Tag Archive for: Pelvic Floor

Leaking During Exercise? How to Jump and Do Jumping Jacks Without Leaking

You are standing in the middle of a group fitness class, enjoying the music and the energy of the room, when the instructor yells, “Alright, thirty seconds of jumping jacks, let’s go!”

Instantly, a wave of anxiety hits you. While the women around you jump without a second thought, you cross your legs, slow down, or slip away to the bathroom. You might even use a few silent “tips and tricks” to hide what is happening, convinced that you are the only one in the room whose body can’t handle the impact.

Let’s clear up a major secret right now: you are absolutely not alone. Bladder leaking during vertical movement is incredibly common, but it is not something you have to accept as your permanent normal.

Many women avoid impact entirely because they are terrified to “poke the bear” and trigger their pelvic floor dysfunction. But avoiding vertical movement completely will never teach your muscles how to get stronger. Your body is not broken, and you don’t have to sit on the sidelines of postpartum fitness forever.

Why Your Pelvic Floor Actually Needs Impact

When it comes to pelvic floor exercises, we are often told to stay flat on our backs, performing isolated contractions in a quiet room. While that style of training has its place in early rehabilitation, it completely misses how our bodies function dynamically.

Your pelvic floor is designed to respond directly to gravity. Anytime your body experiences vertical motion—whether that is walking down the stairs, running for the phone, or jumping on a trampoline with your kids—your pelvic floor muscles naturally react to support your internal organs and keep your urinary sphincter closed.

If you completely eliminate vertical activity from your life out of fear, your pelvic floor never gets the physical conditioning it needs to handle sudden forces. To build real-world, long-term strength, you have to train the muscle within the exact environment it is failing.

The Threshold Misconception

The Myth: If you leak during an exercise, you should just push through it or use a heavier pad until your core eventually gets stronger.

Pushing through leakage is a recipe for chronic muscle fatigue. On the other hand, avoiding the movement entirely causes the muscle to weaken from disuse.

The secret lies in identifying your personal physical threshold. Your threshold is the exact point of intensity, speed, or repetition where your pelvic floor can no longer manage pressure, resulting in a leak. The goal of a smart postpartum fitness routine is to work right below that threshold line, giving the muscles a safe challenge without overloading them.

The Root Cause: Muscle Fatigue and Scar Tissue Limits

Root-cause healing matters because your pelvic floor cannot function optimally if it is structurally restricted. Your pelvic floor is a dynamic muscular sling. If you have had an episiotomy or experienced a perineal tear during childbirth, you have scar tissue in that region.

Think of scar tissue like super glue inside your muscle layers. While it is wonderful for closing up a wound, it can cause the surrounding muscle fibers to stick together, severely restricting their ability to fully lengthen and contract. When those muscle fibers are glued down by an old scar, they cannot move fast enough or stretch fully to protect you against a sudden jump.

Clinical evidence supported by the Cleveland Clinic emphasizes that scar tissue mobilization and progressive impact loading are crucial components in restoring normal tissue elasticity and muscular power to the pelvic floor. When your brain triggers movement, your dynamic core and pelvic floor must be uninhibited to naturally regulate internal pressure.

Action Steps: The “Grandma Method” for Progressive Jumping

If you want to return to jumping jacks or running without leaking, you need to alter the variables of the movement to stay below your leaking threshold. Try this progressive strategy used by my top coaching clients:

  • Lower the Amplitude and Speed: Don’t start by jumping as high or as fast as you can. Slow the movement down significantly.
  • Channel Your Sweet Grandma: When initiating a jumping jack, imagine how your grandmother might do it. Keep your feet close to the ground, step or gently hop your feet out only an inch or two, and slow your tempo down to a crawl.
  • Build Volume First: Perform 5 to 10 of these low-intensity, “Grandma-style” jumping jacks. If you experience zero leakage, you have successfully found a safe working zone below your threshold.
  • Isolate and Change One Variable: Work at this level for a week or two. Once your body feels secure, increase only the speed while keeping your feet close together. If that stays dry for a week, keep the speed but try jumping your feet a tiny bit wider. Never increase speed and size at the exact same time.

Healing isn’t about perfection; it’s about understanding, consistency, and smart progression. You do not have to live your life in fear of a jumping jack or a trampoline. Your body is fully capable of adapting and building dynamic strength when given the right strategic input.

You don’t need more random exercises. You need a strategy. If you are ready to stop managing symptoms and start building real, lifelong resilience, take a moment to complete our Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form. Let’s work together to create an actionable plan designed specifically for your body, your scar tissue, and your fitness goals.

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The Most Overlooked Parts of Endometriosis Surgery Recovery: Food, Breathing, and Your Nervous System

When most women prepare for endometriosis surgery, they’re focused on one thing—getting through the procedure.

They’ve scheduled time off work, arranged for someone to drive them home, stocked up on comfortable clothes, and maybe even binge-watched recovery vlogs on YouTube.

But what happens after surgery?

That’s where many women feel completely unprepared.

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I’ve worked with countless women recovering from pelvic surgery. I’ve also experienced endometriosis surgery myself—twice. The first time, I didn’t know what to expect. I was scared to move, overwhelmed by the discomfort, and constantly questioning whether what I was feeling was normal.

The second time was completely different.

Not because the surgery hurt less, but because I understood what my body needed to heal.

Most women were never taught this.

Healing isn’t just about waiting for time to pass. It’s about supporting your body in ways that promote recovery from the inside out.

This is about more than symptom management.

The goal isn’t temporary relief—it’s long-term strength.

Let’s talk about three of the most overlooked parts of endometriosis surgery recovery that can make a meaningful difference in how you heal.

Your Body Needs More Than Rest—It Needs Nourishment

After surgery, it’s completely normal to crave comfort foods.

You’re tired.

You’re sore.

You may be nauseated from anesthesia or pain medication.

The last thing you want to think about is meal planning.

But remember what’s happening inside your body.

Your tissues are rebuilding.

Your immune system is working overtime.

Your cells are repairing muscles, fascia, nerves, and connective tissue.

Everything required for healing comes from the nutrients you provide your body.

