All posts tagged: pelvic

Meet the Womb Witch: How Leigh McDaniel uses alternative methods for pelvic care

Meet the Womb Witch: How Leigh McDaniel uses alternative methods for pelvic care

Published by Sam Flores

Leigh McDaniel always knew she was destined to become a witch. Growing up in Hawaii, she came from a long line of “kitchen witches,” she explains — women who intuited measurements, spices and when a cake was done from the next room. “There was always a part of me that was like: Yeah, I’m a witch,” says McDaniel from her California sun-soaked studio. Today, McDaniel — who calls herself a “womb witch”— practices a different kind of magic: pelvic care bodywork. Based in a bright studio in Glendale, McDaniel serves clients of all genders. Before each session, McDaniel invites clients to share their personal histories, and then McDaniel performs bodywork through touch as sage smoke curls in the air. “A person who left today had their first session and was like, ‘I’m so much lighter in my body,’” McDaniel says. McDaniel’s work is rooted in holistic pelvic health and touch therapy, which she discovered after giving birth to her second child at age 46. Before her daughter was born, McDaniel says she met her in …

Best Pelvic Floor Trainers 2026: The Top-Rated Kegel Devices For Health And Pleasure

Best Pelvic Floor Trainers 2026: The Top-Rated Kegel Devices For Health And Pleasure

Published by Sam Flores

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication. You might think about it when you’re desperate for a wee, or when your Pilates instructor screams at you to engage your core – but other than that, our pelvic floor is a criminally unattended-to muscle. Often ignored until a woman is pregnant or approaching menopause, the pelvic floor actually plays a key part in our health throughout our lives, as it is responsible for core strength, stability, and bladder control. If that’s not enough to convince you to give it some attention, your pelvic floor also plays a big part in your sex life. “The pelvic floor supports bladder, bowel, and reproductive health, but it also plays a key role in sexual sensation …

Forget Kegels—a Pilates instructor shares four simple moves to strengthen your pelvic floor

Forget Kegels—a Pilates instructor shares four simple moves to strengthen your pelvic floor

Published by Jenni Sidey

Kegel exercises—moves that involve squeezing, lifting and relaxing the pelvic area—are an incredibly effective way to strengthen your pelvic floor, but it’s not the most engaging option. Thankfully, Pilates is also effective. Jill Drummond, Pilates instructor and vice president of fitness at BODYBAR Pilates says the combination of breath, deep core engagement and controlled movement in Pilates is an effective way to strengthen your pelvic floor too. “The benefits of a stronger pelvic floor are wide ranging,” she says. “It’s a key part of your core, supporting the spine, pelvis, and internal organs while helping your body move with strength and control.” Article continues below You may like Drummond highlights four Pilates exercises that are particularly helpful for building pelvic floor strength. Aim for 15 to 20 repetitions of each move, and repeat the sequence two to three times to turn it into a workout for best results. 1. Bridge Bridge Variations – Mat – YouTube Watch On Lie on your back with your knees bent and heels on the floor or on an elevated …

Why a ‘tight’ pelvic floor post-birth is actually a red flag

Why a ‘tight’ pelvic floor post-birth is actually a red flag

Published by Daniella Wilson

January is in full swing, which means the decorations are back in the box, the gym is packed, and somewhere between the school run and 3 am night feeds, you might be wondering whether this is the year you’ll finally feel a little more like yourself and have some time to find balance with your schedule again. If your New Year’s resolution is getting through the day in clean leggings and remembering where you put your coffee, trust me, you’re not alone! We might have days where we’re smashing targets, meeting deadlines and all around feeling like a superhero, but moods aren’t linear, and some days we’re simply surviving. As a women’s health expert, I like to think of the new year as not a time for ‘bouncing back’ (in fact, can we completely retire the phrase). I’m much more a fan of the slower but more sustainable mindset of rebalancing and re-entering a workout routine. With that in mind, let’s delve into the facts and start from the floor up – the pelvic floor …

This beginner-friendly menopause workout builds core and pelvic strength where women need it most

This beginner-friendly menopause workout builds core and pelvic strength where women need it most

Published by Jenni Sidey

Estrogen is an important hormone for maintaining muscle quality, with a big impact on tendon and joint elasticity, but it declines during perimenopause and menopause—weakening the core and pelvis. This hormonal shift can also mean that women gain weight despite not changing their diet or lifestyle. This is due to a decrease in metabolism, an increase in appetite and a change in fat distribution leading to more belly fat. Broken sleep and anxiety—other common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause—can also impact body composition during this transitional stage. This is because if you are anxious or not sleeping well, the body thinks it is in fight-or-flight mode and produces more of the stress hormone cortisol. This signals to the brain that it needs to hold onto fat reserves in case of emergency, which can lead to weight gain. You may like Women can compensate for the weakening in the core and pelvis by doing exercises that target the abdominal muscles. Here are six moves that I’ll be using in my new MenoCore strength training course, to …