Most people don’t think much about the pelvic floor until something starts feeling different. After 60, weakness in that area can affect bladder control and how supported your midsection feels during daily movement. Giving those muscles regular attention can help you rebuild some of that control.
The pelvic floor also works alongside the hips and deep abdominal muscles. When those areas get stronger, you have a better base for managing pressure through your trunk during everyday tasks. That’s why pelvic-floor training doesn’t have to mean sitting still and doing contractions for the entire session.
A chair makes it easy to fit the work in without getting down on the floor. You can train the hips from a seated position, use the chair for incline core work, and practice standing with better pressure control. Over 30 days, that gives you plenty of chances to build consistency without making the routine feel like a chore.
These five exercises focus on the muscles around the pelvis while teaching you to coordinate them with your core. During each move, think about a gentle pelvic-floor lift as you exhale through the harder part of the rep. Avoid bearing down or holding your breath.
Seated Band Abduction
Strong outer hips help support the pelvis when you walk or stand on one leg. Seated band abductions target those muscles directly without adding much balance demand, making them easy to repeat several times per week.
Muscles Trained: Glutes, outer hips, core.
How to Do It
- Sit tall near the edge of a sturdy chair.
- Loop a resistance band above your knees.
- Place your feet flat on the floor.
- Exhale gently as you press your knees apart.
- Pause briefly against the band.
- Return slowly and repeat.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. Rest for 30 seconds.
Best Variations: Lighter band abduction, slower tempo abduction, isometric band hold.
Form Tip: Keep both feet planted as your knees press outward.
RELATED: 4 Standing Exercises That Restore Walking Endurance Faster Than Treadmills After 65
Seated Adduction Squeeze
This targets the inner thighs, which work closely with the muscles around the pelvis. Squeezing a ball or pillow gives you a simple way to create tension while practicing a gentle pelvic-floor contraction.
Muscles Trained: Inner thighs, pelvic floor, core.
How to Do It
- Sit tall on a chair.
- Place a small ball or folded pillow between your knees.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Exhale and gently squeeze your knees inward.
- Add a light pelvic-floor lift during the squeeze.
- Relax fully before the next rep.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Rest for 30 seconds.
Best Variations: Pillow squeeze, longer squeeze hold, lighter adduction squeeze.
Form Tip: Use a gentle squeeze instead of crushing the ball.
Incline Plank
Your pelvic floor has to work with the deep core when you brace, and an incline plank gives you a controlled place to practice that connection. The chair reduces the difficulty compared with a floor plank, so you can focus on breathing and keeping steady tension through your midsection.
Muscles Trained: Abs, shoulders, chest, pelvic floor.
How to Do It
- Place your hands on the seat or back of a sturdy chair that won’t move.
- Step your feet backward.
- Form a straight line from your head through your heels.
- Brace your abs lightly.
- Exhale slowly and add a gentle pelvic-floor lift.
- Hold while continuing to breathe.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 holds of 20 to 30 seconds. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds.
Best Variations: Wall plank, higher incline plank, shorter plank hold.
Form Tip: Keep breathing instead of holding your breath.
RELATED: 5 Exercises That Give You Back the Waistline You Had at 50 After 65
Seated March With Core Brace
Marching shifts your weight from side to side and asks your core to stay steady while one leg lifts. That makes it useful for teaching the pelvic floor to work while your body is moving, which is closer to what happens during normal daily activity.
Muscles Trained: Hip flexors, abs, pelvic floor.
How to Do It
- Sit tall near the edge of the chair.
- Place both feet flat on the floor.
- Brace your abs lightly.
- Exhale and lift your right knee.
- Lower it with control.
- Switch sides and continue alternating.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side. Rest for 30 seconds.
Best Variations: Slower seated march, banded seated march, alternating march hold.
Form Tip: Keep your torso upright as each knee lifts.
Sit-to-Stand With Exhale
Standing up is a great place to practice pelvic-floor control because it naturally increases pressure through the trunk. Exhale as you rise to manage that pressure while your legs do the work. Over time, you’re teaching your core and pelvic floor to contribute during a movement you use every day.
Muscles Trained: Quads, glutes, abs, pelvic floor.
How to Do It
- Sit near the front of a sturdy chair.
- Place your feet about hip-width apart.
- Lean forward slightly.
- Exhale as you press through your feet and stand.
- Add a gentle pelvic-floor lift as you rise.
- Sit back down with control.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps. Rest for 45 seconds.
Best Variations: Higher chair sit-to-stand, supported sit-to-stand, slower sit-to-stand.
Form Tip: Exhale through the stand instead of holding your breath.
RELATED: 4 Bed Exercises That Restore Arm Strength Faster Than Weight Training After 60
Build Better Pelvic-Floor Control Over the Next 30 Days
Pelvic-floor strength improves through regular practice, and you don’t need to turn every session into a long workout. Use these exercises three to five days per week, and keep the effort moderate enough to stay consistent.
- Focus on coordination first: A gentle contraction paired with breathing is more useful than squeezing as hard as possible.
- Relax between reps: The pelvic floor needs to release fully, not stay clenched all day.
- Avoid straining: Breathe through the effort and skip any rep that makes you feel like you’re bearing down.
- Build volume slowly: Add a few reps or a little more resistance once the current workload feels comfortable.
- Keep walking and strength training: General activity supports the hips and core that work with the pelvic floor.
- Track everyday changes: Better control during coughing, standing, or lifting can be more useful feedback than how hard an exercise feels.
- Get extra help when needed: Ongoing leakage, pelvic pain, or pressure is worth discussing with a pelvic-floor physical therapist or your healthcare provider.
References
- Cho, Sung Tae, and Khae Hawn Kim. “Pelvic floor muscle exercise and training for coping with urinary incontinence.” Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation vol. 17,6 379-387. 27 Dec. 2021, doi:10.12965/jer.2142666.333
- Swenson, Carolyn W et al. “Aging effects on pelvic floor support: a pilot study comparing young versus older nulliparous women.” International Urogynecology Journal vol. 31,3 (2020): 535-543. doi:10.1007/s00192-019-04063-z
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