Hello, Lovjoy community! It's Alexandra. Today let's talk about a muscle group you can't see in a mirror but use every single day — your pelvic floor. If you've ever leaked a little when you laughed, sneezed or jumped on a trampoline with your kids, this one is for you.
Next step: explore pelvic floor Pilates classes — live, coached, from home.
What is pelvic Pilates, exactly?
Pelvic Pilates is regular Pilates with one big priority: the deep core team — diaphragm, deep abdominals, back muscles and the pelvic floor — working together instead of one muscle brute-forcing everything. When that team is coordinated, you stop leaking, your back stops aching, and movements feel connected again. For most women I coach, the first change is not strength — it's awareness. You finally feel muscles you had forgotten you owned.
Why does the pelvic floor matter so much?
Think of your pelvic floor as a hammock of muscles holding your bladder, uterus and bowel in place. Pregnancy and birth stretch that hammock. Menopause changes it. High-impact sport stresses it. And hours of sitting lets it go quiet. The statistics most women never hear: about 1 in 3 women leak urine at some point, and half of them never mention it to anyone — not even their doctor. Meanwhile, the fix is rarely dramatic. Consistent, breath-led training genuinely changes things in 6–8 weeks. Not overnight miracles — real ones.
Five pelvic Pilates moves to start this week
Start here, gently, on a mat at home:
- Breath + gentle lift — inhale wide into your ribs, exhale and draw the pelvic floor up like an elevator, two floors only. Release fully. 10 breaths.
- Pelvic tilts — slow, small tilts, exhale as you flatten the low back. 10 reps.
- Heel slides — ribs stay heavy, slide one heel away and back. 8 per side.
- Bridges with breath — exhale to lift, bone by bone, inhale at the top. 8 reps.
- Side-lying leg circles — small circles, heavy waist, no arching. 8 per side.
Do this 3–4 times a week and you'll feel the difference — most of my clients notice better bladder control and less heaviness within weeks. Want a coach watching your form in real time so you know you're lifting, not bearing down? That's exactly what we do in pelvic floor Pilates classes.
Live coaching vs following videos alone
| Following videos alone | Live coached class (LOVJOY) | |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback | None — you guess | Real time — I see if you bear down instead of lifting |
| Modifications | Generic | Adapted to your body: leaks, prolapse, diastasis, C-section |
| Class size | Alone with a screen | Small groups, cameras optional |
| Session length | Varies | 30 minutes, from $10 CAD or $45/mo unlimited |
When to see a professional first
If you have pain, a feeling of heaviness or bulging, or leaking that limits your daily life, please see a pelvic floor physiotherapist first — then bring their guidance to class. Pilates complements that care, it never replaces it.
Alexandra is a certified Mat and Reformer Pilates instructor (Body Control Pilates UK, Balanced Body) and registered naturotherapist (ANQ). Insurance receipts available for private sessions.
Try it free: your first pelvic floor Pilates class is on me.
