Like any muscle group, it’s critical to exercise the pelvic floor to strengthen it. I’ve found that people have the most challenging time building up strength in their deep core muscles. The pelvic floor and transverse abdominal (TVA, the really deep abdominals) muscles . Kegal exercises don’t work for everyone. To increase pelvic floor and TVA activation and strength, I’ve found it useful to think about either stopping your urination mid stream, or sucking a blueberry in through your vagina before you begin an abdominal exercise. One of these visuals often encourages us to lift and tighten the pelvic floor and TVA simultaneously.
4 Exercises to Build Deep Core Strength
Here are 4 exercises that do a great job igniting your abdominal muscles. I’ve ranked them in order of difficulty. Remember, to increase pelvic floor and TVA strength, think about either stopping your pee, or sucking in a blueberry, right before and during all of these exercises.
1. Abs Under Pressure.
This a terrific strength exercise for your TVA muscles; those really deep ab muscles that can be hard to target. Lye on your back and firmly press your whole back flat into the mat. Give yourself a pelvic tilt and lift your legs to 90 degrees. Tightly contract your abs so that they keep your back pressed firmly into the matt during the whole time you hold this exercise. Add a weight onto your shins if you need more of a challenge. Try holding this position for up to 1 minute.
2. Windshield Wipers.
This a great exercise for your obliques, your side abdominal muscles. Bend both of your legs to a 90 degree angle. While keeping both legs squeezed together, drop both legs slowly, from side-to-side. Use your abs and sides of your low back to move your legs from side-to-side. After 10 reps, you should really feel your obliques and back work!
3. Ab Rollouts.
This exercise can be done on a big ball or the TRX like I’m demonstrating here. The key is to keep your abdominal muscles tightly contracted throughout the entire exercise to avoid putting pressure on your low back. Exhale and suck the blueberry up especially during the rollout position. Inhale as you move back to the starting position.
4. Stirring the Pot.
I’m performing an advanced version of this exercise here, using the TRX. Place your elbows on the ground and stay on your knees to perform a slightly easier way of completing this exercise. Try moving your body in as big of a circle as possible in one direction, forcing your abs to do most of the work to hold you up. When you’ve completed 5-10 reps moving in one direction, switch directions and finish the same number of reps.
If you think you have a weak core, it’s always best to reach out to a fitness professional for strength training assistance, or to a pelvic floor specialist. Many physiotherapy offices now offer this specialization.
To Sum it up…
To lift and tighten your deep core muscles, the pelvic floor and TVA muscles, I’ve found it useful to think about either stopping your urination mid stream, or sucking a blueberry in through your vagina before you begin an abdominal exercise. I’ve outlined above, 4 of my favourite exercises I use to target the deep abdominal muscles. Which one do you like best?