Category: Postpartum Strength

Welcome to the “no-judgment zone” for the fourth trimester and beyond. We focus on functional fitness for moms that fits into the gaps of a busy schedule. Learn how to heal your core, reclaim your energy, and find a realistic balance between “mom-life” and your own wellness goals.

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Postpartum Strength Prenatal Fitness

Coping with Pregnancy Fatigue: Tips for Busy Moms

Cooking up a whole human – from scratch – is hard work! It’s exhausting, even in its best moments, and the fatigue just hits different than your regular sleepiness.

The irony of the fatigue is how important it is to get extra rest during pregnancy; your body is working overtime and will continue doing so even after the pregnancy as it works hard to heal. So how do we balance getting the extra rest our pregnant bodies so desperately crave with our day-to-day responsibilities, work, possible other children, and the demands (physical, emotional, mental, financial) of preparing for a new baby?

Having a proper understanding of pregnancy fatigue and how it’s different from just feeling tired is key, along with prioritizing your rest and self-care, practicing gentle movement and exercise, and finding a supportive community.

Understanding Pregnancy Fatigue

Pregnancy fatigue is a specific, often overwhelming sense of exhaustion that, unlike regular tiredness that can often be alleviated by a good night’s sleep or a quick rest, really sets into your bones. Pregnancy fatigue is typically linked to the physical and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. It can be caused by factors such as hormonal fluctuations, increased physical demands on the body, and emotional stress related to the changes in lifestyle and expectations.

This fatigue can vary across trimesters—it’s particularly common in the first trimester as the body adjusts to the pregnancy, tends to improve during the second trimester, and often returns in the third trimester due to the physical toll pregnancy takes. The first trimester sees a particular strain on energy levels as this is when all of the baby’s major organs are created (between weeks 8 – 13). There’s typically a much-welcomed, albeit short-lived, repreive in the second trimester with a burst of energy. In the final weeks of the pregnancy, fatigue tends to return as even everyday tasks become more difficult due to the growing baby increasing pressure, well, everywhere.

Unlike common tiredness, pregnancy fatigue can feel more intense and may not fully resolve with rest, making it essential for expectant mothers to prioritize self-care and support to help ease the effects of fatigue on their health.

Prioritizing Rest and Self-Care

There always seems to be a never-ending list of things to get done to prep for a new baby, but the most important thing to look after is your health and overall wellness! Take advantage of offers to help out with errands, chores, or nesting, and carve out time for rest as a priority.

The body is going through so many physiological and hormonal changes, and will require more downtime to compensate for this. Listening to your body and the signals it sends is essential – whether your body is asking for sleep, physical rest, mental rest, food, or comfort, honor what your body needs during this extremely demanding time.

Remember that rest does not always necessarily mean sleep. In fact, striving for short, restorative periods of non-sleep rest throughout the day can be as energizing as a nap and help improve your quality of sleep when you are able to grab that nap or get to bed! Some ways to practice non-sleep rest include mindfulness and meditation, gentle stretching or walking, reading, taking a relaxing bath or shower, or listening to relaxing music or audiobooks. (Check out prior post on Mindfulness and Meditation Techniques for Expecting Moms!)

Taking care of yourself while you’re pregnant is the first way that you take care of your baby, as you are your baby’s home while they grow. Be sure to nourish your body and show yourself plenty of love and grace!

Gentle Exercise and Movement

While exercising when you’re already tired may seem counterintuitive, engaging in appropriate prenatal exercise can actually help boost your energy levels, as well as promote relaxation and manage chronic pregnancy-related pains.

Exercising triggers a hormone release that acts as a natural mood and energy booster, so working out safely when tired can help give your body the wake-up call it needs to get back to your day. Additionally, consistent exercise helps the body to become more efficient, requiring less effort to complete daily tasks and therefore leaving you with more energy.

Keeping the body strong and managing mobility and cardiovascular endurance throughout pregnancy can help reduce or prevent pregnancy-related pains such as low back pain, hip and glute pain, sciatic nerve pain, pelvic and groin pain, and swelling and cramping, particularly in the legs, ankles, and feet. Working to lighten the physical and mental toll that chronic pain takes on the body and mind can improve both quality of sleep and energy levels, resulting in less overall fatigue.

