Okay, ladies. I’m all about having real, raw, and vulnerable conversations about life and the many things we experience on the “highway of life.” And yes, we are going “there.”

Many women deal with “dribbling” when sneezing, a lack of libido, lower back pain, or a lack of core stability after kids (or as we age). Too often, we assume it’s just a “part of getting old.” Well, my friends, it is not. It’s all about the health of your pelvic floor.

The Mind-Blowing Truth: Pelvic Floor Health vs. Fitness

Before I go any farther, let’s talk about what the pelvic floor actually is. It’s a group of muscles and tissues that support your vagina, uterus, cervix, bladder, urethra, rectum, and anus. A healthy pelvic floor is connected to literally every part of your physical health.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) is often a musculoskeletal or behavioral issue. It’s about how the muscles move, tense, or “communicate” with the brain.

The Pelvic Floor “Trifecta”: Why We Struggle

We’ve been told for generations that a healthy pelvic floor is all about doing Kegels. This just isn’t true, and Jana warns against over-Kegeling. She teaches that a healthy pelvic floor is about three pillars, and I’m sharing exactly what she shared in the episode because it’s a pelvic floor health game-changer!

Related: Click here for my favorite pelvic floors + how to use the Cooch Ball

Pillar #1. How does breathing affect pelvic floor health?

When it comes to breathing, think of your diaphragm as the “ceiling” and your pelvic floor as the “floor.” In a healthy breathing pattern, the ceiling and the floor move in rhythm with one another, like a piston. Many of us are vertical breathers—we think we should pull in our stomachs on the inhale, but this type of breathing is telling our brain that we’re in a state of stress, and our pelvic floor responds by staying tight or guarded—stressed.

Here’s the solution:

• When you inhale, your respiratory diaphragm moves down, and your pelvic floor should actually move down and expand with it.
• When you exhale, your respiratory diaphragm moves back up, and your pelvic floor should gently lift and contract.

I practiced breathing with Jana while we recorded this episode, and I’ve never exhaled in the way she teaches. I really focused on my diaphragm (which I know I don’t do enough), and I could feel the difference in my pelvic floor! It’ll take some practice, but this “new” way of breathing is something I really want to learn how to do better.

Pillar #2. Posture (Standing + Seated)

We might not even think about our posture because we’re moving in some way throughout our day. Things like carrying babies and kids, lugging things around, scrolling on our phones, typing on the computer, watching shows, our sleep positions, and so on can wreak havoc on our posture in ways we might not even realize. And when our posture is suffering, our pelvic floor is suffering too.

• The “Sensory Deprivation Chamber” (Modern Shoes): This part of our conversation was so interesting to me. Our feet have this natural relationship with the earth. When we put shoes on, we’re depriving our feet from feeling the ground—we’re inhibiting that natural relationship. When our feet lose the ability to feel the ground, our brain stops getting the information it needs to tell our pelvic floor how to respond. Our feet and our pelvic floor are best friends (who knew?!?!), and they are on the same neurological loop. If our feet are “sleeping” in a shoe, the pelvic floor is sleeping too. And while we can’t go barefoot all the time, better understanding that connection can be a valuable nugget of knowledge for keeping our pelvic floors as healthy as possible.
• The 60/40 Rule: When you stand, think about where your weight is. Most of our weight is either all in our heels or we’re gripping with our toes. The goal is to stand so our pelvis is neutral. You want 60% of your weight in your heels and 40% of your weight in your metatarsals—the meaty part of the ball of your foot. When you can achieve this 60/40 balance, your pelvis naturally finds its home, and the pelvic floor can actually do its job of supporting your organs.
• Seated Posture (“The “Golf Tee” Sit Bones): Most of us sit on our tailbones—we actually tuck our tails and slump, which puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the back of the pelvic floor. Jana suggests imagining that our sit bones—those two bony points in our butt—are like golf tees, and our torso is the golf ball sitting right on top of those two golf tees. If we sit on those golf tees instead of your tailbone, our pelvis is neutral (which is where we want it to be). We aren’t squishing the pelvic floor—we’re letting it actually breathe. When we fit on our sit bones, our spines are naturally tall without even trying, which Jana calls this “skeletal stacking.” When the golf ball is on the tees, the muscles don’t have to work so hard to hold us up.

