Your pelvic floor muscles perform a plethora of important functions from stabilizing your pelvis and hips to helping you control bladder and bowel movements. But they don't do these essential jobs alone.

Your core works in unison with your pelvic floor to stabilize your pelvis and support your pelvic organs. Your abs and pelvic floor are a terrific team. The respiratory diaphragm, abdominal wall, paraspinals and pelvic floor muscles all act together to regulate intra-abdominal pressure as we perform motions like lifting a heavy object from the floor.

But if your pelvic floor or core muscles are too weak (or too tight), it can produce unpleasant problems like leaking urine (among other issues).

That's why building a strong pelvic floor is fundamental, and strengthening your core is a critical part of the process. But before you start cranking out crunches, keep in mind: Not every ab exercise is made equal for your pelvic floor. Certain abdominal exercises, such as traditional crunches, rely more on your rectus abdominis [think: the six-pack muscles] than the deep core muscles (like the transverse abdominis).

The problem is, these types of exercises can increase intra-abdominal pressure and, in some people, potentially exacerbate pelvic floor dysfunction and/or diastasis recti, a condition in which the abdominal muscles separate, she explains.

Bottom line: If you want to avoid doing more damage to your pelvic floor muscles, you must choose your core work wisely.

This 20-minute lower ab workout will strengthen your pelvic floor and transverse abdominis while keeping them both safe.

Do 15 to 20 reps of each exercise (resting when needed) and repeat two to three times. The moves are ordered from least to most challenging. So start slowly with the first exercise and listen to your body.

If you feel that you lose the engagement of your transverse abdominis or you're not able to maintain a level pelvis, keep practicing that exercise without advancing to the next level. Eventually, as you build strength in your core and pelvic floor, you'll be able to progress to the more advanced moves.

Move 1: Bent-Knee Fall Out

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands on the front of your hip bones.
2. Tighten your core by pressing your lower back into the floor.
3. Keeping your pelvis level, slowly move one knee out to the side and then return it to your midline.
4. Repeat on the other leg, and continue alternating sides.
5. Be sure to breathe with each rep.

Move 2: Transverse Abdominis March

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands on the front of your hip bones.
2. Tighten your core by pressing your lower back into the floor.
3. Keeping your pelvis level, slowly bring one knee up toward your chest and then return it to the floor.
4. Repeat on the other leg, and continue alternating sides.
5. Be sure to breathe with each rep.

Move 3: Transverse Abdominis Table-Top With March

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent, shins parallel to the floor and hands on the front of your hip bones.
2. Tighten your core by pressing your lower back into the floor.
3. Keeping your knees bent at 90 degrees, slowly tap one foot to the floor and return to the starting position. Maintain a neutral pelvis and don’t let it tip side to side.
4. Then tap your other foot to the floor and continue alternating.
5. 5, Be sure to breathe with each rep.

Move 4: Transverse Abdominis Table-Top With Leg Extension

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent, shins parallel to the floor and hands on the front of your hip bones.
2. Tighten your core by pressing your lower back into the floor.
3. Keeping your pelvis neutral, slowly straighten one leg and hover your heel just above the floor, then return to the starting position.
4. Then extend the other leg and continue alternating.
5. Be sure to breathe with each rep.

Move 5: Dead Bug

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent, shins parallel to the floor and arms pointing up toward the ceiling.
2. Tighten your core by pressing your lower back into the floor.
3. Keeping your pelvis neutral, slowly straighten one leg and the opposite arm — allowing them to hover just above the floor — and then return to the starting position.
4. Repeat with the opposite leg and arm and continue alternating.
5. Be sure to breathe with each rep.

We tend to do all of these exercises, or variations of them in all of our Fitness PILATES classes, so if you want to effectively help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and your core, why not try one of our four weekly classes?

Full information on our classes (times, dates, venues, booking details etc., can be found here!