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It’s important to ensure all exercises performed during pregnancy are modified as necessary to keep you and your baby safe! Low-impact activities such as walking, swimming, and light-weight or body-weight resistance training are typically considered safe and beneficial for most medically-typical pregnancies. Always consult with your doctor or healthcare provider prior to starting a new exercise routine, especially during pregnancy. We recommend working with a certified personal trainer with a specialized background in pre- and postnatal fitness to ensure exercises are modified and tailored to your goals and your pregnancy! (For general exercise guidelines, check out our prior posts Safe Exercises for Each Trimester of Pregnancy and The Importance of Core Strength During Pregnancy!)

Finding Support and Community

Having a supportive network of family, friends, or other moms (expecting moms or not!) is a huge asset for your mental sanity and rest! Being able to lean on those around you for help with everyday tasks, childcare, errands, or chores helps to lighten your load and allow you more time and opportunity to get the rest your body needs.

Connecting with other parents and expecting parents to swap tips and tricks, pass hand-me-downs, or simply share the stresses and joys of pregnancy and parenthood is super important for keeping your mental health in check and cutting down on stress. Joining a local Mommy & Me class – whether virtually or in-person – is a great place to start. You can also find other parents with children of similar ages to yours by enrolling in birth-prep classes at your hospital, checking out kid’s activities offered through your local community center, or visiting story-time at the public library!

In conclusion, navigating pregnancy fatigue is an essential part of the journey toward motherhood. Prioritizing rest and self-care, listening to your body’s needs, and engaging in gentle exercise can help you manage this fatigue effectively.

As you move through this transformative time, be kind to yourself. Acknowledge that feeling fatigued is not only normal but a shared experience among many expectant mothers. You’re not alone in this, and it’s perfectly okay to lean on your support system and seek help when needed. We’d love to hear from you! Share your own tips or experiences with coping with pregnancy fatigue in the comments below. Let’s support each other through this incredible journey!

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Postpartum Strength tfc Community

Family-Friendly Workouts: Staying Active with Your Kids

When I was a kid, my parents used to have us participate in what my mom affectionately deemed “forced family fun times,” where we would all get outside and get moving together. Mostly, we went on bike rides around the neighborhood and to local parks, though I also remember a few 5k Fun Runs and playing soccer or tennis at the park.

Although we all complained at varying times about our “forced family fun,” (teenagers are waaayy too cool for family time, *insert eye roll emoji*), my siblings and I generally had a blast and look back on these memories fondly! We didn’t realize it at the time, but my parents were intentionally carving out time to get us outdoors and moving in the early 2000s home video gaming console boom. I’m sure this helped burn off some of that zealous kid energy, especially on long, summer days of no school, but it also created healthy habits of movement that have lasted through to adulthood.

Getting your kids to join you for your workouts, or doing whatever you can to move together as a family, not only promotes bonding for the whole family, but also instills a love of fitness and lays a solid foundation for lifelong healthy habits for your little ones!

The Importance of Family Workouts

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), recommends that all adults are physically active for a minimum of 30 minutes at least five days a week. This is the target movement amount for typically healthy adults who are looking to maintain general health and muscle mass.

For children, the ACSM recommendations for healthy muscle and bone development are much higher. Children aged 6-17 years old are recommended to have at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, and children aged 3-5 years old are recommended to engage in active playtime in amounts as tolerated throughout the entirety of their day.

Participating in daily physical activity helps protect against chronic conditions and obesity-related diseases, as well as maintaining sufficient heart and lung health, muscle mass, and bone mineral density. In addition to the clear physical benefits of activity, exercise also has natural mood-boosting and stress-reducing properties due to the hormonal releases that occur with physical activity. Most importantly, perhaps, exercising as a family is a wonderful way to bond and an excellent opportunity to champion your children’s health as well as teach them how to take ownership of their health as they mature.