That doesn’t mean you have to eat perfectly.

It means giving your body the building blocks it needs to recover.

Before surgery, consider stocking your kitchen with easy-to-prepare foods like:

  • Lean proteins
  • Eggs
  • Greek yogurt
  • Fresh fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Bone broth
  • Whole grains
  • Healthy fats
  • Plenty of water and electrolyte-rich fluids

These foods provide protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support tissue repair and recovery.

The National Library of Medicine emphasizes that adequate nutrition and hydration are important components of the healing process after surgery because your body requires additional energy and nutrients to repair damaged tissue.

Root-cause healing matters.

Why Your Nervous System Matters During Recovery

One thing we don’t talk about enough is how protective your nervous system becomes after surgery.

Your brain knows your body has experienced trauma.

Even though surgery is planned and performed to help you, your nervous system still responds by becoming more alert.

That’s why many women feel hesitant to move.

They become afraid to touch their abdomen.

They worry every sensation means something is wrong.

But your nervous system isn’t trying to make recovery harder.

It’s trying to protect you.

Understanding that changes everything.

Your body is not broken.

Instead of interpreting every ache or pulling sensation as damage, you can begin recognizing that healing tissues are naturally more sensitive.

That doesn’t mean you should ignore severe pain or concerning symptoms.

It simply means discomfort doesn’t automatically equal injury.

Understanding your body creates confidence.

Why Deep Breathing Is One of the Best Recovery Tools

Breathing seems too simple to make much of a difference.

But it may be one of the most powerful things you can do after surgery.

Many women begin taking shallow breaths because expanding their abdomen feels uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, shallow breathing limits oxygen exchange, decreases movement throughout the abdomen, and can contribute to stiffness.

Instead, practice slow, comfortable diaphragmatic breathing several times throughout the day.

Your goal isn’t to force the deepest breath possible.

Your goal is simply to breathe as deeply as you comfortably can without increasing pain.

Every gentle breath helps:

  • Improve oxygen delivery
  • Increase circulation
  • Encourage healthy movement throughout the abdomen
  • Reduce muscle guarding
  • Support your diaphragm and pelvic floor working together again

Sometimes the smallest habits have the biggest impact.

Don’t Be Afraid of Gentle Pressure

This may sound surprising.

After surgery, many women avoid letting anything touch their abdomen.

That’s understandable.

But once your incisions are healing appropriately—and while staying well away from your incision sites—you can begin gently placing your hands on different areas of your abdomen.

This isn’t massage.

At least not yet.

It’s simply allowing your nervous system to receive safe, comfortable input.

As healing progresses, gentle massage around the surrounding tissues (avoiding the incision itself until fully healed) may help improve tissue mobility and reduce feelings of tightness.

The goal isn’t to force anything.

The goal is to remind your brain that your abdomen is safe to move again.

Loose Clothing Can Make a Bigger Difference Than You Think

One recovery tip that surprises many women has nothing to do with exercise.

It’s your pants.

During laparoscopic surgery, your abdomen is inflated with gas to allow your surgeon to clearly see your pelvic organs.

Afterward, your abdomen may feel bloated, swollen, and incredibly tender.

Tight waistbands, compression leggings, or restrictive clothing can make that discomfort even more noticeable.

Instead, choose loose-fitting sweatpants, pajama bottoms, or anything that allows your abdomen to move freely.

It may seem like a small adjustment, but reducing unnecessary pressure can make breathing easier and help you feel more comfortable throughout the day.

Healing Is About Doing the Basics Well

One of the biggest lessons I learned between my first and second surgeries was this:

Healing isn’t about doing more.

It’s about doing the right things consistently.

Eating nourishing foods.

Taking short walks.

Practicing deep breathing.

Resting when your body asks for it.

Gradually increasing activity.

Listening instead of pushing.

Those simple habits add up.

Most women think recovery requires a complicated checklist.

In reality, it’s usually the basics done consistently that produce the biggest results.

Myth: If Recovery Feels Slow, You’re Doing Something Wrong

Healing doesn’t happen on a straight line.

Some days you’ll feel amazing.

Other days you’ll feel like you’ve taken two steps backward.

That’s normal.

Recovery is influenced by sleep, stress, nutrition, inflammation, hormones, and countless other factors.

Give yourself permission to recover without comparing your timeline to someone else’s.

You deserve better than fear-based advice that tells you where you “should” be by a certain week.

Your body has its own timeline.

Trust it.

Your Recovery Is About More Than This Surgery

While your immediate goal may be recovering from surgery, my bigger goal for you is helping you build a stronger relationship with your body.

Understanding how your body heals.

Understanding how your pelvic floor works.

Understanding why movement matters.

Those lessons don’t end once your incisions heal.

They continue helping you feel stronger, more confident, and more connected to your body for years to come.

That’s why education is such a powerful part of healing.

Your Next Step

If you’re recovering from endometriosis surgery—or preparing for one—you don’t have to figure everything out on your own.

The best recovery plan is one that’s tailored to your symptoms, your goals, and your body.

Start by filling out Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form so we can help you determine the best next step in your recovery.

https://www.beyondthevbypauli.com/nextstep

If you’re looking for a step-by-step approach to building a stronger core and pelvic floor without relying on endless Kegels, explore the No Kegels University® Method.

Healing isn’t about perfection.

It’s about understanding, consistency, and progression.

Your body is incredibly resilient, and with the right support, you can recover with confidence and move forward stronger than before.

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Postpartum Exercise: Why Walking Matters in the First 3 Months

Welcome to the beautiful, chaotic, and often overwhelming world of life after baby. If you are a new mom, or if you are expecting soon, you are probably already being flooded with a million tips, ideas, and suggestions on how you are “supposed” to recover.

As a pelvic floor physical therapist and the founder of No Kegels University®, I hear these questions all the time. Everyone wants to know the fancy tricks or the secret postpartum exercise routines.

But I want to let you in on a little secret: the best things you can do for your body right after giving birth are actually the simplest.

True postpartum care doesn’t require pulling out a yoga mat for a 30-minute production while your baby is crying. It starts with the absolute baseline of human movement: getting up and putting weight on your feet.

