5 Expert-Recommended Core Exercises to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor
Nutrition & FitnessFitness

5 Core Exercises That Also Strengthen the Pelvic Floor

5 Core Exercises That Also Strengthen the Pelvic Floor
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Published on February 20, 2026
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Your pelvic floor muscles need to be strengthened just like any other muscles in your body. And some core exercises engage the pelvic floor muscles, too.

Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the base of your pelvis that support your bladder, bowels, and reproductive organs. They form the base of your core, or the muscles attached to your pelvis and spine that create stability in the center of the body.

“Your core is an entire system that includes your diaphragm (your breathing muscle), deep abdominal muscles, back stabilizers, and pelvic floor working together to stabilize your body from the inside out,” says Melissa Oleson, DPT, a Baltimore-area doctor of physical therapy and yoga instructor who specializes in orthopedics and pelvic health.

A strong pelvic floor has numerous benefits. It supports healthy bladder function and sexual health, and can help reduce back pain, says Bijal Toprani, PT, DPT, a New York City–based doctor of physical therapy and clinical consultant at Hinge Health, a digital clinic for joint and muscle pain.

5 Exercises to Build Core and Pelvic Floor Strength

The most effective core exercises for strengthening the pelvic floor recruit the diaphragm, deep abdominal muscles, and back stabilizers through controlled movements. When you coordinate movement with breath — such as exhaling as you lift or hold a position — your pelvic floor naturally engages alongside these muscles.

The following five exercises from Dr. Oleson target your entire core, including the pelvic floor, by coordinating breath, posture, and muscle engagement.

Perform each exercise for 1 minute total (30 seconds per side for single-sided moves). The entire routine, including the warm-up, will take less than 10 minutes.

The first exercise doesn’t necessarily contract the pelvic floor muscles, but it helps reduce muscle overactivity. This prepares the pelvic floor muscles for the strengthening exercises that follow.

1. Tabletop With Hip Rotation

Tabletop With Hip Rotation Start on hands and knees. Place yoga block or rolled towel between knees. Inhale to expand rib cage. Exhale; squeeze block or towel between knees. As you squeeze, rotate feet outward. Inhale; release block and bring shins
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Start with hands and knees on the floor; stack your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees. Place a yoga block or rolled towel between your knees. Keep your pelvis in a neutral position that maintains the spine’s natural curve (not tucked underneath or flared out with an arched back). Inhale to expand your rib cage. Exhale through pursed lips and gently squeeze the block or towel with your inner thigh muscles. As you squeeze, rotate your shins out to the sides (toes will stay in contact with the floor and extend diagonally outward from your knees). Inhale to release the block and bring your shins behind you. Repeat.

2. Heel Slides

Heel Slides Lie on back with knees bent, feet on floor. Exhale; extend one leg. Inhale; pull leg into start position. Keep both heels on floor the entire time.
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Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Keep your pelvis in a neutral position, with your lower back in contact with the floor, but not pushing into it. Inhale. Exhale as you slowly extend one leg, allowing your heel to stay in contact with the floor. Inhale while pulling your leg back into the start position. Switch sides.

3. Adductor Squeeze

Adductor Squeeze Lie on back with knees bent, feet on floor. Place yoga block or towel between knees. Exhale; squeeze inner thighs together. Inhale; relax thighs.
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Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Place a yoga block or rolled towel between your knees. Inhale to expand your rib cage. Then, exhale through pursed lips and squeeze your inner thighs together. Inhale and relax your inner thighs. Repeat.

4. Dying Bug Variation

Dying Bug Variation Lie on back with knees bent, feet on floor. Grip ball or block and reach overhead. Exhale; squeeze ball or block. Lift one foot and touch ball or block to knee. Inhale; return ball or block overhead. Keep head and shoulders on ground.
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Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Grab a small ball or block. (Place a rolled towel under your head and shoulders for comfort, if needed.) Reach your arms overhead with the small ball or block in your hands. Inhale to expand your rib cage. Exhale and squeeze the ball or block with your hands, while simultaneously lifting one foot off the ground and bringing the ball or block to touch your knee. Inhale, and reach the ball or block overhead. Switch sides. Keep your head and shoulders on the ground the entire time.

5. Modified Side Plank

Modified Side Plank Lie on side with upper body propped on forearm. Bend knees to bring feet behind you. Place hand on yoga block in front of chest. Exhale; press hips up and hand down on block. Inhale; lower your hips to the floor.
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Lie on one side and prop yourself up on your forearm; don’t sink into your shoulder. Press your forearm down to the ground. Position your body so your shoulders and hips form a straight line with your knees, and bend your knees to bring your feet behind you. Place a block in front of your chest with your top hand on the top of the block. On your exhale, press your hips up towards the ceiling and press your hand down on the block. Inhale as you lower your hips to the floor. Repeat.

The Takeaway

  • Your pelvic floor is a crucial part of your core, supports bladder function and sexual health, and may help reduce back pain.
  • Core exercises that coordinate breath, posture, and muscle engagement help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
  • Experts recommend pelvic floor exercises such as heel slides, adductor squeeze, dying bugs, tabletop with hip rotation, and modified side plank.