Fun Workout Ideas for Families

Outdoor Activities

  • local hikes (we love the AllTrails app to find hiking paths and see their difficulty ranking, distance, and other important planning info for families, such as whether the trail is kid-friendly, stroller-friendly, or pet-friendly!)
  • neighborhood walks
  • biking through the neighborhood or at local parks
  • playing tag or hide-and-seek
  • jump rope or hop scotch
  • playing on jungle gyms at local parks

Indoor Activities

  • family dance parties – choreographed or impromptu!
  • “mazes” or “obstacle courses” with household items and furniture
  • building a fort of couch cushions and blankets
  • yoga and stretching

Sports and Games

  • if your kids are involved in local little league or team sports, consider volunteer coaching or reffing their teams to get involved and model an active lifestyle for your kids!
  • play family-friendly sports together, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc
  • create Family Olympics with your kids’ favorite games and sports, or make up your own games to play!

Incorporating Physical Activity into Your Daily Routine

  • walk to school rather than drive (as the weather and distance permits)
  • walk the dog together
  • have family dance parties while doing mundane things such as cooking or folding laundry
  • race from the car to the door
  • balance on one foot while brushing teeth
  • do jumping jacks during commercial breaks when watching TV
    • or, for streaming services: do 5 jumping jacks every time the main character’s name is said

Making Workouts Engaging for Kids

If you are worried about getting your kids on board with your new family workout plan, keep 3 important things in mind: focus on making the workouts fun, keep activities age-appropriate, and get creative with incentives!

Making Workouts Fun

  • ensure activities are age-appropriate, typically catering to the youngest child’s physical capabilities and attention span
  • try team activities and compete kids versus parents
  • keep the mood light – this isn’t about setting a new PR for yourself, it’s about encouraging your kids to enjoy activity!

Suggestions for Age-Appropriate Activities

Plan to cater to the age of your youngest child with age-appropriate activities

Children 3 – 5 years old

  • red light / green light walks or hikes
  • I Spy walks or hikes
  • trips to the local playground
  • indoor play houses (tunnels, ball pits, trampolines, etc)

Children 6 – 10 years old

  • Treasure Hunts with hidden household objects
  • introductory team sports
    • soccer: practice kicking, passing, or defending the goal
    • basketball: practice shooting and dribbling
    • tennis: practice swinging and hitting the ball
    • baseball: practice catching and throwing the ball
  • bike rides
  • three-legged races
  • potato sack races (you can also use oversized pillow cases instead of potato sacks)

Children 10+

  • team sports
  • races and runs (you can use FindARace.com to search for local fun runs to participate in as a team! Or, just race with each other through your local neighborhood or park!)
  • introductory strength training (practicing form on squats, push-ups, planks, etc and moving to light weights when appropriate)

Creative Incentives

  • have small rewards for competitions and team sports
    • small rewards ideas:
      • the family goes out for ice cream
      • kid coupon books
        • “coupons” for your kids like get to skip a chore of your choosing, pick what’s for dinner tonight, get to sleep in, get to pick the movie tonight, etc
  • a “fitness chart” – like a chore chart that can be filled in when activities are completed (daily or weekly) and filled charts can be turned in for a bigger reward
    • bigger reward ideas:
      • the family goes out to dinner
      • get a new sports or exercise-related toy or game (new soccer ball, new baseball glove, hula hoops, jump ropes, etc)
      • new workout clothes or shoes
  • have a Family Olympics Day with gold, silver, and bronze medals (you can get actual medals to use, or something fun like chocolate coins!)

Creating a Family Fitness Plan

When creating a plan around getting your family moving, it’s important to be realistic about what will and won’t work for you as a family. Be sure to take into consideration things like your individual family member’s preferences and energy levels when scheduling a time for your workout. For example, if your kids are always up early with a ton of energy to burn, a post-breakfast hike or games at the park may work well for you! Make it exciting by marking it in a bright color on your calendar, or using stickers to help it stand out as a fun thing to do together.

