PELVIC FLOOR IS NOT TABOO: Why It’s Central to Your Whole-Body Wellness
Written by Dr. Meg Schwartz
Dr. Meg Schwartz is a physical therapist with Well + Core Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and one of three keynote speakers at our HEART, CORE & PELVIC FLOOR: A Galentine’s Day Workshop.
When was the last time you openly talked about your pelvic floor with a friend, your partner or even your doctor?
If your answer is “never” or “almost never,” you’re not alone, but that’s exactly the problem.
Pelvic health has long been treated like a taboo topic, something only mentioned in whispers after having a baby or as an inevitable part of aging (hello, menopause). In reality, everyone has a pelvic floor, and it plays a central role in your overall health, far beyond “just” bladder control or pregnancy.
Well + Core is on a mission to change the conversation. And this February, we’re teaming up with Freight House Fitness to bring that conversation to the mat, the mind and the heart at our 2nd annual HEART, CORE & PELVIC FLOOR: A Galentine’s Day Workshop.
What Is the Pelvic Floor and Why Should You Care?
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments and connective tissue that sits like a hammock at the base of your pelvis. It supports some of your most important organs like your bladder, uterus and rectum, and it works constantly with your core, hips and diaphragm.
A healthy pelvic floor helps with:
Sexual function and comfort
Core strength and stability
Posture and spinal support
Breathing and pressure management during movement and lifting
When the pelvic floor isn’t functioning well, you might notice:
Leaking with sneezing, laughing or exercise
Pelvic heaviness or pressure
Pain with intercourse
Low back, hip or pelvic pain
Difficulty fully emptying your bladder or bowels (constipation)
Painful or irregular periods
Other pelvic floor-related dysfunctions
These are not “just part of being a woman,” “just part of getting older” or “just what happens after babies.” They are signs your pelvic floor is asking for attention and support.
Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor: It’s About More Than Kegels
Pelvic floor health is about function. Historically, doctors often “prescribed” a bunch of Kegels to help strengthen your pelvic floor. Now, we know better. Now, we know that a strong pelvic floor doesn’t just engage when it needs to, but it’s also able to relax when it needs to.
So yes, strength matters, but so does relaxation, coordination and timing. Your pelvic floor needs to relax, contract and respond appropriately to what your body is doing, whether you’re lifting weights, running after your kids, flowing through a yoga class or just sitting on the couch.
Imagine that you wanted to increase your upper body strength, so you just did bicep curls all day, every day. No stopping, no relaxing, no changing exercises, just hundreds of bicep curls. Eventually your biceps are going to be EXHAUSTED, not stronger.
Many of us walk around with our pelvic floor engaged like we’re doing the pelvic floor equivalent of constant bicep curls. In order to ensure you’re strengthening those muscles and not just tightening them, we have to make sure your pelvic floor can do more than engage. We have to make sure it can also relax.
When your pelvic floor and core are working well together, you may notice:
Better balance and stability in your workouts
Fewer aches in your low back and hips
More confidence in movement (no more worrying about leaks at the gym)
Improved sexual function and comfort
A greater sense of connection to your body and breath
Pelvic floor health is whole-body health. It affects how you move, how you feel, how you rest and how you show up in your daily life.
Let’s Stop Whispering About Pelvic Floors
One of the biggest barriers to getting help is embarrassment. People feel like they’re the only ones struggling, even though pelvic floor issues are incredibly common.
Here’s the truth: You are not broken. You are not alone. You deserve to understand your body and feel at home in it.
That’s why events like HEART, CORE & PELVIC FLOOR are so important: They create a safe, empowering space to learn, ask questions and connect with other women who are ready to take ownership of their health, without shame.