7 Pregnancy Exercises for a Strong Pelvic Floor

Your pelvic floor is working overtime during pregnancy as it supports your growing baby. A strong pelvic floor matters, but preparing for birth takes more than strength. Your pelvic floor also needs to relax and work together with your core, hips, and glutes.

Below, we’ll break down why pelvic floor training during pregnancy matters and share 7 exercises to help you build strength, improve control, and prepare your pelvic floor for birth.

What is the Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the bottom of your pelvis that supports your bladder, bowel, uterus, and growing baby. These muscles work with your deep core, diaphragm, hips, and glutes to stabilize your pelvis and manage pressure as you breathe, move, and exercise.

Benefits of Pelvic Floor Exercises During Pregnancy

Your pelvic floor takes on more pressure as your pregnancy progresses. Pelvic floor training can help your pelvic floor better handle the demands of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery.

Studies have shown that doing pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy can help:

• Reduce bladder leaks during pregnancy and postpartum
• Lower the risk of severe perineal tearing during birth
• Shorten the second stage of labor

Are Kegels Enough During Pregnancy?

Kegels are one of the most common pelvic floor exercises, but doing more Kegels isn’t always better. Your pelvic floor also needs to relax and work together with your deep core, diaphragm, hips, and glutes to support and stabilize your pelvis.

If your pelvic floor is already tight or has difficulty relaxing, too many Kegels may create more tension. That’s why pelvic floor training during pregnancy should focus on strength, relaxation, and coordination, helping these muscles contract when needed and fully relax when they don’t.

7 Pregnancy Exercises for a Strong Pelvic Floor

These exercises combine direct pelvic floor training with breathing, core, hip, and glute exercises to help build strength, improve relaxation, and support your pelvis.

1. Kegels

Your pelvic floor needs to be able to contract and lift when needed. Kegels directly train these muscles, helping you practice both a controlled contraction and a full release.

How to do it:

• Get into a comfortable position.
• Gently squeeze and lift your pelvic floor muscles.
• Keep breathing normally without squeezing your glutes.
• Fully relax between each contraction.

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Your pelvic floor needs to know how to relax just as much as it needs to contract. Diaphragmatic breathing helps you practice releasing tension and coordinating your pelvic floor with your breath.

How to do it:

• Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Inhale and allow your belly and pelvic floor to gently relax.
• As you exhale, gently draw your lower belly inward, as if you're “hugging” your baby toward your spine.
• Hold the gentle engagement for a moment, then relax as you inhale.

3. Sit-Backs

Your pelvic floor works together with your core, hips, and glutes. Sit-backs strengthen these muscles while helping you practice pelvic floor coordination through movement.

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees with your spine in a comfortable, neutral position.
• Slowly send your hips back toward your heels while keeping your arms extended.
• Inhale as you sit back and allow your pelvic floor to relax.
• Exhale as you return to the starting position, gently engaging your core.

4. Inner Thigh Leg Lifts

Your inner thighs also help support and stabilize your pelvis. Inner thigh leg lifts strengthen these muscles while keeping the movement controlled and pregnancy-friendly.

How to do it:

• Lie on your side with your bottom leg straight and your top leg bent in front of you for support.
• Keep your hips stacked and your core gently engaged.
• Exhale as you lift your bottom leg a few inches from the floor.
• Lower slowly with control and repeat before switching sides.

5. Clamshells

Strong glutes and outer hips help keep your pelvis stable as you move. Clamshells strengthen these muscles to build support and stability around your pelvis.

How to do it:

• Lie on your side with your knees bent and stacked.
• Keep your feet together as you lift your top knee.
• Keep your hips stacked rather than rolling backward.
• Slowly lower your knee and repeat before switching sides.

6. Glute Bridges

Your glutes play an important role in supporting your hips and pelvis during pregnancy. Glute bridges strengthen your glutes while training your core and pelvis to stay controlled through movement.

7. Bird Dogs

Pregnancy places increasing demands on your core and pelvic stability. Bird dogs strengthen your deep core, glutes, and back while challenging you to keep your pelvis stable as your arms and legs move.

How to do it:

• Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Gently engage your core and keep your pelvis level.
• Extend one arm and the opposite leg without shifting or rotating your hips.
• Alternate sides while breathing steadily throughout the movement.

How Often Should You Do Pelvic Floor Exercises During Pregnancy?

Pelvic floor exercises can be incorporated into your regular pregnancy workouts or practiced separately in short sessions. What your pelvic floor needs may also change throughout pregnancy. Earlier on, you may focus more on building strength and support, while later in pregnancy, relaxation, breathing, and pelvic mobility become more important as you prepare for birth.

FitMama makes it easy with workout plans that adapt as your pregnancy progresses, combining pelvic floor, core, strength, and mobility exercises to support you through every stage and prepare your body for labor and recovery.

What Happens to Your Pelvic Floor After Birth?

After birth, your pelvic floor muscles can feel weaker, stretched, and harder to control as they recover from the demands of pregnancy and delivery. You may notice symptoms like leaking, pelvic heaviness, or difficulty engaging your core and pelvic floor.

But recovery isn’t just about strengthening these muscles again. Your pelvic floor also needs to relax, coordinate with your breathing and core, and gradually adjust as you return to exercise. Starting with breathing and gentle pelvic floor exercises can help you reconnect with these muscles before progressing to more demanding movements.

FitMama’s pregnancy and postpartum workout plans adapt with you, from building strength during pregnancy and preparing for birth to gradually rebuilding your core and pelvic floor after baby.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Signs of a Weak Pelvic Floor?

Common signs of a weak pelvic floor include leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or exercise, difficulty controlling gas or bowel movements, and a feeling of heaviness or pressure in the pelvis. Pregnancy can put additional strain on the pelvic floor, making these symptoms more noticeable.

How Can You Find Your Pelvic Floor Muscles?

Imagine gently trying to stop yourself from passing gas. You should feel a squeeze and lift around the vagina and anus. Try to do this without squeezing your glutes or thighs or holding your breath.

How Do I Know if My Pelvic Floor Is Too Tight?

Signs of a tight pelvic floor can include pelvic pain, pain with sex, difficulty emptying your bladder or bowel, or difficulty relaxing your pelvic floor after contracting it.

How Do I Know if I’m Doing Kegels Correctly?

You should feel a gentle squeeze and lift of your pelvic floor without holding your breath or creating tension in your glutes or thighs. You should also be able to fully relax the muscles afterward.

Will My Pelvic Floor Muscles Recover After My Baby Is Born?

Your pelvic floor needs time to recover after pregnancy and birth. Recovery varies from person to person, and pelvic floor exercises after pregnancy can help strengthen these muscles and support bladder and bowel control. If you continue to experience leaking, heaviness, pain, or other pelvic floor symptoms after birth, consider speaking with your healthcare provider or a pelvic health physiotherapist.