Get your kids involved in the process by asking them to help you come up with fitness-related goals you can reach together each week. **Please never give children weight loss goals! If your child’s pediatrician has recommended they lose weight, encourage your kids to engage in fun activity and choose healthy foods with the appeal of having plenty of energy to play and grow, rather than focusing on weight loss.**

We recommend instead focusing on what are known as process goals. Process goals are an easily definable goal that focuses on the method or acitivty used to reach your desired outcome, while product goals center on the end result. Good examples of process goals sound like:

  • Play outside 3 times this week
  • Run 3 laps at the park
  • Do 2 family workouts together this week
  • Take a walk together 4 nights after dinner

Once you have clear, achievable process goals, set a time for the workouts and activities and get excited! Remember, your kids will follow your lead on this – if you or your partner/co-parent are annoyed, rather than excited, and completing the family workouts reluctantly and with a grumble or complaint, your kids will adopt the same attitude towards your family workouts, and likely fitness in general. Even if you have to fake it til you make it, try to stay positive and enthusiastic about your family workout time! The more you model healthful behaviors and a positive attitude about sticking to them, they easier it will become to get your kids engaged and excited too.

Combining physical activity with family time to promote fitness and family bonding is such a powerful combination that can leave a lasting impression on your kids for a lifetime! If you’re interested in getting into family workouts but are unsure of how or where to start, let us know and we’d love to help you come up with ideas! Remember to start small and be encouraging and enthusiastic. Look for ways to incorporate activity and healthful behaviors into your daily routines, and celebrate each small win and milestone together! Do you and your family have family workouts? Share your experiences in the comments below!

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Postpartum Strength

Postpartum Fitness: Getting Back on Track After Baby

So you just spent 280 days (give or take a week or two) growing a whole entire human from scratch and bringing it into the world via your very own body. Congratulations!

Now, when will you lose the baby weight? Ah yes, the graceless, tired old question many of us are asked, often far too soon and with far too little kindness. Sometimes, this question even comes up in our own minds, perhaps still lacking the deserved kindness.

We have a culture obsessed with the human body – especially the female body – and its physical appearance. Here at the fitness cult, however, our focus is and always will be primarily on your overall health: seeking FUN, fitness, and community. Our goal of getting back on track after baby centers not around the number on the scale or the size of your jeans, but on creating a routine that encourages movement in a realistic and enjoyable way, and allows you to prioritize your mental health as well as taking care of your body.

Your body goes through a myriad of physical and hormonal changes throughout pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum recovery. (For more on the changes that happen during pregnancy, check out our last post Understanding Your Body: Changes to Expect During Pregnancy). First and foremost, the most important part of postpartum health is allowing your body ample time to heal physically, and readjust to changing hormone levels. For most vaginal deliveries, this typically means about a 6-week recovery time with little to no structured exercise; and cesarean deliveries typically require at least 8 weeks. It can take 6-18 months for the body to readjust hormonally.

**Disclaimer:** It is important to consult with a qualified medical professional before resuming exercise following childbirth. Each postpartum journey is unique, and your healthcare provider can offer personalized guidance based on your individual health needs. Always prioritize the advice and discretion of your medical providers when planning your postpartum fitness routine.

As your body and hormones begin to return to normal, focus on building a fitness routine that allows you time to nurture yourself, practice mindfulness, restore core and pelvic floor strength, and support your mental well-being. This can be difficult to do with a newborn – not to mention if you have other, older kids as well – and with balancing other responsibilities; such as cooking, tending the house, and returning to work if applicable. Ultimately, the most important part of any postpartum fitness routine is to make it conducive to your life and needs!

Understanding Postpartum Recovery

The postpartum period, sometimes also referred to as the “fourth trimester,” lasts about 12 weeks; although there are many variables that can factor into aspects of postpartum recovery and its full duration.

The postpartum period sees the sharpest drop in hormone levels, namely estrogen and progesterone, that the human body will ever experience. Since estrogen acts as a natural mood-booster and stress-reducer, having dramatically lowered levels can lead to feelings of anxiety, irritability, or general unease. Estrogen is also essential to brain functionality; lowered levels can cause brain fog and persistent feelings of fatigue – even with adequate sleep.

In addition to navigating these hormonal changes, the body is also working hard to repair an internal wound the size of a dinner plate on the uterus wall (where the placenta was previously attached), as well as shrink the uterus back down to its normal size. It’s important to take the necessary time to allow your body to heal physically, as well as being gentle and kind with yourself as you try to regain a sense of normalcy for your changing hormone levels.

