Kegels are often the go-to recommendation for pelvic floor dysfunction. But the reality is more nuanced.

Many individuals, especially postpartum, don’t struggle with pelvic floor weakness alone — they struggle with overactivity, poor timing, or disconnection. In these cases, repeatedly “squeezing” the pelvic floor without context can actually worsen symptoms by reinforcing poor motor patterns, increasing tension, or bypassing the natural reflexive engagement that should occur during movement.

Moreover, Kegels are isolated, static contractions. They don’t mimic real-life movement, where the pelvic floor must dynamically lengthen, contract, and coordinate with other muscles. Without load, movement variability, and integration into functional positions (like squatting, lunging, or rotating), Kegels often fail to transfer to strength, stability, or symptom reduction.

Bottom line: Kegels may have value as part of a larger strategy (when prescribed by a pelvic floor physical therapist), but they are rarely sufficient on their own — especially when the goal is to return to strength, impact, or every day function.

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The pelvic floor doesn’t work in isolation

The pelvic floor is part of a dynamic pressure management system — it works in coordination with the:

• Diaphragm (for breath and pressure regulation)
• Deep core (especially the transverse abdominis and multifidus)
• Glutes (for posterior chain stability and pelvic positioning)
• Adductors (for pelvic support, rotation, and balance)

During every breath, step, lift, or jump, these systems interact. The pelvic floor must be able to respond automatically to changes in load, breath, and position — not act independently.

For example, during an inhale, the diaphragm descends and so should the pelvic floor — this downward motion helps manage intra-abdominal pressure. If one part of that system is restricted (say, the diaphragm isn’t expanding), the pelvic floor may compensate by overworking or bracing, leading to dysfunction.

Bottom line: Pelvic floor health depends on coordination, not isolation. To improve function, we need to address the whole system.

Adductors are deeply connected to the pelvic floor

The adductors — a group of muscles along the inner thighs — are more than just stabilizers during side-to-side movement.

Fascially connected: The adductors share a fascial line with the pelvic floor, particularly with the anterior and medial fibers. When the adductors activate, they provide input along this myofascial line, helping stimulate and engage the pelvic floor — even if you’re not consciously “squeezing” it.

Neurologically connected: From a motor control perspective, the brain often recruits synergistic muscles together. Training adduction with breath and core control can help reestablish reflexive coordination in those who feel disconnected from their pelvic floor.

Clinically useful: In rehab and postpartum recovery settings, adductor-focused movements are often used as a bridge for pelvic floor function — especially when there is low tone, poor coordination, or a lack of proprioceptive awareness in the pelvic floor itself.

Adduction can “wake up” a disconnected system

When someone hasn’t trained in a while — whether due to pregnancy, injury, or simply life — the systems that support pelvic stability and pressure regulation can go feel a disconnect.

In these cases, we’re not just dealing with weakness — we’re dealing with a loss of coordination and motor control.

Training adduction in low-load, supported positions (like 90/90 wall holds, banded squeezes, or glute bridges with a ball) helps reestablish that connection by engaging the adductors in a way that feeds input to the pelvic floor and deep core.

Once the system is more responsive, we can progress to upright and loaded movement — lateral lunges with banded adduction, isometric holds, or Copenhagen planks — where the pelvic floor is challenged to respond dynamically to shifts in pressure, rotation, and load.

This progression helps move someone from basic awareness to functional strength — supporting not just symptom reduction, but true performance and resilience.

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Foundational / Early Rehab

Approach:
In the early stages of postpartum recovery or return from a period of deconditioning, the goal is not to rush into heavy loads or complex movements — it’s to rebuild the system. This means restoring breath mechanics, core-pelvic floor coordination, and the ability to create tension without compensation.

Adduction plays a key role here: by incorporating inner thigh engagement in supported positions, we can begin to reintroduce pressure management, improve awareness of the pelvic floor, and build the foundation for dynamic strength later on.

These exercises are performed on the ground or against the wall, where gravity is minimized and feedback is maximized — allowing for cleaner movement, better breath control, and reduced strain on the pelvic floor.

Benefits of These Foundational Movements

• Supine 90/90 Off Wall with Adductor Squeeze
  This position puts the ribcage and pelvis in a more stacked position allowing for better diaphragm movement. The combination of breath work, posterior tilt, and adductor engagement helps reconnect the inner thighs to the pelvic floor and reinforces that core-pelvis alignment. It’s excellent for improving proprioception, re-patterning breath, and introducing gentle pelvic floor activation without strain. This is my go-to in the early postpartum period!

