Listen: none of us feel motivated to work out every day. Even as a trained physical therapist and a workout creator for thousands of women, some days I would rather not show up. But here’s another true thing: I’ve never, ever regretted a workout once I’ve done it. Getting into my home gym is good for my body, my mind, and my whole self! I’m a firm believer in moving our bodies throughout every season — even though that might take on lots of different forms as we go. 

Exercise can be a powerful tool in our overall health. It builds strength and stamina, it can reduce our risks for many injuries and diseases, and it helps us function well in our everyday lives. I don’t work out to look good, I work out to be able to enjoy playing with my kids, lift them up when they need to be held, and stay healthy for them for as long as I possibly can. 

But maybe you’re thinking: “Wait, Mae. You’re saying exercising can help me reduce the possibility of injury, but working out causes me to hurt myself or be in pain!” 

Fitness should not be causing injuries, but the reality is that we have to work out in the right way to set our bodies up for success. That’s why I’ve built workout programs for women in all stages of life, from pregnancy and postpartum safe movements to everyday workouts for all women to feel strong and empowered. And that’s why I love educating women right here on this blog, helping you work out in a way that will help you rather than hurt you! 

Today, we’re talking about all things pelvic floor and exercise. When should you engage it? When should you let it relax? How can you know when you’re doing one or the other? If it all feels like a mystery to you, just keep on reading. 

Should you contract your pelvic floor when you exercise?

If you’ve ever worked with a physical therapist before, you know that no matter what question you ask, there’s a very popular answer — and most patients hate it. Can you guess? 

That’s right: “It depends!” 

The answer to almost any movement question depends on a number of factors. There may be times when the answer is yes and times when the answer is no! It’s also possible that some people should do a specific movement or activity while others shouldn’t due to injury or dysfunction. This is true about pelvic floor contractions during exercise, too!

There are times when contracting your pelvic floor muscles helps during workout, and times when it can place unneeded tension and pressure on your pelvic floor. The “right” answer depends on if you’re already dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction, the weight you are lifting, the intensity of the exercise, and your prior history with pelvic floor issues. 

If your pelvic floor is causing you pain when you exercise, I highly recommend working with a local pelvic floor physical therapist. But in the meantime, I’m happy to offer these guidelines — I hope they help you navigate your workouts feeling strong and pain-free!

When you should actively contract your pelvic floor

Some people should contract their pelvic floor while they exercise to help them train their pelvic floor muscles. If you’re struggling to contract even when you’re at rest (an internal exam from a pelvic floor PT can help you identify this), learning to contract during workouts can help you build strength and awareness. If you’re in early postpartum days, you’re just starting to reconnect with your pelvic floor and deep core, so contracting during movement is helpful. And some people just need to replace a bad pelvic floor habit!  If you’ve trained yourself to bear down into your pelvic floor when you exhale or engage your core or exhaling, contracting can help to reverse that, lifting on the exhale. 

And remember, a contraction of your pelvic floor also includes a lift up and in! Think contract AND lift!

Even if you don’t fit any of those categories, I recommend contracting your pelvic floor when you’re lifting really heavy weight. You might not have to think about the active lift of your pelvic floor when you’re squatting 50% of your 1 rep max. But when you increase that to 90% of your 1 rep max, your pelvic floor is under a ton of load. You might need that little extra reminder to actively contract and lift your pelvic floor to move this kind of load!

When you should not contract your pelvic floor

Now, on the other hand, lots of us have been contracting our pelvic floor muscles when we actually should be relaxed. Here are just a few examples. 

When you’re performing diaphragmatic breathing, you’re downtraining (a PT word that means lengthening, relaxing, and releasing tension) your pelvic floor. This is an excellent time to make that mind-muscle connection and ensure you’re not contracting. 

If you’ve already trained your pelvic floor effectively, you will have already connected your exhale with your deep core and pelvic floor activation. For you, it’s now second nature and you don’t have to think about it — no active contracting during workouts needed! All you have to remember to do is exhale through pursed lips to engage your deep core – and your pelvic floor should automatically lift up and in as you exhale!

Lastly, when you’re running, do not actively contract your pelvic floor the entire run! This constant state of tension can lead to incontinence during your runs over time —or during other everyday activities like coughing or laughing. 

What does your pelvic floor typically do during exercise?

With all this talk about “active contracting,” you might be wondering what your pelvic floor is actually doing during exercise if you don’t think about it! It’s a good question. 

If your pelvic floor is not experiencing any dysfunction, then it should naturally lift up and in as you exhale and engage your transverse abdominis muscle. Under a normal load, this automatic lift should be enough to support your pelvic floor. But under much heavier loads, as discussed, you might need to actively engage your pelvic floor. 

My best advice is this: once you’ve learned to coordinate your pelvic floor contraction on an exhale with deep core engagement, you no longer need to actively think about performing a kegel UNLESS you are lifting really heavy loads and are not getting that natural lift. It sounds like a lot of mental work, but I promise it will become second nature over time! 

Helping You Train Your Pelvic Floor 

For pregnant and postpartum mamas, pelvic floor training is extra important. You’re either prepping your body for labor and delivery, or you’re healing from childbirth and learning how to reconnect to your pelvic floor and deep core muscles. 

I know that both of these seasons require extra intentionality around training the pelvic floor, so I’ve put pelvic floor and breathing cues into every single exercise for my pregnancy and postpartum workout programs. In Movement Through Pregnancy and Movement Through Early Postpartum,  you’ll hear audio cues during every exercise that teach you when and how to breathe and lift your pelvic floor. You’ll also find educational videos throughout both courses that explain even more about your pelvic floor and the importance of connecting to it during movement!

And if you aren’t pregnant or actively rehabbing postpartum, you might enjoy my Movement Through Motherhood weekly workout subscription that integrates pelvic floor wellness into 4 NEW workouts every single week! Start your 7 day free trial today!

My goal is to create an ever-growing library of training, education, and courses for women who are expecting, postpartum, or strengthening and healing their pelvic floor. Choose the program that’s right for you, and let’s get started. I can’t wait to move along with you!