During the immediate postpartum period, focus on gentle movements, such as walking or light stretching, and mindfulness for your exercise routine. Remember to take things slowly and give yourself plenty of grace and space to heal!

7 Essentials for a Successful Postpartum Exercise Routine

1. Setting Realistic Goals

It’s great to shoot for the moon, but having goals that are too out of reach or unrealistic can be discouraging and frustrating! When beginning or restarting your fitness routine postpartum, create goals that feel reasonable and achievable, and that center around your overall health and wellness rather than trying to hit a target number.

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Knowing what is reasonable and achievable can be hard, however, especially as you adjust to your body’s ongoing physical and hormonal changes. Working with a personal trainer, particularly one who specializes in pre- and postnatal fitness, is extremely beneficial in identifying what you and your body need on a personal level.

It’s also important to set both short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals may look like “I will go for a walk with my baby 4 times this week,” while a long-term goal takes more time and continued effort to reach (i.e., “I will lose 15lbs in 3 months”). Check out our post on SMART Goals for more help identifying and creating goals for your fitness routine!

2. Listening to Your Body

Your body has been through a lot of grueling physical changes and exertion, and it will take time to get back to your prior levels of output. Prioritize listening to your body’s signals and honoring what your body needs each day.

While your body is strong, resilient, and capable of rising to challenges and crushing your goals, it is also deserving of rest, respect, and receiving gentleness. Your body will send clear signs of what is too much for its current state of healing; such as feelings of extreme soreness or fatigue, dizziness or lightheadedness, or running out of fuel. Always respect and follow what your body is telling you, and be mindful to heed any restrictions or advice given by your healthcare team around your exercise routine.

Focus on starting with a little movement each day and building up to 30-minutes of moderate intensity activity 5 times a week.

3. Creating a Workout Plan

Having a workout plan in place helps keep you accountable and on-track to reach your goals! A good workout plan includes the type of workout you plan to do, the time (and day/s) you plan to do them, and solutions to possible obstacles that may derail your plan.

For example, you may plan to walk for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings with your newborn after dropping your older kids off at school and during baby’s naptime. You have a clear goal of what type of exercise you’ll do, when you’ll do it, and have planned for a time when you can make this work because other distractions have been minimized.

Walking with your baby is a great way to get back into your fitness routine as well as stimulating your baby’s development! This is also why we love our Mommy & Me Fitness Classes – incorporating and including your baby in your workout time helps you to create the time and space to take care of yourself while taking care of your new little one!

4. Building a Support System

They weren’t lying when they said it takes a village! Don’t shy away from asking for help from your partner, family, friends and neighbors to support your postpartum recovery. This could look like asking a family member or friend to watch your baby so you can focus on your workout for an hour, or asking them to join you during your workout to help keep you accountable!

Yet another reason why we love our Mommy & Me classes is for the built-in community they provide! Having a network of other parent-friends who understand the unique struggles that come with parenting babies through different stages is invaluable; not only for the accountability to your fitness goals, but for your mental health as well!

If you’re unsure where to start looking for a Mommy & Me class, check out your local library and community center – many offer different classes and groups, and can connect you with other resources as well.

5. Getting Nutrition for Postpartum Recovery

It can be tempting to start dieting, fasting, or juice-cleansing to jumpstart postpartum weight loss, but resist the urge to do so and instead focus on having a well-balanced diet rich in nutrients. This will support your body’s postpartum recovery as well as lead to healthy and sustainable weight loss – particularly fat loss.

Receiving adequate calories and nutrients is essential to healing and recovery, and is of particular importance for breastfeeding mothers to maintain their milk supply. In general, women should never consume less than 1,200 calories per day; breastfeeding women need an additional 500 calories per day and should strive for no less than 1,800 calories per day. Always consult with a nutritionist or registered dietitian to find an appropriate diet and caloric intake for your specific needs.

General information on nutritional needs for postpartum and breastfeeding women can be found here from the CDC. Also, check out this neat caloric needs calculator that takes milk production into consideration!

