • One hand on your ribcage, one on your lower belly.

  • Inhale through the nose: ribs expand, belly softens.

  • Exhale gently: imagine drawing the pelvic floor in and up like an elevator to the second floor; release fully at the end of the exhale.

2) Foundational contractions — 3 sets × 10

  • Each rep: 2 seconds lift + 2 seconds relax.

  • Focus on lifting and lengthening the back to neutral—no clenching glutes, no jaw/ab tension, no breath holding.

  • Rest 20–30 seconds between sets.

3) Endurance holds — 2 rounds

  • Hold a light lift for 10 seconds, then relax for 10 seconds.

  • If you feel your breath catching or tension creeping into hips or abs, reduce the hold time.

4) Release & reset — 1 minute

  • Gentle belly breaths, pelvic floor fully relaxed; a few slow hip sways if comfortable.

Safety first: Stop if you feel sharp pain, burning, fever, or new symptoms such as bulging/heaviness that worsens. Seek guidance from a pelvic floor physical therapist or your OB-GYN if you’re unsure where to start, recently gave birth, or have a diagnosed condition (e.g., prolapse, persistent pain).


Specific Exercises to Augment Pelvic Floor Training


Squats

Squats help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles because when you squat down, the muscles around your anus and vagina are working hard to keep everything in place.

Squats also help tone these muscles because they can hold things in place better as they get stronger. This is why pelvic floor exercises like kegels are often recommended alongside squats – because they work together to give you a stronger pelvic floor.


Squats are an excellent exercise for women because they work the largest muscle group in the body- the glutes. When you work your glutes, you not only sculpt your butt but also improve your posture and reduce your risk of injuries in other activities. Squats are also one of the best exercises for increasing bone density, essential for women to prevent osteoporosis. Additionally, squats help to improve balance and coordination.

Other benefits of squats include:

  • Increased strength and power

  • Improved balance and coordination

  • Reduced stress levels

  • Better sleep quality

To start doing squats correctly, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes facing forward. Gaze up, lifting your chest high. Bend your knees and sit back as though you’re going to sit in a chair. Keep your head and chest upright. Stop when your thighs are parallel with the ground. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Press through the heels and come back up to stand tall. Repeat for 60 seconds or as desired.

Bridge

Women can significantly benefit from Bridges, as exercises like these help keep the pelvic floor muscles toned. This is important for women because a weak pelvic floor can lead to incontinence and other health problems.

Bridges also help to improve posture and prevent lower back pain. They strengthen the abdominal muscles and glutes, which can help with weight loss and increase circulation throughout the body. Overall, Bridges are a great way to tone up the entire body, and they’re especially beneficial for women.


The Glute Bridge is a fantastic way to isolate and strengthen your butt muscles. The three major muscle groups targeted during this exercise include the maximus, medius marginals (in between), and hamstrings. It’s simple enough for anyone – even those who are just starting or have never worked out before, but challenging enough so you’ll feel results after each session.

Lie on your back with your legs bent at the knee, so they form an angle of about 90 degrees while flat-soled shoes are placed near your feet.

Make sure soles face upwards and engage your gluteal muscles by raising one leg upward until the hip points off table/ground level before pressing the heel down hard against the floor or mat beneath them simultaneously.

They make up one of the largest muscle groups in your body, and as such, they use quite an amount of energy when training – making this exercise perfect for any woman looking to lose fat or gain strength. This also helps with core stability because these muscles help support our posture from day-to-day activities like walking around town, doing errands, and taking out the trash at home.

Split Tabletop

Another great exercise to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles is through a Split Tabletop exercise.

The Split Tabletop exercise for women can help tighten the abdominal muscles. As women age, they tend to experience some looseness in the abdominal muscles, and Split Tabletop can help reverse or slow down this process.

Split Tabletop also helps to improve posture and balance. When done correctly, it engages the core muscles and the gluteal muscles, which can lead to better alignment and a reduction in back pain. Additionally, because balance is improved, it can help reduce the risk of falls, a common problem among older adults.