• Glute Bridge with Adduction + Single Leg Extension
  This movement progresses from basic breath work by incorporating hip extension and posterior chain activation. The adductor squeeze helps maintain pelvic control, while the single leg extension demands anti-rotation and core stability. It’s a powerful way to integrate glutes, adductors, and deep core while continuing to reinforce pressure management in a supported position.

Intermediate Integration

Approach:
Once foundational control has been established, the next step is to take that coordination into more upright, functional positions— where gravity, load, and complexity increase. This phase begins to bridge the gap between rehab and real-life movement by challenging the system in ways that resemble standing, squatting, lunging, and rotating.

Here, adduction is layered into dynamic and isometric efforts, helping the pelvic floor respond reflexively to movement and pressure — not just isolated squeezes. These movements help build the strength and control necessary for activities like walking, running, lifting, and carrying — all while reinforcing the connection between the adductors, core, and pelvic floor.

This is where we train the system to respond, not just contract — developing the strength and stability needed to progress into more demanding patterns.

Benefits of These Intermediate Movements

• Supine Banded Adduction
  This exercise adds light resistance to challenge the adductors through a full range of motion. It trains the inner thighs to engage concentrically and eccentrically while coordinating breath and core tension. A great option for improving control, building endurance, and teaching the system how to manage dynamic effort in a supported position.

• Wall Sit with Adduction
  This isometric hold builds endurance and control in the adductors and quads while integrating full-body tension. The adduction component helps reflexively recruit the pelvic floor, while the upright position begins to simulate real-world posture and pressure demands. Excellent for improving load tolerance and muscular coordination in a static hold.

• Lateral Lunge with Band Adduction
  This movement brings adduction into the frontal plane — a critical but often undertrained plane of motion postpartum. It combines glute and adductor strength with pelvic and core stability, challenging the system to manage shifting pressure and center of mass. Great for enhancing balance, gait mechanics, and dynamic pelvic control.

• Isometric 90/90 with Diagonal Pullover
  This advanced core drill uses adduction to anchor the pelvis while adding rotation and overhead load through the upper body. It trains the ability to resist extension and rotation, reinforces rib cage-pelvis alignment, and builds cross-body coordination. Perfect for progressing to loaded, full-body patterns while maintaining deep core engagement.

Advanced / Return to Strength Integration

Approach:
In this phase, the goal is to build true strength, resilience, and coordination under load — with movements that demand more from the entire system. These exercises challenge pelvic floor function in real-world scenarios: unstable positions, single-leg loading, anti-rotation, and high tension.

By this point, the foundation is solid, now it’s time to test it.

This level of training prepares the body for returning to high-impact movement, heavier lifting, and athletic demands like running, jumping, or dynamic single-leg work. The pelvic floor is no longer being trained in isolation — it’s being challenged to respond reflexively under high demand, as it should during daily tasks and performance-based movement.

Adductor strength at this level isn’t just about activation — it’s about integration into power, stability, and endurance across multiple planes of motion.

Benefits of These Advanced Movements

• Copenhagen Planks
  A gold standard for adductor strength, Copenhagen planks place significant load on the inner thigh and require full-body control to maintain position. The elevated leg demands high adductor recruitment, while the side plank position challenges lateral core stability, shoulder control, and pelvic alignment. These are ideal for improving dynamic pelvic floor function, core coordination, and injury resilience — especially in return-to-sport or impact scenarios.

• Side Plank with Band Adduction
  This variation introduces dynamic adduction against resistance while maintaining a side plank — training anti-rotation, cross-body coordination, and oblique-adductor synergy. The pelvic floor must adapt to shifting pressure and tension through the torso and hips, making it a powerful tool for building full-system strength and control under asymmetrical load.

• Lateral Bounds

A powerful plyometric drill, lateral bounds build single-leg power, dynamic hip stability, and frontal plane control — all while demanding rapid coordination between the core, adductors, and glutes. The impact and quick weight shifts require the pelvic floor to respond reflexively to changes in pressure and load, reinforcing real-world function like running, jumping, and decelerating. This movement also challenges the adductors in both eccentric and concentric phases, enhancing their strength and reactivity.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to pelvic floor strength, isolated contractions like Kegels are only one small piece of the puzzle. True strength comes from integration — the ability of your pelvic floor to respond reflexively to breath, load, and movement. Training the adductors offers a powerful entry point into that system. From early rehab to high-level strength, adduction-based movements can help reestablish core-pelvic coordination, improve pressure management, and build a more resilient foundation. Whether you’re postpartum or simply looking to reconnect with your core in a more functional way, don’t overlook the inner thighs — they might just be the missing piece.

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