What My Dog, June B, Taught Me About Postpartum Movement

I love telling this story because it completely amazed me. A few years back, our high-energy dog, June B (or June June B, as we call her at home), went into labor on the afternoon of Cinco de Mayo.

Throughout her labor, she would lay down in her whelping box for a little bit, and then suddenly she’d get up, run outside into the yard, run around, and come back. After she birthed her very first puppy, she licked him for a minute, and then she immediately got up, went right back out to the yard, and ran around before coming back to deliver the next puppy 46 minutes later.

Watching her, I realized just how deeply natural the instinct to move truly is.

I’ve had two beautiful babies myself, and both arrived via C-sections. Even though it wasn’t exactly how I originally planned it, my goal was to bring two healthy kids into the world, and I accomplished that. But as soon as I mustered up enough strength in the hospital bed, I wanted to copy June B. I wanted to get up and walk around.

I attribute my quick healing, my pain management, and my ability to regain my function to the fact that I started moving my body as soon as I possibly could.

The Science Behind the Stance: Why the Pelvis Cares About Your Feet

You might be thinking, “Pauli, a C-section recovery is totally different than a vaginal birth.” And you are 100% right. But the fundamental physiological principles of healing remain exactly the same.

Your pelvis is the central hub of your body; its primary job is to distribute load. When you are lying flat in bed for days on end, your pelvic region isn’t getting much activity. To heal, your tissues desperately need oxygen, nutrition, and blood flow.

When you sit up, put your feet flat on the floor, and bear weight, a chain reaction happens without you even realizing it:

  • Your ankles and feet wake up.
  • Your knees and hips engage.
  • Your glutes and your pelvis turn on.

There is a golden rule in biomechanics: whatever the hip does or doesn’t do decides what the pelvic floor does or doesn’t do.

By simply standing up or walking around your room, you are triggering your hips to tell your pelvic floor to start working again. For more information on how early movement patterns help rehabilitate these deep core structures, you can explore the Mayo Clinic’s guide on pelvic floor dysfunction.

Action Steps for the First Three Months

If you are fresh into your postpartum recovery, here is how you can put this first tip into practice safely:

  • The C-Section Shift: If you can’t stand all the way up yet, sit on the edge of your bed. Keep your bum on the mattress but plant your feet flat. Shift some weight forward onto your feet, hold it, and then rock back. It might feel like a geriatric exercise your grandparents would do after surgery, but it works.
  • March in Place: Once you can stand at the edge of your bed safely, lift your knees and march in place for a few steps, then rest.
  • Keep it Frequent, Not Long: Don’t go out and try to walk a mile. Walk around your house or apartment for just a few minutes, sit down and rest for a while, and then get right back to it later in the day.

Everything you do during this vulnerable season should be done with your baby in mind. Walking around the house shouldn’t feel like a chore—it can be a beautiful part of your bonding time as you wander and hold your newborn.

If you want to make a drastic difference in your recovery and stop guessing your way through pelvic health, let’s take the next step together. Fill out Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form today to see how we can build an intentional framework for your postpartum recovery.

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Pelvic Floor Therapy After Birth: Why Women Wait Years for Help

Let’s talk about a statistic that makes me absolutely, undeniably furious.

Women who struggle with pelvic floor issues—like leaking when they sneeze, pelvic heaviness, or painful intimacy—can wait seven to eight years before finally getting professional help.

Seven. To. Eight. Years.

Think about that timeline for a second.

That means a mom could have a baby, watch that baby grow into a second-grader, move houses, change careers, and live through thousands of days of discomfort or embarrassment before someone finally tells her:

“Hey, you don’t actually have to live this way.”

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I find this completely asinine.

We need to flip the script on how we handle women’s wellness and postpartum care.

The Standard: U.S. Healthcare vs. Europe

One of the things that frustrates me about postpartum care is how differently pelvic floor recovery can be approached.

In Europe, pelvic floor physical therapy after having a baby is treated much more like a standard part of postpartum care.

But here in the U.S., if you bring up leaking or pelvic discomfort to your doctor at your postpartum appointment, the response can vary wildly.

You might hear:

  • “Just wait until you’re completely done having kids, and then we can look into surgery.”
  • “What do you expect? You had a kid.”
  • “You can try pelvic floor PT, but honestly, I don’t really know what they do.”
  • Or, thankfully, “Yes, go. Pelvic floor physical therapy could be one of the best things you do for your recovery.”

I believe more healthcare providers need education about what pelvic floor physical therapy actually does and when women may benefit from it.

A referral to another provider is not a complicated process.

And yet many moms still leave their postpartum appointments without ever being told that pelvic floor physical therapy could be an option.

That leaves women in the dark, assuming leaking, heaviness, pain, or weakness are simply permanent consequences of having a baby.

They don’t have to be.

The “Uneventful Birth” Myth

The Myth: If you had an easy vaginal delivery—or even a planned C-section—your pelvic floor doesn’t need to be checked.

After treating pelvic floors for more than twelve years, I can tell you about my own clinical experience.

I have only assessed three pelvic floors that did not need strengthening or assistance of some kind.

Two were women in the geriatric population.

Only one was a postpartum mother.

That doesn’t mean every postpartum woman has the same problem or needs the same treatment.

It does mean pregnancy and birth place major demands on the pelvic floor and core.

Whether your baby arrived vaginally or by C-section, your body carried that growing baby for months.

Your pelvic floor experienced:

  • Different loads
  • Different movement patterns
  • Changes in pressure
  • Hormonal changes
  • Major changes throughout the core and pelvis

Even an “uneventful” pregnancy and birth still changed your body.

That is why, in my ideal vision of postpartum care, every woman would have the opportunity to see a pelvic floor physical therapist at least once after having a baby.

Not because something is automatically wrong with you.

But because someone should make sure your pelvic floor and core are functioning well and give you a plan that makes sense for your body.

Postpartum Care Should Be More Than a Six-Week Check

One of the biggest problems with postpartum care is the idea that everything revolves around one appointment at six weeks.

You have a baby.

You survive those first exhausting weeks.

