Pelvic Floor: Why We Might Be Over-Talking It (And What Movement Can Do Instead)

When it comes to the pelvic floor, it feels like every conversation lately has focused on squeezing, tightening, “kegeling,” and bracing. While awareness is a good thing, it’s also possible we’ve narrowed the conversation a little too much.

The pelvic floor is complex, dynamic, and incredibly responsive — not just to pregnancy and postpartum, but to all movement, breathing, posture, stress, and even the way we lift, laugh, jump, and sleep. And yes, it matters for people of all genders, not just women of child-bearing age.

As a movement professional, I don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions — that’s the job of a pelvic health physical therapist or qualified medical provider. But I do work with how the pelvic floor participates in real-world movement, strength, breath, and function. And this is often where things get interesting.

We’ve Made the Pelvic Floor Too Small

Somewhere along the way, the pelvic floor became synonymous with “squeeze” — as if its only job was to tighten. But the pelvic floor doesn’t only need strength. It needs coordination, timing, mobility, and relaxation just as much.

In fact, many people experiencing pelvic floor challenges don’t actually need more gripping or bracing — they may benefit from learning how to release tension, breathe more fully, or integrate the pelvis with the rest of the body.

A healthy pelvic floor is rarely something you consciously “do” all day. It reacts to movement automatically — just like your diaphragm, feet, or deep core. It should support you when you cough, let go when you breathe out, and adapt when you bend, lift, jump, or carry things.

But none of that requires a constant Kegel.

Why Men Should Care Too

Pelvic floor conversations often get directed at pregnancy and postpartum — and those are important seasons — but the pelvic floor plays a role in male health as well.

For men, pelvic floor coordination influences things like:

• continence (bladder/bowel control)

• sexual performance

• low back and hip mechanics

• pressure management under load (lifting, running, coughing, sneezing)

And just like women, men can experience pelvic floor dysfunction at any age — from high school athletes to older adults.

Movement Should Be Integrated, Not Isolated

In the studio, we don’t often cue people to “do their pelvic floor” as an isolated activity. Instead, we focus on patterns like:

• breathing + rib mobility

• hip strength + gait

• abdominal coordination

• load transfer (how force moves through the body)

• mobility in the spine + thorax

• balance + pressure management

When those systems work well, the pelvic floor tends to participate naturally — without overthinking or bracing.

And yes, there’s a time and place for specific pelvic floor retraining. But isolating it forever isn’t the end goal. Integration is.

When It’s Time To Seek Medical or PT Support

While movement can improve pelvic floor coordination, it’s important to refer out when symptoms suggest a medical or clinical evaluation is appropriate.

Pelvic health PT or a medical provider can help if you’re noticing things like:

• persistent pain in the pelvis, hips, or lower abdomen

• pressure, heaviness, or a sense of “dropping”

• incontinence (leaking with exercise, coughing, or laughing)

• bowel difficulty or chronic constipation

• pain with sex or pelvic exams

• recurring UTIs without clear cause

• postpartum symptoms that are not improving

• challenges around ejaculation or erectile function (for men)

These issues are not “just normal” at any age, and they aren’t limited to pregnancy, postpartum, or menopause. Teens, athletes, lifters, and older adults can all benefit from pelvic health care.

The Best Outcomes Come From Collaboration

I deeply respect the work pelvic health physical therapists do — they assess and treat medically. My role, as a movement educator, is to support the integration of breath, strength, and daily function so the body learns to use these systems reflexively and efficiently.

It’s not about “fixing” one muscle group — it’s about creating harmony between the diaphragm, ribs, hips, pelvis, core, and whole body.

The Takeaway

The pelvic floor deserves attention, but maybe not the kind where we isolate, grip, and brace it all day. It’s a system that thrives on movement, breath, and full-body integration — and it affects far more people than we often think.

If you’re curious to learn more, explore how breath, strength, and mobility influence the pelvic floor, or simply feel ready to reconnect with your body in a more informed way — you’re not alone, and you don’t have to wait for a diagnosis to start learning.