Firm Foundations™ – Pregnancy and Postnatal Fitness

Sitting on a ball can be a comfortable way of doing your pelvic floor exercises. If the ball is new to you, then wait until you are working at Level 2 before starting on the ball.
Sit tall and focus on your pelvic floor muscles.
Lift slowly, hold them for 2 - 3 seconds and relax.
Check that you are still breathing normally while you do this.
Aim to build up your pelvic floor holds by one second at a time, until you can hold for 10 seconds.
For some women, this can take several months or longer.
Build up to doing 10 in a row, with a 10 second rest between each one.
 

Sitting upright on the ball, lift your pelvic floor and draw in your lower abdominals.
Keep breathing normally. Hold, keep the ball steady, using your hands for support if needed.
Slowly lift one foot off the floor and lower.
Relax.
Breathe normally and repeat on the other side.
Relaxing in between will show you whether you are doing this well, as if you feel your arms, upper abdominals, chest or neck muscles relaxing, it means that your focus isn't totally on your deep lower abdominals.
Stop, and start again, focusing on a small lift with total control and your pelvic floor still lifted.
Once you master this, build on this exercise by:
1. Lifting your foot slightly higher
2. Holding it off the floor for longer
3. Building up to 10 repetitions on each side.

Resting your head and shoulder blades on the ball, lift your bottom up and hold.
Push through your feet and up through your gluts (bottom).
Focus on the weight being even on each foot and keeping your hips level.
Rest and relax.
Repeat and hold for 5 - 10 seconds.
Rest and repeat 6 - 8 times.
Focus on becoming steady and still as you move through and improve on this exercise.
It is the base for some good progressions in later Levels.

Sitting tall, lift your pelvic floor, draw in your deep and lower abdominals. 
Hold, while breathing easily.
Turn to one side, return back to the starting position and relax.
Repeat to the other side, return to the starting position and relax.
When you relax, feel your deep and lower abdominals relax, and your pelvic floor relax.
If you do not feel them, they may have already let go. Go back to Exercise 1 for several more weeks and return to this exercise when you have a good pelvic floor and lower abdominal hold (8 - 10 seconds).
 

Position yourself with your hands on the ball in front of you and your chest resting on your knees.
Focus in on your pelvic floor muscles, right down low and draw them up inside.
Hold for a moment and release.
Feel whether there is tension in your ribs or upper abdominals. If there is, then you are either trying too hard, or not focusing down and in on your pelvic floor muscles totally.
Relax, refocus and repeat.
Rest and relax in between, centring in more towards your pelvic floor with each pelvic floor lift and hold.
Breathe easily throughout.
Sit up between repetitions if you need to. Aim for 5 - 6 reps of this exercise.

Sitting upright on the ball, lift your pelvic floor and draw in your deep and lower abdominals.
Keep breathing normally. Hold, keep the ball steady, using your fingers to feel your deep abdominal muscles working.
Slowly lift one foot off the floor and straighten your knee.
Lower and relax.
Breathe normally and repeat on the other side.
Relaxing in between will show you whether you are doing this well, as if you feel your upper abdominals, chest or neck muscles relaxing, it means that your focus isn't totally on your deep lower abdominals.
Stop, and refocus! Build up to 6 - 8 repetitions on each side, while keeping the ball steady.