6. Prioritizing Mental Health and Wellness

In addition to the hormonal changes in the postpartum period affecting your mental health, new parents are also adjusting to a major life change – and doing it all with not nearly enough sleep!

It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed, emotional, stressed out, exhausted, and angry during the postpartum period. This does not at all take away from the love and happiness you experience with your new baby and does not mean that you aren’t still enjoying motherhood and this season. It is so important to practice compassion with yourself and allow yourself to experience the range of emotions and feelings as they come up without judgment.

Mindfulness, meditation, and journaling are all excellent ways to tend to your mental health in the postpartum period. If you haven’t heard of the Canopie app for mental health in motherhood, check it out here – it’s filled with mental health programs as well as other resources and care providers.

If you are concerned that you may be struggling with postpartum anxiety or depression, don’t hesitate to reach out. You’re not alone 🤍

  • Call the Postpartum Support International HelpLine 1-800-944-4773
    • Or Text “Help” to 800-944-4773
  • Maternal Mental Health Hotline – Call or Text 1-833-943-5746
  • Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

7. Celebrating Your Progress

The hormonal changes that occur in the postpartum period. combined with the lack of sleep, make it extremely difficult to lose weight. Remember that big goals take time to reach, which is why it is important to set short-term goals and celebrate yourself as you reach them!

Keeping a fitness journal or using an app to log your workouts can help you to not only stay accountable to your workout plan, but also allow you to mark clear goals and reflect on your accomplishments. You can also create your own reward system, with opportunities to celebrate your progress as you reach milestones. Some non-food related motivational rewards include:

  • new workout outfit
  • new workout shoes
  • exercise accessories like phone holders, hats, running belts, or yoga mats
  • new water bottle
  • sports treatments such as massage or hydrotherapy
  • spa treatments such as mani/pedi’s or facials

You’re working hard to reach your goals, remember to stop and appreciate all that you have accomplished and all that your body is capable of!

Types of Postpartum Exercises

Walking

Stretching

Strength Training

Core and pelvic floor exercises

Swimming

Cycling

Mindfulness

Yoga

When approaching your postpartum fitness routine, remember that everyone’s journey is unique, and it’s all about moving at your own pace while having fun. We’d love to hear your stories—share your postpartum fitness experiences and tips in the comments below! Let’s lighten the load together and support each other in this wild ride of motherhood. You’ve got this!

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Postpartum Strength Prenatal Fitness

5 Pelvic Floor Exercises That Are Not Kegels

5 Pelvic Floor Exercises That Are Not Kegels

If you’ve ever experienced pregnancy or childbirth, you know firsthand the importance of pelvic floor strength, and how difficult it can be when those muscles have been compromised (if you cross your legs when you sneeze, or jumping jacks send you running to the bathroom, you know what I’m talking about!). So why does this happen?

First, let’s talk about what the pelvic floor is and what that really means. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that are part of our larger core muscle group. We tend to think about our “core” as just our abs, or “6-pack muscles;” but the core is actually made up of our abdominal wall, oblique abdominals, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, supporting and stabilizing muscles of the chest and back, hip flexors, glutes, diaphragm, and, of course, the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor muscles span from one side of the pelvis to the other and act as a “net” to support the pelvic organs, such as the bladder, vagina, anus, and uterus.

In pregnancy, the growing baby and uterus stretch and push the muscles of the abdominal wall and pelvic floor, and the pelvic floor supports the added weight throughout the pregnancy.

Kegels are an exercise that targets the pelvic floor muscles, particularly around the urethra, through contracting, or tightening, the muscles. While performing kegels is undoubtedly an essential part of maintaining the strength of the pelvic floor, if this is all you are doing, you likely do not feel the strength returning to the desired level.

It’s important to diversify your pelvic floor workouts to include the entire muscle group of the pelvic floor muscles, as well as working to integrate and strengthen the surrounding muscles of the hip complex and glutes. Intentionally strengthening the entire “net” of pelvic floor muscles and their surrounding joints and neighboring muscles will provide a stronger foundation and better support your internal pelvic organs.

Disclaimer: Before starting any new exercise routine, it is essential to consult with your healthcare provider or medical care team, particularly if you have any existing health concerns or conditions. This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always prioritize your health and safety by seeking guidance tailored to your individual needs.