You return to your OB.

And then you may hear:

“You’re cleared. You can exercise and have sex again.”

But being medically cleared doesn’t necessarily answer questions like:

  • Is my pelvic floor functioning well?
  • How should I rebuild my core?
  • Why am I leaking?
  • Why do I feel pressure or heaviness?
  • Why does intimacy hurt?
  • How should I return to exercise?
  • What actually happened during my delivery?

In my vision for postpartum care, women would have access to much more information and support.

I would love to see women receive a clear recap of their birth—whether there was tearing, an episiotomy, forceps, stitches, or other important information.

That history can matter when a pelvic floor physical therapist is trying to understand what your body has been through.

And then I believe women should have the opportunity for a pelvic floor assessment.

You Shouldn’t Have to Wait 8 Years

This is where that statistic makes me so frustrated.

If a woman can struggle for seven or eight years before getting pelvic floor help, imagine what could change if she received support at:

Six weeks postpartum.

Eight weeks postpartum.

Nine weeks postpartum.

Or simply whenever she felt ready.

That is a completely different timeline.

You should not have to spend years assuming symptoms are normal simply because no one told you there were options.

When Should You Actually Start Pelvic Floor PT?

This is also important:

I don’t believe postpartum physical therapy should become another stressful item on a new mom’s impossible checklist.

Some pelvic floor physical therapists may recommend beginning very early.

But I remember being a brand-new mom.

I had two C-sections.

I was figuring out nursing.

I wasn’t sleeping.

I wasn’t eating particularly well.

Sometimes simply getting out of the house felt overwhelming.

Pelvic floor physical therapy should be a help, not a hindrance.

If you’re barely surviving the newborn stage and adding another appointment feels impossible, there may be time to settle into motherhood first.

On the other hand, if you are in significant pain or struggling to function, getting help earlier may make sense.

Every woman’s story is different.

That is exactly why personalized care matters.

Ask for the Help You Need

If you are currently postpartum and something doesn’t feel right, you do not have to wait for someone else to bring it up.

Talk about it.

Tell your provider if you are experiencing:

  • Leaking
  • Pelvic pressure or heaviness
  • Pain with intimacy
  • Pelvic pain
  • Difficulty returning to exercise
  • Core weakness
  • Anything else that makes you feel like your body hasn’t recovered

And if you’re unsure what your pelvic floor needs, working with a pelvic floor physical therapist can help you understand what is actually happening.

https://www.beyondthevbypauli.com/nextstep

Postpartum Doesn’t Have a Deadline

I would also argue that your postpartum period doesn’t magically end at six weeks.

In my book, postpartum ends when you finally feel like you’re back to your normal self.

For some women, that may happen fairly quickly.

For others, it may take much longer.

I’ve had women tell me:

“If that’s how we’re defining postpartum, then I’ve been postpartum for 14 years.”

And my response is:

Only you can know.

The point is not to obsess over the label.

The point is to recognize that it is not too late to give your body the attention it deserves.

You Are Worth the Investment

You do so much for the people around you.

You care for your children.

You support your family.

You manage schedules, responsibilities, appointments, meals, work, and a thousand little things that nobody else sees.

Your body deserves that same attention.

You are worth the investment.

You should not have to struggle for seven or eight years before someone finally gives you answers.

If you are dealing with leaking, pressure, pain, weakness, or simply don’t feel like yourself after having a baby, you don’t have to keep guessing.

Complete Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form so we can help you determine what your body needs next:

https://www.beyondthevbypauli.com/nextstep

Remember: you are an heiress and a queen and everything in between.

You deserve postpartum care that helps you continue to thrive long after your baby arrives.

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Posture and Leakage: The Jenga Tower Guide

When someone tells you to “fix your posture,” what do you automatically do? You probably roll your shoulders back, lift your chest toward the ceiling, and try to stand as rigidly upright as possible.

But if you are managing pelvic floor dysfunction or noticing that you leak every time you experience a bad cough or a sudden laugh, traditional posture advice might be making things harder for your core.

Most women were never taught how their alignment directly dictates how hard their pelvic floor muscles have to work. If your body’s posture is misaligned, even the most consistent pelvic floor exercises won’t give you the lasting dry days you are looking for. True women’s wellness isn’t about looking like a rigid soldier; it’s about setting up your skeletal foundation so your muscles can do their job effortlessly.

The Jenga Principle of Body Alignment

To understand how your alignment influences your bladder control, think about the classic game of Jenga. You start the game with three blocks stacked neatly in one direction, three blocks stacked the other way, building a perfectly vertical, stable tower.

As the game progresses, players pull blocks out from the bottom and stack them precariously on top. The tower begins to lean, shift, and wobble because it is no longer stacked directly on top of its original foundation. The higher and more crooked it gets, the harder the remaining blocks have to work to keep the entire structure from crashing down.

Your body operates on the exact same structural law. When your bones are stacked efficiently, your muscles and joints share the weight of gravity optimally. But when pregnancy or daily habits shift your alignment out of place, your pelvic floor becomes the overtaxed block at the bottom of the tower, desperately trying to hold everything up.

The Shoulder Correction Myth

The Myth: Good posture means squeezing your shoulder blades together and puffing out your chest.

When you try to correct your posture entirely from your upper body, you miss the actual core foundation. Squeezing your shoulders back does nothing to align your midsection. In fact, many women correct their posture by hyper-extending their mid-back, which thrusts the bottom of the rib cage up and forward. This upper-body rigidity doesn’t fix the underlying pressure problem; it simply hides it while continuing to place mechanical stress on your lower abdomen.

The Root Cause: The Forward-Tipped Rib Cage

During pregnancy, your growing belly and your sweet baby naturally pull your weight forward, tipping the bottom of your rib cage out and open. If you look at yourself in a mirror from the side, you might notice that instead of pointing straight down, your ribs are angled out toward the front of the room.

When your rib cage is constantly tipped forward, your body’s internal line of gravity changes. Instead of your breath’s pressure distributing evenly across your entire pelvic canister, it gets directed straight over the top of your urethra and vaginal opening.