FAQ

Is this workout safe and appropriate for everyone?
These exercises are safe for most people. However, check with your doctor before trying this workout, especially if you gave birth within the last six weeks or had a recent surgery. If you experience an increase in pelvic floor symptoms (such as urine leakage) during or after this routine, consult a pelvic floor physical therapist for guidance on performing this workout appropriately and safely, or to address the root problem, recommends Oleson.
These exercises require a comfortable spot on the floor where you can lie down, along with a yoga mat. You will also need a yoga block or a rolled up towel, and a small ball (such as a Pilates ball). If you don’t have a small ball, use a yoga block instead.
Warm up the diaphragm, abdominals, and pelvic floor with 360-degree rib cage breathing for two minutes, Oleson says. To do it, sit on a yoga block or on the ground and hug your knees into your chest. Focus on breathing into your lower back and the bottom part of the rib cage. On the inhale, expand your belly, lower back, and rib cage. Slowly exhale. Repeat.
These pelvic floor strengthening exercises can be performed four to five times a week, says Oleson.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Pelvic Floor Muscles. Cleveland Clinic. June 27, 2025.
Meet Our Experts
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Heather Jeffcoat

Heather Jeffcoat, PT, DPT

Medical Reviewer

Heather Jeffcoat, PT, DPT, is a doctor of physical therapy and the founder of Femina Physical Therapy and Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy, both of which focus on pelvic health and whole-body orthopedic care.

With more than 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Jeffcoat is a leading expert in the treatment of sexual pain and pelvic floor dysfunction, and her Los Angeles (Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Sherman Oaks) and Atlanta-based clinics draw patients from around the world.

She is the author of Sex Without Pain: A Self-Treatment Guide to the Sex Life You Deserve, which is widely used by both patients and healthcare professionals. Jeffcoat regularly lectures internationally on female sexual health, pelvic pain, and interdisciplinary care, and she develops continuing education courses for physical therapists and other providers.

Jeffcoat served as president of the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy from 2021 to 2024, and held multiple leadership positions with the International Pelvic Pain Society from 2014 to 2023, including acting on their board of directors.

Her patient-centered, integrative approach emphasizes functional recovery and empowerment for those experiencing painful sex, endometriosis, postpartum trauma, menopause-related incontinence or pain, and other complex pelvic and chronic pain conditions. She has created multiple programs, including Birth Prep 101, helping hundreds of women achieve the birth and postpartum recovery support they need.

Her passion extends beyond the clinic walls, as she also founded and runs a 501(c)3, Empower Health Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to providing no cost services to low-income and marginalized populations with pelvic health conditions.

She has been a speaker at the following:

  • World Congress on Abdominal and Pelvic Pain, Cartagena, Colombia, Post-Conference Course: "Chronic Pelvic Pain Evaluation and Management Strategies," 2024
  • American Urogynecologic Association, Advanced Practice, Physical Therapy, and Allied Health Bootcamp: "Pelvic Pain and Sexual Dysfunction Related to PFDs" (AUGS Preconference Course), 2016
  • American Urogynecologic Association, Seattle, "Pathoanatomy and Patient Presentations in Sexual Pain Syndromes," co-presented with Nazema Siddiqui, MD, 2016
  • UCLA Urogynecology and MIGS Lecture Series, "Continence and Pain Mechanisms Beyond the Pelvic Floor," 2024
  • PelviCon National Conference, Atlanta, "The Female Orgasm and Differential Diagnosis of Vaginismus and Vulvodynia," 2022
  • Invited lecturer: Pelvic health education, Reproductive Health Access Project, CSU Fullerton, 2024
  • Expert panel speaker, Menopause Monologues: The Hottest Show In Town, Hollywood, California, 2025

Course developer and instructor, Female Sexual Function, Dysfunction & Pain, United States, Istanbul, Middle East:

  • Sex Therapy for Transgender and Nonbinary Clients, Center for Healthy Sex
  • Cyclist’s Syndrome–Pudendal Neuralgia, Beijing (Chinese Olympic Committee)
  • Multiple CE webinars and in-person labs across North America

Community Education:

  • Creator and host of multiple events in California, Girls’ Night Out: Better Sexual and Pelvic Health
  • Guest speaker, LA LGBTQ Center, Duke University SoCal Women’s Group, and Endo Day
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Jessica Migala

Author

Jessica Migala is a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in health, nutrition, fitness, and beauty. She has written extensively about vision care, diabetes, dermatology, gastrointestinal health, cardiovascular health, cancer, pregnancy, and gynecology. She was previously an assistant editor at Prevention where she wrote monthly science-based beauty news items and feature stories.

She has contributed to more than 40 print and digital publications, including Cosmopolitan, O:The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, Fitness, Family Circle, Health, Prevention, Self, VICE, and more. Migala lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young boys, rescue beagle, and 15 fish. When not reporting, she likes running, bike rides, and a glass of wine (in moderation, of course).

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