New patient offer: use code NEW10 for 10% off your first booking.Book with NEW10
P
PhysioOnClick
Sign InBook Now
Squat with Pelvic Floor Control exercise demonstration
Exercise library

Squat with Pelvic Floor Control

A controlled squat coordinating a pelvic floor lift on the effort phase, protecting pelvic support during functional lifting.

Area
Pelvic health
Stage
Return to function
Equipment
No equipment

Typical dose: 2 sets × 10 reps · once a day, 5 days a week · lower slowly, breathe out and lift as you stand. This is a general starting point, not a plan matched to your condition or stage.

Check if this is right for me

Embed this exercise on your website

Free for clinics, gyms, clubs and blogs. Paste this code into your page's HTML.

Free to embed unchanged, with the credit link kept. Embedding terms

How to do it

No equipment needed - just a bit of space.

Stand with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out. Have a chair or worktop within reach for balance if you need it.

  1. Breathe in and bend your hips and knees to lower into a squat, only as far as feels controlled.
  2. Keep your back long and your weight spread through your whole foot.
  3. Breathe out and lift your pelvic floor as you push through your feet to stand back up.
  4. Let the pelvic floor relax once you are standing, then repeat.

Form cues

  • The out-breath and the pelvic floor lift happen together on the way up, the harder part.
  • Your knees track over your feet, not falling inward.
  • Your weight stays spread through your heels and the balls of your feet.

Common mistakes

  • Holding your breath and bearing down as you stand - this pushes down on the pelvic floor.
  • Squatting deeper than you can control, or than feels comfortable if there is any heaviness.
  • Letting your heels lift or your back round.

Safety: Stop and message your physio if you notice new pelvic pain, a dragging or heavy feeling, worse heaviness after the exercise, or any bleeding.

Part of these recovery programmes

This exercise is one step in a staged plan for the conditions below. Each link opens the full programme and shows where this exercise fits.

Related exercises

Other exercises from the library that pair well with this one.

Pelvic Floor Activation (Basic)A gentle 'lift and squeeze' pelvic floor contraction, the foundation exercise for pelvic floor rehabilitation.Pelvic healthEarly rehabView details Pelvic Floor Endurance HoldHolding a pelvic floor contraction for progressively longer counts, building the endurance needed for daily continence.Pelvic healthStrength phaseView details Fast-Twitch Pelvic Floor 'The Knack'A quick pre-emptive pelvic floor squeeze timed just before a cough or sneeze, a technique proven to reduce leakage.Pelvic healthStrength phaseView details Deep Core and Pelvic Floor Co-ActivationGently drawing in the lower abdomen together with the pelvic floor, rebuilding coordinated deep core support.Pelvic healthStrength phaseView details

More pregnancy & pelvic health exercises

See all pregnancy & pelvic health exercises

Written and clinically reviewed by Shivaliba Zala, HCPC-registered physiotherapist (PH155757)

Reviewed 8 September 2026

This exercise is generic - you're not

Get a plan personalized to you

Book a £40 online assessment with an HCPC-registered physiotherapist and get a rehab plan matched to your condition and stage - not a generic starting point.

Get my personalized plan