According to professional rehabilitation guidelines from Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehab Institute, structural alignment and skeletal positioning directly dictate the mechanical efficiency of the pelvic floor muscles. When you stay in an exaggerated, unstacked position, your pelvic floor has to work double-time just to keep you dry against everyday abdominal pressure.

Action Steps: Find Your “Click” in the Mirror

Improving your posture takes time, and the goal isn’t to walk around like a robotic statue all day. Our bodies are beautifully designed to move in and out of different shapes. However, you want to spend the majority of your day in an optimal position. Use this physical visualization to find your stack:

  • Stand in Profile: Look at yourself from the side in a mirror. Locate the very bottom, rounded edge of your rib cage and the top bones of your pelvis.
  • Visualize the Crane: Imagine a crane gently grabbing the very top of your rib cage, lifting it up slightly to decompress your spine, and shifting it back and down until it sits directly over your hips.
  • Look for the Straight Line: If you dropped a plumb line straight down from the center of your ribs, it should land directly into the center of your pelvis, not several feet in front of you.
  • Listen for the “Click”: Many of my patients find success by picturing their ribs lifting up, tipping back, and “clicking” into place directly over their pelvis. Once you feel that click, take an inhale. You should find it significantly easier to take a deep, clear breath in this position.

This is about more than symptom management—it’s about restructuring how your body interacts with gravity. When you master the rib-to-pelvis stack, you give your deep core its fighting chance to heal.

You don’t need more random exercises. You need a strategy. If you are tired of conflicting advice online and want a clear roadmap, explore the No Kegels University® Method. Take a moment to fill out our Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form so we can look at your unique alignment and get you moving with absolute confidence.

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Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for Endometriosis: How It Can Help

One of the most common questions women ask is:

“If pelvic floor physical therapy doesn’t treat endometriosis, why would it help my symptoms?”

It’s a fair question.

Because most of the time, endometriosis is talked about as something that exists only in the uterus or pelvic organs.

So it makes sense to wonder why working with muscles, breathing, and movement would matter.

But what many women discover is this:

Their pain is not coming from just one place.

And their healing doesn’t have to either.

Your body is not broken.

Let’s talk about what’s actually going on.

Endometriosis Is More Than a Tissue Problem

Endometriosis is often described as tissue similar to the uterine lining growing outside the uterus.

But the symptoms women experience are rarely just from the tissue itself.

Pain is also influenced by:

  • Inflammation
  • Adhesions or scar tissue
  • Muscle guarding
  • Nervous system sensitivity
  • Changes in movement patterns

The Cleveland Clinic explains that endometriosis can lead to chronic pelvic pain due to inflammation and irritation of surrounding structures—not just the lesions themselves.

This is where the pelvic floor becomes a major part of the picture.

The Pelvic Floor Responds to Everything Happening in the Pelvis

Your pelvic floor muscles sit at the base of your pelvis and support your bladder, uterus, and rectum.

They are constantly adapting to what is happening above them.

So when there is:

  • Ongoing pain
  • Inflammation
  • Surgical history
  • Limited movement
  • Fear of movement

Your pelvic floor often responds by tightening or guarding.

This is not random.

It is protective.

But over time, protection can turn into dysfunction.

That’s when symptoms begin to show up as:

  • Pelvic pain
  • Pain with intimacy
  • Constipation
  • Bladder urgency or frequency
  • A feeling of tightness or pressure
  • Difficulty relaxing

Understanding this connection is one of the first steps toward meaningful healing.

Understanding your body creates confidence.

Why Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Helps (Even Without Treating Endometriosis)

Pelvic floor physical therapy does not remove endometriosis.

It does not replace medical or surgical care.

But it does something equally important:

It helps your body function better around the pain.

This is where real change begins.

The https://www.aptapelvichealth.org/ supports pelvic health physical therapy as an evidence-informed approach for treating pelvic floor dysfunction and chronic pelvic pain conditions often seen alongside endometriosis.

Here’s how it helps.

1. It reduces pelvic floor guarding

When your body has been in pain for a long time, your muscles often stay slightly “on” all the time.

They are trying to protect you.

But constant protection becomes tension.

Pelvic floor physical therapy helps:

  • Teach muscles how to relax again
  • Reduce overactivity
  • Improve coordination
  • Break the pain–tension cycle

This is not about forcing relaxation.

It’s about retraining safety into the system.

2. It restores the core–pelvic floor connection

Your diaphragm, deep core, and pelvic floor work together every time you breathe and move.

When pain, surgery, or inactivity disrupts this system, symptoms can increase.

You may notice:

  • Shallow breathing
  • Core weakness or instability
  • Avoidance of movement
  • Increased pelvic tension

PT helps retrain this coordination so your body can function as a connected system again.

This matters more than most women are ever told.

3. It calms the nervous system

Pain is not just a structural issue—it is a nervous system experience.

When pain persists, your body becomes more protective over time.

That can lead to:

  • Increased sensitivity
  • Muscle guarding
  • Fear of movement or intimacy
  • Feeling like your body is “on alert”

Pelvic floor physical therapy uses:

  • Gentle movement
  • Breathwork
  • Gradual exposure to activity
  • Education and reassurance

to help your system shift out of protection and back into safety.

This is where symptoms often begin to change.

4. It rebuilds trust in your body

This may be the most important part.

Many women with endometriosis begin to feel like their body is unpredictable or unreliable.

They stop exercising.

They avoid intimacy.

They fear symptoms returning.

But when you begin to understand what your body is doing—and why—it changes everything.

You begin to realize:

  • Movement is not dangerous
  • Pain does not always mean damage
  • Your body is adaptable
  • Healing is possible, even with endometriosis

This is about more than symptom relief.

It is about rebuilding confidence in your body.

Myth: PT Only Helps After Surgery

Pelvic floor physical therapy is often misunderstood as something you only do after surgery.

But it can be helpful at every stage:

  • Before diagnosis
  • After diagnosis
  • Before surgery
  • After surgery
  • Alongside medical treatment

Because it is not focused on the disease itself.

It is focused on how your body is functioning.

Root-cause healing matters.

