The Truth About Pelvic Floor Strength and Why You Shouldn’t Skip Exercises

Your pelvic floor muscles do more than you might think—they support your internal organs, control your bladder and bowel, assist with sexual function, and form part of your deep core. Yet, these critical muscles are often overlooked or misunderstood, even by those who care about their health and fitness. Many people still believe that pelvic floor exercises are only for postpartum recovery or those with “problems.”

At YourFormSux, we work with women across Canada to uncover the truth about pelvic floor strength and empower them with personalized physiotherapy. This blog will show you why pelvic floor exercises are essential—not just when there’s a problem, but as part of your lifelong health routine.

What Is Pelvic Floor Strength?

Pelvic floor strength refers to the ability of the pelvic muscles to contract and relax effectively. It’s not just about being tight or toned—it’s about function, coordination, and endurance. A strong pelvic floor:

Supports your bladder, bowel, and uterus

Helps control urination and bowel movements

Contributes to spinal stability and core support

Enhances sexual sensation and comfort

Assists with breathing and posture control

When the pelvic floor is weak or imbalanced, it can lead to symptoms like:

Leaking urine when coughing, sneezing, or laughing

A heavy or dragging feeling in the pelvis

Difficulty controlling gas or bowel movements

Pain during intercourse

Low back or hip pain

Core weakness or disconnect

Why You Shouldn’t Skip Pelvic Floor Exercises

Even if you’re not currently experiencing symptoms, neglecting your pelvic floor can set the stage for future dysfunction. Here’s why maintaining pelvic floor strength is non-negotiable:

1. Prevention Is Easier Than Repair

Skipping pelvic floor exercises until something goes wrong often means a longer, more intensive recovery later. Whether you’re preparing for pregnancy, managing menopause, or aging gracefully, a strong and well-functioning pelvic floor helps you stay ahead of potential issues.

2. It Supports Your Everyday Movements

You use your pelvic floor when you walk, lift, stand, sit, laugh, and breathe. It’s constantly working with your core, diaphragm, and spine. If the pelvic floor is weak or uncoordinated, it affects how you move and stabilize your body—often resulting in lower back pain, hip tightness, or poor posture.

3. Exercise and Fitness Rely on Pelvic Floor Function

If you’re a runner, weightlifter, yogi, or just enjoy being active, pelvic floor support is critical. Without it, you risk:

Stress incontinence during jumping or high-impact activity

Core instability that limits strength gains

Pelvic pain from overcompensation

Increased injury due to poor breathing and alignment patterns

Strengthening your pelvic floor is part of being an effective and injury-free athlete.

4. Pregnancy and Postpartum Recovery Depend on It

The pelvic floor goes through a lot during pregnancy and childbirth. Even with a smooth delivery, the muscles can stretch or weaken significantly. Building strength before, during, and after pregnancy helps:

Reduce the risk of incontinence and prolapse

Ease recovery time

Improve comfort during and after delivery

Support long-term core re-integration

Skipping exercises can leave you feeling unsupported, disconnected, and slow to heal.

5. Aging Well Requires Pelvic Floor Strength

As estrogen levels drop with age, the pelvic floor becomes more vulnerable. Many women begin to notice leaking, prolapse symptoms, or decreased sensation in midlife.

Pelvic floor physiotherapy can:

Strengthen muscles that weaken with hormonal shifts

Improve pelvic blood flow

Help you stay mobile, independent, and confident as you age

It’s never too late to build strength—but the earlier you start, the better your long-term outcome.

What If You’re Doing It Wrong?

Many women try Kegels on their own, not realizing they’re:

Bearing down instead of lifting

Holding their breath

Engaging the wrong muscles

Over-activating already tight tissue

That’s where pelvic floor physiotherapy makes all the difference. At YourFormSux, we guide you through:

How to locate and properly activate your pelvic floor

When to engage and when to release

How to integrate pelvic floor strength into daily activities

Breathing techniques that enhance muscle control

Postural and movement strategies that support the entire core system

It’s Not Just About Strength—It’s About Balance

One of the biggest myths is that pelvic floor issues always come from weakness. In reality, some people have overactive or tight pelvic floor muscles, which can be just as problematic. These muscles need to learn how to let go before they can build coordinated strength.

Pelvic floor physiotherapy ensures that you’re doing the right type of exercises for your body—not just adding tension where you need flexibility.

How to Start—Even If You’re Symptom-Free

If you don’t have noticeable pelvic symptoms, that’s great—but don’t wait for them to appear. Start now with:

Breathwork that connects your diaphragm and pelvic floor

Gentle coordination drills

Core exercises that include your pelvic muscles

Awareness of how you lift, sit, stand, and move

If you’re unsure where to start, book an assessment with a pelvic physiotherapist who can guide you based on your health history, lifestyle, and goals.

Final Thoughts

Pelvic floor strength isn’t optional—it’s foundational. Skipping pelvic floor exercises now can lead to discomfort, dysfunction, or limitations later. But the good news is: building this strength doesn’t require extreme effort—just consistent, personalized care.

At YourFormSux, we help women across Canada reconnect with their bodies, prevent future issues, and regain confidence through pelvic floor physiotherapy. You don’t need to wait for a problem to start protecting one of the most important systems in your body.