This exercise will help to strengthen your core and pelvic floor. Begin by lying flat on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Place your arms alongside your body with palms facing down. Next, engage your pelvic floor and lift your legs at a 90-degree angle. Inhale and gently separate your thighs into a straddle. Exhale and squeeze your thighs back together and contract your pelvic floor—repeat 15 reps.


The Bird Dog

The bird dog exercise is a great way to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and the entire abdominal area. The pelvic floor muscles play an essential role in providing support to the abdominal and back muscles, and they are also responsible for controlling bladder and bowel functions. Strengthening these muscles with the bird dog exercise can help improve posture, alleviate back pain, and prevent or treat urinary incontinence. With proper form, the bird dog exercise can help with everyday posture.

To do the bird dog exercise, start on all fours with your hands directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips. Make sure that your spine is in a neutral position – do not let it arch or sag.

From here, extend one arm straight out in front of you and at the same time lift one leg straight back behind you. Hold for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. Then repeat with the other arm and leg.

Make sure to keep breathing normally throughout the exercise. You should feel this exercise in your abdominal, pelvic floor, and gluteal muscles.

This simple yet challenging exercise will improve mobility in all four limbs while also working out muscles like deltoids or triceps that can become weak from our sedentary lifestyles.

Tracking Progress (No App Required)

One of the most underrated parts of pelvic floor training is paying attention — not just to the exercises themselves, but to how your body responds over time. Progress in this kind of work rarely announces itself all at once. It tends to arrive quietly: you sneeze and nothing leaks. You stand up from a chair and feel grounded. You notice you're breathing instead of bracing. You feel more present in your body during sex. These shifts matter, and they're worth writing down.

A simple two-minute journal after each session is all you need. Note the date, what you did (sets, holds, which tools or positions you used), and, just as importantly, how it felt. Was the breathing easy or forced? Did the Femme Flexor feel like too much, just right, or barely there? Were the squats smooth or shaky? Over weeks, this creates a picture of real progress that goes far beyond reps and seconds.

What to track in your sessions:

  • Date, duration, and which exercises you completed (breathing sequences, Kegels, squats, Femme Flexor work, or a combination)

  • Sets and hold lengths — and whether they felt easy, okay, or challenging

  • Tool use: position you used the Femme Flexor in (lying, seated, or standing), any resistance level notes

  • Energy and tension levels — were you relaxed going in, or holding stress in your body?

  • Any discomfort, fatigue, or something that felt particularly good

Real-life markers to watch for:

  • Fewer leaks when sneezing, laughing, jumping, or coughing

  • Better control during workouts — especially high-impact movement like running or lifting

  • Easier, fuller breathing throughout the day (not just during sessions)

  • Improved posture and less lower back fatigue

  • A sense of lift or engagement in your core without gripping or holding your breath

  • Better comfort, sensation, or control during sex

  • Faster recovery after a hard workout or long day on your feet

Progression ideas — when you're ready to go further:

  • Add a third endurance set, still anchored in breath rather than raw effort

  • Practice with the Femme Flexor in new positions: start lying on your side, move to seated, then standing — each position changes the challenge

  • Advance your squat practice by slowing the descent, pausing at the bottom, or adding a breath-hold cue

  • Try integrating pelvic floor awareness into everyday movement: exhale and gently engage on exertion (lifting a bag, getting up from a chair, pushing a door)

The goal isn't perfection — it's pattern recognition. When you can look back at a few weeks of notes and see that holds feel easier, leaks are less frequent, and your breathing has opened up, that's the progress. You built it, one session at a time.


Exercises To Avoid
While jogging can be a great way to relieve stress, it might be time to stop if you struggle with a leaky bladder. Any movements that stress or strain the core may harm your recovery, such as jumping jacks, skipping rope, or heavy lifting like deadlifts. When it comes to pelvic floor dysfunction, there may be exercises you’ll need to say goodbye to (for now). Instead, be mindful and avoid exercises that cause downward pressure or strain on the pelvic floor.