Understanding Your Pelvic Floor & Reconnecting With Your Body
Dr. Charlotte Singletary PT, DPT
If you’re here, there’s probably a reason.
Most women were never taught how the pelvic floor, core, and breathing actually work together.
So when symptoms like leaking, pressure, pain, or a core that feels disconnected show up, it can feel confusing.
Maybe you’ve noticed:
leaking with exercise, running, or jumping
a feeling of pressure or heaviness
your core just doesn’t feel the same anymore
discomfort in your hips or low back
or you’re simply unsure what’s normal and what’s not
You’re not broken. You just haven’t been shown how this system works yet.
Your body was created with remarkable care and intention. Every muscle, breath, and movement was designed to work together to support strength, stability, and life.
When we begin to understand how the body was designed to function—including the pelvic floor—we can start to care for it with greater wisdom and patience.
Many women move through life carrying quiet questions about their bodies.
Questions about symptoms that no one ever explained.
Questions about discomfort, weakness, or changes that seemed to appear without warning.
Sometimes those questions sound like this:
“Is leaking during exercise normal?”
“Why does my core feel disconnected?”
“Why do I feel pressure in my pelvis or pain in my hips and lower back?”
The truth is that many women experience pelvic floor symptoms, yet very few are ever taught how the pelvic floor works or how to care for it well.
Instead, women are often told these symptoms are simply part of being a woman, part of aging, or something that happens after pregnancy.
Our bodies were created with intention. They were designed with wisdom and remarkable complexity. They were not created to work against us, but to support us through the many seasons of life.
When something feels off, it is often not a failure of your body. It is often simply a signal that your body needs support, understanding, and time to rebuild.
Caring for your body is not about striving for perfection. It is about stewardship.
When we begin to understand how our breathing, posture, muscles, and movement work together, we can start to support the body in the way it was designed to function.
Healing does not require force or frustration.
Often, it begins with knowledge, patience, and small, consistent steps forward.
Signs Your Pelvic Floor May Need Support
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that sits at the base of the pelvis and supports the bladder, uterus, and bowel. These muscles also work together with the diaphragm and deep core muscles to help stabilize the body and manage pressure during everyday movement.
It supports your bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs, but it also plays a role in:
balance
breathing
pressure control
and movement
It’s not meant to stay tight all the time.
It’s meant to be responsive—able to contract, relax, lengthen, and support as needed.
When this system becomes overwhelmed, tight, weak, or poorly coordinated, symptoms can appear.
Some of the most common signs include:
Bladder and Pelvic Symptoms
leaking during exercise
leaking when coughing, sneezing, or laughing
pelvic heaviness or pressure
frequent or urgent urination
difficulty fully emptying the bladder
Core and Movement Symptoms
difficulty engaging your core
feeling unstable during workouts
leaking during running, jumping, or lifting
abdominal pressure or doming
Musculoskeletal Symptoms
hip pain
low back pain
tailbone pain
tightness through the pelvis or hips
Many women assume these symptoms are simply something they must live with.
But often these symptoms are simply signals that the body needs better coordination, strength, and support.
Why This Happens
Pelvic floor symptoms rarely come from just one problem.
Instead, they usually involve a combination of pressure management, muscle timing, and coordination.
Understanding these pieces can make a huge difference in how the body heals.
Pressure Management
Every time you breathe, lift, cough, run, or exercise, your body manages internal pressure.
Your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and pelvic floor work together as a pressure system.
When breathing patterns, posture, or movement strategies place too much pressure downward, the pelvic floor can become overloaded.
Over time this may lead to leaking, heaviness, or discomfort.
Learning how to manage pressure well is often one of the most important steps in restoring pelvic health.
Muscle Timing
The pelvic floor contains both slow and fast muscle fibers.
These muscles must respond quickly during movements like jumping, sneezing, or lifting.
If the muscles are delayed, overly tense, or not activating at the right moment, symptoms such as leaking during exercise can occur.
Improving timing and responsiveness helps the pelvic floor support movement more effectively.
Coordination
Healthy pelvic floor muscles do more than simply tighten.
They should:
contract when needed
relax when needed
respond automatically to movement and breathing
Many women unknowingly develop habits of gripping, clenching, or disconnecting from these muscles, which disrupts the natural rhythm between breathing, movement, and stability.
Restoring coordination helps the body move with greater ease and efficiency.
Your body doesn’t just need strength. It needs connection.
This space isn’t about pushing harder or fixing yourself.
It’s about:
reconnecting with your body
learning how to move with support
building strength in a way that feels sustainable
and understanding how everything works together
I’ll walk you through it step by step.
Start Here: Your Next Steps
If you’re not sure where to go next, start here:
1. Understand what you’re feeling
→ Read: 5 Signs Your Core & Pelvic Floor Need Support
2. Learn why it’s happening
→ Read: Why Leaking Happens During Exercise
3. Begin with simple support
→ Read: Learning to Trust Your Body Again
4. Explore tools that can help
→ Visit: Support & Resources
5. Want it all in one place?
→ Download: 5 Signs Your Core & Pelvic Floor Need Support
You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone
Many women arrive here feeling discouraged or disconnected from their bodies.
But the truth is that the body is incredibly resilient.
With the right education, gentle progression, and consistent care, it is possible to:
reduce symptoms
rebuild core strength
restore pelvic floor function
move with confidence again
Healing often begins with understanding—and once you understand how the body works, rebuilding strength becomes far more achievable than it first seemed.
You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. You don’t need to get it perfect.
Start with understanding. Build from there.
I’m here to walk alongside you.
Disclosure:
This article may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only share resources that align with my values and that I believe may genuinely support women in learning about and caring for their bodies.]
The information shared on this blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace individualized medical advice. If you are experiencing pain, persistent symptoms, or concerns about your health, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.
Send me your questions or comments!
Created with ©systeme.io