Breathing Is The Key To Unlocking Your Pelvic Floor – A PT Explains Why
By now, you've probably heard of the pelvic floor. It's the hammock of muscles at the base of your pelvis that supports your bladder, bowel, and uterus. But if someone asked you to actually engage it, would you know how?
If you answered no, you're not alone. Many people struggle to control these muscles. You may think you need to squeeze harder, but it's actually all about your breathing, says Sara Reardon, PT, DPT, (aka The Vagina Whisperer)
"Your breath is the gateway to your pelvic floor," Reardon explains on the mindbodygreen podcast. And once you understand the connection, tapping into these muscles becomes surprisingly intuitive.
The anatomy of the breath-pelvic floor connection
To understand how breath and pelvic floor work together, Reardon says to think of your core like a soda can.
"Your diaphragm, which is a breathing muscle, sits underneath your rib cage and your pelvic floor muscles sit at the very bottom of your pelvic cavity, so it's like the top of a soda can and the bottom of a soda can," she explains.
These two structures move together like a piston. When you inhale, your diaphragm descends and your pelvic floor naturally relaxes and lengthens. When you exhale, your diaphragm rises and your pelvic floor contracts and lifts.
In other words, your breath and pelvic floor are already working together. The key is learning to harness that connection intentionally.
How to use breath to engage your pelvic floor
The technique is simpler than you might think. Reardon breaks it down to a basic rhythm: Inhale to expand, exhale to contract.
- Find a comfortable position. Sitting or lying down works well when you're learning.
- Take a slow, deep breath in. Feel your belly expand and your pelvic floor gently relax.
- As you exhale, gently contract your pelvic floor. Imagine lifting those muscles up and in, like you're stopping the flow of urine or holding in gas.
- Inhale again and let the pelvic floor relax. Don't push down—simply release the contraction. Let the breath do the work to expand.
- Repeat. Practice coordinating the exhale with the contraction until it feels natural.
Applying it during your workouts
Once you've got the breath-pelvic floor coordination down, it's time to integrate it into your workouts.
The principle is straightforward: you want to exhale and engage your pelvic floor during the exertion phase of any movement. For a squat, that means exhaling as you stand up. For a crunch, exhale as you lift your shoulders off the ground. For a push-up, exhale as you press away from the floor.
And Reardon's number one rule? "Don't hold your breath. If you're working out at the gym, you need to be exhaling with every repetition that you take."
Why is it so bad to hold your breath? When you hold your breath during exertion, you increase intra-abdominal pressure. That pressure pushes down on your pelvic floor, which can contribute to issues like leakage or pelvic organ prolapse over time.
By exhaling through the effort, you're protecting your pelvic floor while still getting a strong, effective workout.
Common mistakes to avoid
Breathwork like this may seem simple, but you are still working your muscles, even if they are smaller than the muscles you typically strengthen at the gym. So, like any exercise, you want to maintain proper form as best you can to prevent any harm to the area. Here are a few classic mistakes to watch out for:
- Holding your breath during exertion. This is the most common mistake. Remember to exhale with every rep.
- Bearing down instead of lifting up. When engaging your pelvic floor, the sensation should be one of lifting, not pushing down.
- Only focusing on contraction. The relaxation phase matters just as much. A pelvic floor that can't relax is just as problematic as one that's weak.
- Forgetting to breathe naturally between reps. Don't overthink it. If you are getting confused, take a second to breathe normally, then coordinate the exhale with your next effort.
The takeaway
Your breath is the key to unlocking your pelvic floor. By understanding the natural coordination between your diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles, you can tap into this mind-body connection during workouts and in everyday life.
Start practicing during quiet moments—like when you're sitting at your desk, lying in bed, or waiting in line. Once the coordination begins to feel natural, integrate it into your workouts. With time, working with your pelvic floor will become second nature.