1. Glute Bridge

The glute bridge exercise is performed while lying on your back and by lifting your hips in an upward motion. The glutes, hips, low back, and pelvic floor are all engaged during this movement.

Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Begin squeezing through the glutes, exhale, and lift the hips off the ground as high into the air as you can, while continuing to contract the glute muscles. Relax the muscles and inhale as you return the hips to the starting position on the floor. You can make this move more challenging by holding for a few seconds at the top, continuing to engage the glute muscles and breathing normally.

The glute bridge strengthens the pelvic floor muscles, along with the glutes, hips, and core; adding to overall stability as well as pelvic floor strengthening.

2. Squats

Squats represent one of 3 lower body functional movements (bending) used throughout our daily activity – such as sitting down and standing back up. They engage the lower body muscles, as well as the core, glutes, hips, and pelvic floor.

Start standing with feet slightly wider than hip-distance. Inhale as you hinge forward at the hips, sending the glutes backwards behind you, and continue motion downward by bending through the knees. When you have lowered as much as you can without pain or losing control of the motion, exhale as you press through both feet firmly and squeeze through the glutes to return to the starting position of standing.

Squats strengthen the muscles that support and hold up the pelvic floor (hamstrings, glutes, and hips), as well as strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through proper engagement of the core.

3. Dead Bug

The dead bug movement engages the core muscles, including the pelvic floor, while working to stabilize the body throughout a coordinated movement.

Start by laying on your back with your arms and legs in the air above you (i.e., looking like a dead bug on its back, hence the name!). Arms should be straight and positioned directly above the shoulders; legs should be bent to a 90 degree angle with the knees positioned directly above the hips and the feet extended outward, away from the body. Inhale and reach the right arm overhead to touch the floor above your head, while extending the left leg straight through the knee to touch your foot to the floor in front of you. Exhale as you return arm and leg to their starting positons over your body, then repeat with the left arm and right leg.

The dead bug exercise strengthens the pelvic floor muscles by engaging the deep core muscles that support the pelvis and spine. This exercise is particularly effective for strengthening the transverse abdominis, which is a key muscle for pelvic stability and pelvic floor support.

4. Bird Dog

The bird dog exercise engages the core muscles, including the pelvic floor, while working to stabilize the body throughout a coordinated movement.

Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees, with hands positioned directly under the shoulders and knees positioned directly under the hips. Draw the belly button toward the spine to engage the core, then inhale and extend the right arm straight in front of you at shoulder height, while also extending the left leg directly behind you at hip height. Exhale and create a crunching movement through the abdomen, drawing the right elbow toward the left knee, then return to the starting tabletop position.

The bird dog exercise strengthens pelvic floor muscles by engaging the core, including the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor, which are crucial for supporting the spine and maintaining stability. By challenging the core and balance while moving your limbs, the bird dog exercise helps improve core stability and indirectly strengthens the pelvic floor.

5. Clamshells

The clamshell exercise engages the hip complex, the glutes, the stabilizing muscles of the core, and the pelvic floor. This movement is performed lying on your side and targets one side of the body at a time.

Start by lying on your left side with your knees slightly bent and stacked, your feet in line with your spine and stacked. Firmly press your heels together and exhale while lifting the right knee upwards, opening through the hips as wide as you can without pain. Inhale as you relax through the hips and glutes and return to the starting position of knees touching. Repeat on each side.

The clamshell exercise primarily strengthens hip muscles that work in synergy with the pelvic floor. By strengthening these surrounding muscles, the clamshell exercise can contribute to the overall stability and strength of the pelvic floor, which can indirectly benefit pelvic floor health and function.

In a nutshell, taking care of your pelvic floor is super important for a strong core and overall health. Mixing in exercises like glute bridges, squats, dead bugs, and bird dogs can really help strengthen those muscles. If you’re interested in boosting your pelvic floor strength and just feeling better overall, don’t hesitate to reach out! We’d love to chat and see how we can help you on your fitness journey!

Have you tried any of these pelvic floor exercises? Let us know either way in the comments!

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