What This Means for You

If you are living with endometriosis and experiencing:

  • Pelvic pain
  • Pain with intimacy
  • Bladder or bowel changes
  • Tightness or pressure
  • Difficulty exercising
  • Ongoing unexplained discomfort

Your pelvic floor may be playing a much larger role than you’ve been told.

And the encouraging part is:

This is something you can work on.

Not by pushing harder.

But by retraining how your body moves, responds, and functions over time.

Your Next Step

If you are struggling with endometriosis symptoms and want clarity on what is driving your pelvic pain, you do not have to figure it out alone.

Start by filling out Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form so we can help you understand your body and identify your best next step.

https://www.beyondthevbypauli.com/nextstep

If you are ready for a structured approach to rebuilding core and pelvic floor strength without relying on endless Kegels, explore the No Kegels University® Method.

Healing is not about perfection.

It is about understanding, consistency, and progression.

Your body is capable of adaptation, strength, and change—even with endometriosis.

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Pelvic Floor Breathing Exercises: How Balloon Breathing Helps You Relax

When you are managing a chronic pelvic condition, your body can easily get trapped in a state of high alert. Constant physical discomfort can make your breathing shallow, your posture tense, and your baseline stress levels skyrocket. Before you know it, you are preferring to head to bed early to just try and sleep through the discomfort rather than enjoying your life.

Most women were never taught this, but chronic pain can change how you breathe and how your body holds tension. You deserve better than generic advice that tells you to simply “relax” without giving you the physical tools to do so. Learning how to direct your breath into your lower abdomen can be a simple, effective way to calm your nervous system and restore natural movement to your pelvic floor.

The Power of Three-Dimensional Breathing

Standard breathing advice usually focuses entirely on filling your lungs and expanding your upper chest. While that keeps you oxygenated, it can leave out what is happening through your abdomen and pelvic floor.

To safely manage internal tension, think of your torso as a three-dimensional chamber. When you take a deep inhale, your diaphragm—the large muscle sitting right under your ribs—descends downward. As it drops, the structures below it respond to that movement.

This creates a natural, responsive pressure change that reaches all the way to the base of your pelvis, allowing your pelvic floor muscles to gently stretch, drop, and lengthen. When you exhale, the system reverses and the pelvic floor naturally recoils.

Belly Breathing vs. Chest Breathing

A massive misconception across general fitness and women’s wellness is that a flat, rigid, tucked-in stomach is a sign of a healthy, functioning core.

The Breathing Fact: Constantly gripping or sucking in your abdominal muscles can interfere with relaxed diaphragmatic breathing and may contribute to increased pelvic floor tension.

Many people also believe that therapeutic pelvic floor exercises always have to involve active, forceful contractions like Kegels.

In reality, if your pelvic muscles are already tight or guarded, adding more forceful contractions may not be what your body needs and can sometimes aggravate symptoms.

Shifting Out of the Fight-or-Flight Lock

Why can shallow breathing and stress make pelvic symptoms feel worse?

It comes down to the relationship between your nervous system, your breathing, and the way your muscles hold tension.

When you experience ongoing pelvic discomfort, or navigate a complex postpartum recovery, your nervous system may become more protective and alert. Your abdomen, hips, and pelvic floor may begin holding additional tension as part of that protective response.

Over time, that guarding can contribute to symptoms associated with a tight or overactive pelvic floor.

Diaphragmatic breathing can support relaxation and help your pelvic floor practice moving through a fuller range instead of remaining constantly guarded.

APTA Pelvic Health explains how diaphragmatic breathing and pelvic floor relaxation can be used together to help reduce pelvic floor muscle tension.

https://www.aptapelvichealth.org/info/relaxation-of-the-pelvic-floor-muscles

Root-cause healing matters, and learning better breathing mechanics can be one useful tool for helping your body shift toward a calmer, more relaxed state.

How to Practice Balloon Breathing

To help your nervous system let go of some of its protective tension and restore natural movement through your pelvic floor, try practicing this balloon visualization method:

  1. Visualize the Internal Balloon: Lie down comfortably on your back or side. Imagine there is a soft balloon sitting deep inside your lower abdomen, right between your hip bones.
  2. Fill the Balloon Symmetrically: Take a slow, quiet inhale through your nose. Instead of letting all of the movement happen in your upper chest, focus on filling that internal balloon. Imagine it expanding three-dimensionally—stretching the front of your belly, widening into your sides, pressing gently into your lower back, and expanding down toward the bottom of your pelvis.
  3. Monitor the Lower Abdomen: Place a hand between your belly button and your pubic bone. Notice whether this lower section gently rises along with your upper belly rather than remaining completely flat or rigid.
  4. Allow a Passive Pelvic Drop: As you fill the bottom of the balloon, imagine your pelvic floor softly dropping and lengthening away from your ribs. Exhale slowly and comfortably, letting the balloon deflate naturally without forcing the air out.

The goal isn’t temporary relief—it’s long-term strength.

True pelvic wellness means giving your body the space and permission to let go of unnecessary guarding. By practicing three-dimensional balloon breathing, you can support your nervous system, improve your breathing and pelvic floor coordination, and become more connected to what your body is doing.

You don’t need more generic core workouts.

You need a strategy that respects your symptoms, your boundaries, and your individual goals.

If chronic pelvic floor tightness is affecting your daily life, fill out Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form so we can help determine what kind of support may be right for you:

https://www.beyondthevbypauli.com/nextstep

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Exercise for Pelvic Pain: What to Do During a Flare

When you are in the middle of a severe pelvic pain flare-up, the absolute last thing you want to hear someone say is, “You just need to go exercise.” When your lower abdomen feels like it is in a vice grip, your natural instinct is to curl up, stay as still as possible, and wait for the wave of discomfort to pass.

If you have tried traditional workouts in the past only to end up in more pain, it is completely normal to feel frustrated or hesitant. Most women were never taught this, but there is a massive difference between exhausting fitness routines and restorative, therapeutic movement.

You deserve better than fear-based advice that tells you to completely lock down your body. Moving safely is entirely possible, and gentle movement can be a helpful tool for improving comfort during a pelvic flare.

