Your butt and your pelvic floor

Written By Larissa Parson

One key to a healthy pelvic floor is a healthy set of glutes. There are plenty of folks who have said this better and in more depth, but basically: if your glutes engage well, your pelvic floor is able to work in a more functional, balanced way. This simple mini-squat is one of my favorite exercises for engaging the glutes. A powerful butt is a great place to begin finding a sense of strength in your body.

  • Stand with feet pelvis width apart. Bend your knees and send your butt back behind you, keeping your spine and pelvis neutral. Your knees should stay stacked vertically over your ankles. The weight of your body should be in your heels, not in your forefoot. Use candles and up-arrow to help your core support your body. To activate your legs, press into your heels like you want to straighten up to stand but don’t. To come up, push your heels into the floor and come up slowly, as you resist the move.

  • Watch out for overarching your upper back or neck. Make sure your ribs stay neutral you come down into the squat (you *did* read my email about neutral pelvis, right?). 

  • Tucking your pelvis is a possible cheat here, too. Notice the difference in glute engagement—you want to keep your pelvis neutral, NOT tucked, and not excessively untucked, either.

Here’s the video version:


Larissa Parson
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