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Core & Pelvic Floor Exercises

Jun 14, 2011 | By Josh Baum
Core & Pelvic Floor Exercises
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The collection of muscles comprising your abs, lower back and pelvis are commonly known as your core. Your pelvic floor is a more specific area within your core, situated at the bottom of the pelvis and consisting predominantly of the pubococcygeus, or PC, muscle, a hammock-shaped muscle that allows you to control urine flow and other lower body functions. Different types of exercises are required to strengthen the core and the pelvic floor, but neither requires special equipment.

Pelvic Tilt

A basic yet effective exercise for strengthening the core muscles---in particular those surrounding the pelvis---is the pelvic tilt, as described in "Power Yoga: The Total Strength and Flexibility Workout" by Beryl Bender Birch. To perform this exercise, lie flat on your back on a yoga or exercise mat. Spread your feet about hip width apart and plant them flat on the mat, with your knees bent at about 45 degrees. Place your arms at your sides with your palms turned flat onto the mat. Straighten and elongate your spine so that your buttocks, upper back and head are all flat on the mat. Your lower back should naturally lift slightly off the floor. Breathe deeply and normally as you lift your pelvis off the floor, pressing your upper back into the mat. Hold this position for several seconds, maintaining a straight line from your knees to the point where your back touches the mat. Gently lower your pelvis to the mat for a brief rest, and then repeat the motion, continuing for a set of 10 reps.

Pelvic Rock

"The Complete Book of Core Training" by Kurt, Brett and Mike Brungardt describes the pelvic rock, another core strengthening technique. For this move, lie flat on your back on an exercise or yoga mat, again with your feet flat on the mat and your knees bent at about 45 degrees. Place your arms at your sides with your palms flat on the mat. Bring your feet together so that they touch at the sides, press your upper back into the mat and lift your pelvis just enough so that your buttocks hovers about 1 inch off the mat. Breathe deeply and comfortably as you rock your knees to one side in a controlled motion. Your knees should only move over about as far as your shoulder, and your opposite hip should not lift high in the air. After a 1-second pause in this position, bring your knees back to the center, but don't rest your buttocks on the mat. Rock your knees to the opposite side, pause, and then return to the starting position. Maintain this pattern for a total of 20 rocks---10 to each side.

Kegel Exercises

To strengthen the pelvic floor, you must contract the PC muscle. You can practice flexing these muscles by pretending that you're stopping the flow of urine. Once you're comfortable with this, you can do Kegel exercises, which are named after their inventor, Dr. Arnold Kegel. A standard Kegel exercise involves flexing and holding the PC muscle for 10 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest, for a total of 10 reps. You can also try to slowly clench the PC muscle to a fully flexed position as you count to five, then hold the position for five seconds, and slowly release it to a fully relaxed position as you count to five once more. As you build strength, endurance and control, try pulsing this muscle rapidly in a rhythmic fashion for as long as you can, challenging yourself to beat your prior time. Improving pelvic floor strength can help treat urinary incontinence, premature ejaculation and uncontrollable flatulence, and can also help women prepare for the stress of natural childbirth.

References

Article reviewed by KathleenM Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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