The Physiology of Restorative Movement

To understand why the right kind of movement can help, we have to look at what happens when the body stays tight and guarded.

When a specific area of the body experiences chronic irritation or pain, the surrounding muscles may tighten protectively. Gentle, low-intensity movement that does not provoke pain can help increase circulation, reduce stiffness, and encourage your body to move more comfortably.

Movement can also support the release of endorphins—your body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals.

The goal is not to force movement through pain.

It is to introduce enough comfortable movement to remind your body that it does not have to stay completely rigid.

Exercise Doesn’t Have to Mean Sweating

The biggest misconception in general fitness and women’s wellness is the belief that a movement session only “counts” if it leaves you sweating, breathless, and completely exhausted.

The Movement Fact: During a pelvic pain flare, higher-intensity exercise may aggravate symptoms for some women. Gentle, low-load movement may be a better place to start.

Another common myth is that complete, prolonged bed rest is always the best way to recover from a pelvic pain flare.

There may absolutely be moments when rest is what your body needs.

But prolonged inactivity can sometimes contribute to increased stiffness and discomfort.

Movement during a flare does not need to look like a traditional workout.

Sometimes it simply means helping your body move in a way that feels safe.

Unlocking the Pelvic Guarding Reflex

Why can movement sometimes make pelvic symptoms feel better?

It comes down in part to your body’s natural protective response.

When you are experiencing pelvic pain from a condition like endometriosis, or when your body is recovering during the postpartum period, the muscles around your pelvis may begin guarding.

Your core, hips, and pelvic floor may hold more tension in an attempt to protect an area that feels painful or irritated.

Over time, that guarding can contribute to additional tightness and discomfort.

APTA Pelvic Health explains that pelvic floor physical therapy for pelvic pain may include individualized exercises, stretching, breathing techniques, relaxation, and other strategies designed to improve pelvic floor function and comfort.

https://www.aptapelvichealth.org/info/pelvic-pain-causes-symptoms-physical-therapy-treatment

When you introduce strategic, pain-free pelvic floor exercises and intentional mobility work, you may help improve flexibility, coordination, and comfort within those guarded tissues.

Root-cause healing matters, and sometimes helping a guarded pelvic floor relax means gradually reintroducing comfortable movement instead of remaining completely still.

Action Steps: Moving Safely Through a Flare

If you want to use intentional movement to manage your symptoms without pushing your body too hard, start with this progressive approach:

  1. Reframe the Concept of a Workout: Shift your vocabulary away from intense “exercise” and focus instead on “pain-free joint and tissue mobility.”
  2. Utilize Low-Load Pelvic Floor Exercises: Practice gentle pelvic drops and diaphragmatic breathing from comfortable, supported positions—such as lying on your back with your legs resting on a chair—to encourage relaxation through the pelvic floor.
  3. Listen to the Pain-Free Boundary: Move your hips, back, and torso only through ranges of motion that feel smooth and comfortable. If an angle causes a sharp pinch, increased pain, or a protective catch in your breath, back off.
  4. Track Your Post-Movement Comfort: Pay attention to how you feel 30 to 60 minutes after moving. If you notice less stiffness, easier movement, or a reduction in your baseline discomfort, that may be a useful sign that the intensity was appropriate for your body.

The goal isn’t temporary relief—it’s long-term strength.

Reclaiming your physical confidence means learning how to work with your body’s signals rather than fighting against them.

You do not have to let a pelvic pain flare trap you in a cycle of fear, stiffness, and restriction.

You don’t need more random fitness programs.

You need a strategy that respects your symptoms, your boundaries, and what your body is communicating.

If you’re dealing with recurring pelvic pain or aren’t sure what kind of movement is right for you, working with a pelvic floor physical therapist can help you understand what is contributing to your symptoms and create a plan specifically for your body.

Complete Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form to begin creating a personalized path forward:

https://www.beyondthevbypauli.com/nextstep

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Postpartum Pelvic Floor Recovery: What to Do in the First 6 Weeks

When you have a baby, everyone has advice.

Rest.

Drink water.

Take care of yourself.

Wait until your six-week appointment.

But when it comes to your pelvic floor, many women are left wondering:

“What am I actually supposed to do after birth?”

Should you start exercising?

Should you avoid movement?

Should you wait six weeks before doing anything?

Should you start doing Kegels immediately?

These questions are so common because postpartum care often leaves out one important piece:

Your pelvic floor needs support from the beginning—not just after you are “cleared.”

Your body is not broken.

Your postpartum recovery is not about waiting around until some magical finish line where your body suddenly feels normal again.

It’s about learning how to reconnect with your body, rebuild strength gradually, and understand what your pelvic floor needs during each stage of healing.

Most women were never taught this.

You Don’t Have to Wait Six Weeks to Start Supporting Your Pelvic Floor

One of the biggest misconceptions about postpartum recovery is that you cannot do anything for your pelvic floor until your six-week checkup.

This idea often leaves women feeling disconnected from their bodies during a time when they are already experiencing so many changes.

The truth?

There are gentle ways to begin supporting your pelvic floor before six weeks.

That doesn’t mean jumping into intense workouts.

It doesn’t mean pushing through pain.

It doesn’t mean doing hundreds of Kegels.

And what is appropriate will depend on your birth experience, symptoms, and how your body is healing.

It means helping your body reconnect with movement gradually.

Early postpartum recovery is about creating a foundation.

And that foundation can start with simple things like comfortable movement, breathing, and reconnecting with your muscles.

For additional guidance on gradually returning to movement after pregnancy, Mayo Clinic has a helpful overview:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/exercise-after-pregnancy/art-20044596

Your Pelvic Floor Is Designed to Respond to Movement

Many women think strengthening their pelvic floor only means one thing:

Kegels.

But your pelvic floor is not an isolated muscle that works independently.

It works together with:

  • Your hips
  • Your core
  • Your diaphragm
  • Your breathing patterns
  • Your posture
  • Your movement

Your pelvic floor responds to the demands you place on your body.

That means everyday movements can become opportunities to gradually rebuild strength.

The goal isn’t temporary relief—the goal is long-term strength.

