Not all exercises are safe for pelvic floor healing—avoid heavy lifting, crunches, and high-impact moves.
It’s Not About Doing Less — It’s About Doing Smarter
Pelvic floor dysfunction isn’t just about leaking when you sneeze.
It can show up as:
- Core instability
- Low back or hip pain
- Pelvic pressure or prolapse
- Pain during sex
- Incontinence, constipation, or urgency
- Even neck and posture issues
If you’re dealing with any of these — and trying to keep up your training or return to movement — you might be wondering:
“What exercises should I avoid while I heal?”
Let’s walk through it.
At YFS (Your Form Sux), we’re not here to tell you to “stop moving.”
We help you modify — so you can keep training without making things worse.
⚠️ Exercises to Approach with Caution (or Modify)
1. High-Pressure Core Work (Crunches, V-Ups, Russian Twists)
Why? These exercises often cause you to bear down, not engage the core and pelvic floor together. That can increase intra-abdominal pressure and put strain on a healing system.
What to do instead: Try exhale-driven dead bugs, 90-90 breathing, or core engagement work in side-lying or quadruped positions.
2. Heavy Lifting Without Proper Core Control
This includes:
- Max-effort deadlifts or squats
- Olympic lifts
- Anything where you’re bracing hard and bearing down
Why? If you can’t manage pressure and breath during the lift, you risk aggravating prolapse, leaking, or pelvic pain — even if the form “looks fine.”
What to do instead: Lower the load, slow the tempo, and rebuild strength using exhale timing and pelvic floor-friendly bracing.
3. Double Unders or High-Impact Jumping
Why? Jumping, especially with poor landing control or timing, places fast repetitive pressure through the pelvic floor. If it’s not ready, you’ll leak — or worse, compensate through your hips or back.
What to do instead: Start with step-ups, box holds, or impact training in split stance to retrain control and timing.
4. Running Too Soon After Birth or Injury
Why? Running requires a responsive, resilient pelvic floor — one that can absorb ground reaction force, stabilize the pelvis, and time its activation with each stride.
What to do instead: Focus on glute strength, single-leg balance, breath-core timing, and walking or hill intervals until you’re cleared for return to run.
5. Deep Yoga Poses Without Control (Happy Baby, Deep Squats)
Why? Some stretches put your pelvic floor in a lengthened, loaded position. If your system is already too loose (hypermobility, postpartum), that can increase instability and pressure.
What to do instead: Modify range, use props, and focus on active stretching with breath — not just hanging out at end range.
6. Sit-Ups or Planks Done with Coning/Doming
Why? If your abs are “doming” or pushing out during effort, your core isn’t managing pressure properly. That means your pelvic floor is likely under strain too.
What to do instead: Scale back to elevated planks, wall-supported holds, or breath-integrated movement until your core system is synced.
Remember: Avoiding Isn’t the Goal — Adapting Is
The real issue isn’t the movement — it’s how your body handles it.
At YFS, we assess how your pelvic floor and core respond under load, breath, and fatigue — and build a plan that helps you move smarter, not less.
Final Word: Your Form Doesn’t Suck — It’s Just Compensating
Pelvic issues aren’t about weakness.
They’re about coordination, pressure, and timing.
And those are things you can absolutely train.
We’ll help you find out what’s working, what’s not, and how to get back to the movements you love — safely and confidently.
Wondering what’s safe for your body right now?
Book a Pelvic Rehab Movement Assessment at YFS and we’ll break it all down — no guesswork, no BS, just a clear plan.
