3 days ago
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Posted On: October 13th 2026, 12:03 pm
You might have been told you need to relax or engage your pelvic floor. You’re trying your best, but you’ve no idea if you’re actually doing it properly.
Here’s a really quick test you can do yourself to check whether you can release and engage.
Lie on your back. Place your fingers just on the inside of your sitting bones. You can do one side at a time, or both together if that feels comfortable. Try to relax completely.
Inhale: release Breathe into the sides and back of your ribcage, then send that breath down into your pelvic floor. You’re feeling for a gentle, gradual pressure into your fingers as your pelvic floor releases.
Watch out for bearing down. That’s a sudden, forceful push into your fingers rather than a soft release. If that happens, slow your breath down and let it be more gradual.
Exhale: engage Imagine stopping yourself going to the toilet and passing wind. It’s a gentle, gradual lift, and you should feel the pressure on your fingers slowly ease away.
Watch out for your sitting bones squeezing together or lots of pressure at the back of your pelvis. If you notice this, relax a little more and try to find that internal engagement without clenching your glutes.
Hopefully this gives you a bit more feedback on what’s going on down there. If you’re still struggling, I would always recommend seeing a pelvic health physio if that’s an option.
If not, I will be doing some more posts on this topic but feel free to drop me a DM with specific questions.
Here’s a really quick test you can do yourself to check whether you can release and engage.
Lie on your back. Place your fingers just on the inside of your sitting bones. You can do one side at a time, or both together if that feels comfortable. Try to relax completely.
Inhale: release Breathe into the sides and back of your ribcage, then send that breath down into your pelvic floor. You’re feeling for a gentle, gradual pressure into your fingers as your pelvic floor releases.
Watch out for bearing down. That’s a sudden, forceful push into your fingers rather than a soft release. If that happens, slow your breath down and let it be more gradual.
Exhale: engage Imagine stopping yourself going to the toilet and passing wind. It’s a gentle, gradual lift, and you should feel the pressure on your fingers slowly ease away.
Watch out for your sitting bones squeezing together or lots of pressure at the back of your pelvis. If you notice this, relax a little more and try to find that internal engagement without clenching your glutes.
Hopefully this gives you a bit more feedback on what’s going on down there. If you’re still struggling, I would always recommend seeing a pelvic health physio if that’s an option.
If not, I will be doing some more posts on this topic but feel free to drop me a DM with specific questions.
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