All these muscles work together in harmony. Each time we do our pelvic floor exercises, we are co-activating our trans ab muscles too. The problem is that when most women do their crunches and sit-ups, they forget to engage their core and work their lower abs.

For a deep burn that works your pelvic floor muscles, upper and lower abs – perform Kegel exercises while doing crunches. This will really activate your transverse ab and pelvic floor, causing them to co-contract. This has two benefits as it will firm up your lower abs, giving you a more defined waistline, and second, it will stop any damage to your pelvic floor muscles as you do your sit-ups.

Three simple steps to isolate your core:

1. While standing, take a deep breath in and exhale deeply. As you exhale, draw your belly button back towards your back and lift your pelvic floor upwards.

2. On your next exhalation, make an 'S' sound to activate your transverse ab.

3. Continue to inhale and exhale. Relaxing as you inhale and tighten when you exhale.

Keep practicing! Soon you will be able to isolate and feel these muscles each time you work out. Next week, we will be sharing some of our favorite workouts for lower abs and Kegel muscles.

The medical information in this article is provided as an information resource only and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your doctor for guidance about a specific medical condition.