17/01/2026
The one thing that astonishes most of my patients is to see how the core moves during the breath cycle. During an *inhale*, the diaphragm (breathing muscle) pushes the organs down to make space for air in the lungs. This puts a downwards pressure on the pelvic floor muscles, and they expand to absorb the increase in abdominal pressure. The abdominal muscles expand during this inhale as well - your belly rises as you breathe in - completing the core system.
During an *exhale*, the diaphragm relaxes back up (releasing the air from the longs). When it lifts up, the pelvic floor lifts along with it. Imagine the pelvic floor muscles and the diaphragm doing a smooth dance together, in sync with each other, working effortlessly as partners. The abdominal muscles contract towards the centre during your breath out as well to complete the core package.
Therefore - when we want a good quality pelvic floor « squeeze and lift » we need to do it during the exhale.
This might feel unnatural at first, but if you try and engage your pelvic floor muscles whilst breathing in or worse, even holding your breathe - you’re working against your own mechanics.
