Pelvic floor training is often reduced to one simple cue: “just squeeze.”
But in reality, it’s much more nuanced than that.

If you’ve ever felt unsure whether you’re actually activating your pelvic floor,  or wondered why exercises don’t seem to work, you’re not alone.

The missing piece is often connection, not effort.

 

Why Starting Lying Down Matters

Before you can strengthen your pelvic floor, you need to feel it and understand it.

That’s why everything begins lying down.

When you’re on your back:

  • Your body is fully supported by the floor
  • There’s minimal pressure on the pelvic floor
  • Other muscles (like your abs, back, and inner thighs) are less likely to compensate
  • You get clear feedback if you start moving your pelvis or spine instead of isolating the pelvic floor

This position creates the ideal environment to:

  • Notice the difference between contracting and relaxing
  • Avoid overusing muscles like the rectus abdominis or glutes
  • Build a genuine mind–muscle connection

 

Because here’s the truth:
If you can’t feel your pelvic floor working in stillness, it’s very difficult to control it in movement.

 

It’s Not About Squeezing Harder

A common misconception is that pelvic floor training means squeezing as hard as possible, all the time.

But muscles don’t work like that.

Your pelvic floor needs to:

  • Contract and relax
  • Respond to breathing
  • Adjust to changes in pressure (like coughing, lifting, or jumping)

Think of it less like a constant squeeze and more like a responsive system that adapts throughout the day.

 

Building the Foundation: Awareness First

Before progressing, you need to:

  • Recognize what a correct contraction feels like
  • Notice when other muscles are taking over
  • Experience both the lift (activation) and the release (relaxation)

For many people, this is the stage where guidance can make a big difference, whether from a physiotherapist or another trained professional.

Not because it’s complicated, but because feedback helps you get it right faster.

 

Step-by-Step Progression

Once you’ve built awareness lying down, you can begin to layer in challenge.

1. Lying Down → Connection

  • Focus on isolated activation
  • Coordinate with your breathing
  • Avoid compensations

2. Sitting & Standing → Adding Load

  • Gravity introduces more pressure
  • Other muscles naturally engage
  • You learn to maintain pelvic floor control within the system, not in isolation

This is where many people lose the connection, and why the first step matters so much.

3. Movement → Real-Life Function

Now we move beyond still positions:

  • Walking
  • Bending
  • Lifting
  • Training

Your pelvic floor must now respond automatically to movement and pressure changes.

4. Dynamic Exercises → Like Lunges

This is where everything comes together.

In exercises like lunges:

  • Load shifts through your body
  • Balance is challenged
  • Core and lower body muscles are active

Your pelvic floor is no longer the focus, it’s part of a coordinated system.

And that’s the goal.

Why This Progression Works

It’s easier to learn control in a quiet, supported position.
It’s harder, but more important, to maintain that control when life gets dynamic.

By progressing step by step, you move from:

  • ❌ Guessing → ✅ Feeling
  • ❌ Isolating → ✅ Integrating
  • ❌ Forcing → ✅ Responding

 

From No Results to Real Change

If pelvic floor training hasn’t worked for you before, it’s rarely because you didn’t try hard enough.

It’s usually because:

  • The foundation wasn’t there
  • The progression skipped steps
  • The body compensated without you noticing

Starting at the base, and building up gradually, is what turns effort into results.

Astrid