Pillar #3. Blood Flow and Fascia

If you’re like me, I bet you don’t spend too many in your day thinking about the blood flow and fascia in your body, especially in your pelvic floor. So, get ready for a one-stop education into how important these two things are to your pelvic health.

• “Sticky Velcro” and Restricted Blood Flow: We’ve all used Velcro, so I loved how Jana used this analogy for talking about pelvic floor health. She explains that fascia is like this internal 3D web that connects everything. When it’s healthy, it’s slippery and smooth. But when we don’t move, or when we have poor posture, it becomes sticky like Velcro. When the Velcro-like fascia is in your pelvic floor, it negatively impacts that area. In fact, when the fascia Velcro is stuck, it literally chokes out the oxygen-rich, nutrient-rich blood flow that needs to get to the muscles and the nerves of your pelvic floor. If the blood can’t flow, the tissue can’t heal. It’s a lack of circulation that leads to that feeling of heaviness or dysfunction.
• Moving from “Hypertonic” to Dynamic Function: Many women are hypertonic, which means their pelvic floor is too tight. It’s like a fist that’s clenched all the time. A tight muscle is a weak muscle because if it’s already at 100% tension, it can’t function properly when we cough or sneeze. That’s why the “dam breaks” and we leak. A too tight pelvic floor can also lead to pain during intercourse and other sexually-related issues, as well as chronic tight hips and lower back pain. The goal is to have a dynamic, functional pelvic floor, which can act like a trampoline that can absorb pressure, not like a piece of wood that just snaps. Ladies, it’s not that we need to squeeze more, we actually need those muscles to be able to relax and expand! The fix? Read on!
• Restoring Circulation: The key to repairing an unhealthy floor can be as simple as restoring circulation to the pelvic area. Jana has created the Cooch Ball, which can help break up the sticky fascia—the Velcro—to restore pelvic health. When we sit on the ball, we are essentially “waking up” the proprioceptors and the fascia. We’re unsticking the Velcro so blood flow can return. Jana had me sit on a Cooch Ball for just a few minutes, and I could totally feel it working into those sticky spots!

When we combine that fascia release, through using a tool like a Cooch Ball, plus the right type of breathing, we’re literally pumping new life and blood into those pelvic floor tissues every single day. And that’s definitely the way to get a healthy pelvic floor.

Related: Click here for my full perimenopause guide →

Final Takeaways: Momentum Starts with a Moment

As we wrapped up the episode, Jana shared two powerful takeaways that we can all learn so much from, so of course, I’m sharing them with you!

Final takeaway #1. The “wagon” mindset. As women, we can very easily fall into the “wagon” mindset that “I fell off the wagon—I’m on the wagon—I’m off the wagon.” There is NO wagon to fall off of! One moment after another, day after day after day creates the type of momentum we cannot even imagine.

Final takeaway #2. Adding One Moment to Another. A simple moment might be grabbing your water bottle or getting your feet on the grass and turning your eyes to the sun. On those days where it feels like you are running and just behind on everything and there’s just too much, a moment can really shift that those feelings. One small moment can be three minutes on the Cooch Ball or just taking that one diaphragmatic breath when you’re stressed in the car.

Take Control of Your Pelvic Floor Health Today

Ladies, we are officially resigning as victims of the “aging myth.” Whether you are dealing with postpartum core weakness, perimenopausal bladder leaks, or chronic pelvic pain, remember that these symptoms are common, but they are not your new normal.

Healing doesn’t require a medical miracle; it starts with restoring the relationship between your breath, your posture, and your fascia. By implementing the Pelvic Floor Trifecta and spending just three minutes a day on the Cooch Ball, you are rewriting your body’s future.

Join the Conversation: How Are You Becoming the CEO of Your Health?

I want to hear from you! Have you ever felt dismissed by a doctor, or have you found a “small moment” habit that changed everything for your pelvic floor?

Leave a comment below and let’s break the silence together. Your story might be exactly what another woman needs to hear today to realize she isn’t alone.

I’d love for you to join this conversation, so please comment below. Have you been told your symptoms are “just normal”? Let’s talk about it.

xo,

Related reading:

Reclaiming You: How to Navigate Perimenopause, Weight Gain, & Brain Fog
It’s Getting HOT in Here || 10 Tips for Menopausal Survival
Diastasis Recti: Closing the Gap
Fit On the Job! 6 Tips + 14 Exercises for the Desk Bound Professional
Deep Tissue Massage Ball for Myofascial Release