Pelvic Floor Basics: What It Is, How It Works, and How to Train

Your pelvic floor is a small group of muscles with a big job: it supports your organs, helps control your bladder and bowel, contributes to sexual function, and works as part of your deep core. When these muscles are coordinated—able to contract and relax—you feel more supported in everyday life: lifting, laughing, running, sneezing, and recovering after pregnancy. This guide explains what the pelvic floor is, how it works, and a safe way to start training—no gimmicks, just gentle, consistent practice.

Medically reviewed by Wanda Cotie, PT, DPT — Last reviewed: [Date]

The pelvic floor is a sling of muscles and connective tissue at the base of your pelvis. It supports your bladder, uterus, and bowel; helps maintain continence; and coordinates with your diaphragm and deep core to manage pressure when you breathe, lift, or move.

Think of the pelvic floor like a soft, flexible hammock. It attaches from your pubic bone to your tailbone and across the sit bones. These muscles:

• Support your pelvic organs so they stay comfortably in place
  
• Control openings for urine and stool (continence)
  
• Contribute to sexual arousal, lubrication, and orgasm
  
• Stabilize as part of your deep core, especially when you lift, push, or brace
  

You’ll sometimes hear clinicians talk about layers—superficial, middle, and deep. The takeaway isn’t to memorize anatomy, but to understand that good training reaches more than one layer and teaches timing and relaxation too (not just “squeeze harder”).

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 a 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).

Keep it simple: a two-minute journal after sessions noting date, sets, holds, and how things felt (easy/ok/challenging). Add real-life markers—fewer leaks with sneezing, better control during workouts, and improved comfort. Progression ideas:

• Add a third endurance set (still focusing on breath).
• Practice in different positions: on your side, seated, and then standing.
• If using gentle resistance, progress from awareness → consistency → slightly longer holds.
  

• Postpartum: rebuild connection after pregnancy and birth as tissues recover and hormones shift.
• Peri/menopause: support continence and comfort as estrogen changes.
• Active women & athletes: better bracing, impact control, and confidence under load.
• Desk-bound or high-stress lifestyles:

Many people find that light, body-safe resistance improves awareness and consistency. That doesn’t mean “more is better”—it means better feedback is better. If you explore tools, look for:

• Body-safe materials (platinum-grade silicone)
• Ergonomic shape that’s easy to position and remov
• Clinically informed design that supports gentle progression
• Clear cleaning & care instructions

Femme Flexor checks those boxes with platinum-grade silicone, a patented (patent-pending in some listings) design intended to engage the pelvic floor’s tissue layers, and an easy, non-electronic approach you can use at home—crafted in Canada with clinician input.

Book with a pelvic floor physical therapist or speak with your OB-GYN if you notice persistent leaking, heaviness/bulge sensations, pain with penetration, or if symptoms limit your daily activities. An expert eye can tailor cues, positions, and progressions so training feels effective—not confusing.

Femme Flexor’s approach is intentionally simple, science-led, and non-tech. No beeps or endless charging—just a thoughtfully designed, platinum-grade silicone tool that adds gentle resistance so your routine feels doable anytime, anywhere. That’s the heart of long-term success: practical, repeatable habits supported by smart design.