Start With Walking: The First Step Toward Recovery

One of the first movements I often recommend postpartum is walking when it feels comfortable for your body.

It sounds simple.

And that’s the point.

Recovery does not have to begin with complicated exercises.

Walking can help your body reconnect after pregnancy and birth.

But there is one small adjustment that can make a difference:

Pay attention to how you walk.

During pregnancy, many women develop a waddle.

As your belly grows, your posture and movement patterns naturally change. Your hips adjust, and some muscles may become less active.

After birth, we want to gradually encourage those muscles to work together again.

As walking becomes comfortable, try focusing on:

  • Heel-to-toe walking
  • Standing tall
  • Moving with intention
  • Eventually adding a little backward walking if it feels good

Backward walking can be an optional progression because it encourages your hips to engage differently and challenges your body in a new way.

Small changes create big awareness.

Why Your Hips Matter for Your Pelvic Floor

Your pelvic floor does not work alone.

The muscles around your pelvis influence how your pelvic floor functions.

During pregnancy, your body makes incredible adaptations to carry and deliver your baby.

Those adaptations are necessary.

But after birth, your body needs opportunities to reconnect.

Your hips, glutes, core, and pelvic floor all communicate with each other.

When one area isn’t working efficiently, other areas may compensate.

This is why postpartum recovery should focus on the whole system—not just one muscle.

Understanding your body creates confidence.

Baby Bounces: Functional Movement as You Recover

One movement many moms naturally do postpartum is something I call:

Baby bounces.

You know the movement.

You’re holding your baby.

They’re fussy.

You start gently bouncing up and down to soothe them.

You’re not jumping.

You’re not doing deep squats.

You’re simply creating gentle movement.

As this movement becomes comfortable during your recovery, your pelvic floor has to respond to those small changes in pressure and movement.

That is part of what the pelvic floor does throughout everyday life.

You don’t need to turn baby bounces into an intense exercise routine. Think of them as an example of how normal, functional movement can become part of rebuilding connection with your body.

Pay Attention to Symptoms

One important thing to remember:

Your movement should not consistently create new or worsening symptoms.

The goal is not:

“How much can I push through?”

The goal is:

“How can I challenge my body while still supporting recovery?”

If a movement causes new or worsening leaking, pressure, heaviness, or pain, that is information.

It doesn’t mean you failed.

It may mean your body needs:

  • Less intensity
  • A different position
  • More foundational work
  • More time
  • Individualized support

Symptoms are communication.

They are not something to ignore or feel embarrassed about.

Why You Don’t Need to Overthink Every Exercise

Many women become overwhelmed postpartum because they think recovery has to be complicated.

They worry about:

  • Perfect breathing
  • Perfect timing
  • Perfect technique

But sometimes the best place to start is simply reconnecting with your body.

Talk to your baby.

Sing.

Walk when it feels comfortable.

Bounce gently as your body is ready.

Move naturally.

Your pelvic floor was designed to respond to life—not just exercises.

Progressing After the Early Postpartum Stage

As your body becomes stronger and movement feels easier, you can begin progressing.

This may eventually include:

  • Squats
  • Lunges
  • Different foot positions
  • More challenging strength movements

But progression should be based on how your body responds.

Just because you can do something does not always mean your body is ready for it.

A good measure is what happens afterward.

Ask yourself:

  • Did I feel good during the movement?
  • Did I have symptoms afterward?
  • Do I feel stronger over time?
  • Am I progressing gradually?

Your body gives you feedback.

Listen to it.

Postpartum Recovery Doesn’t Have an Expiration Date

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking:

“My baby isn’t a newborn anymore.”

Good news:

These principles still apply.

Whether you are:

  • In the very early days of healing
  • Six months postpartum
  • Seven years postpartum

your body is still capable of change.

In those first days after birth, your priority is healing, rest, and comfortable everyday movement—not rushing into strength training.

But your postpartum journey doesn’t end at six weeks.

Many women spend years believing they missed their opportunity to recover.

You didn’t.

Your body is adaptable.

Your pelvic floor can become stronger.

Postpartum Recovery Is About Confidence, Not Fear

The women I work with often tell me the biggest change isn’t just physical.

It’s emotional.

They feel more confident because they understand:

  • Why symptoms happen
  • What their body needs
  • How to progress safely
  • How to rebuild strength

That knowledge changes everything.

You deserve better than fear-based advice that tells you to avoid all movement or accept symptoms as your new normal.

Your body carried you through pregnancy and birth.

Now it deserves the support to recover.

Your Next Step

If you are unsure where to begin rebuilding your pelvic floor after birth, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Fill out Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form so we can better understand your birth experience, your symptoms, and what kind of support may be right for you.

Pelvic Floor Next Step

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start understanding your body, explore the No Kegels University® Method and learn how to build lasting strength and confidence.

Postpartum recovery isn’t about doing more.

It’s about doing what your body needs, when it needs it.

Your body is capable of healing.

And your strongest chapter may still be ahead.

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Constipation and Pelvic Floor: Why Going Every Day Doesn’t Mean You’re Not Constipated

One of the most common conversations I have with patients starts the same way.

I’ll ask, “Tell me about your bowel movements.”

Almost immediately, they’ll answer, “They’re fine.”

Then I’ll ask a few more questions.

Do you strain?

Does it feel like you completely empty your bowels?

Does it ever feel like you’re working really hard just to have a bowel movement?

How often do you go?

That’s when the conversation usually changes.

Many women suddenly realize that what they’ve considered “normal” for years may actually be signs of constipation or pelvic floor dysfunction.

Some tell me they only have a bowel movement every two or three days but assumed that was normal.

Others tell me they go every single day—but every bowel movement involves straining, pushing, or feeling like they never completely emptied.

That’s why I want to challenge one of the biggest misconceptions I hear:

Just because you go every day doesn’t automatically mean your bowels are healthy.

If you’d like to hear me teach this concept in more detail, you can watch Episode 34: Constipation & Your Pelvic Floor on YouTube.

We Don’t Talk About Bowel Health Enough

One reason this misunderstanding is so common is because most of us simply don’t talk about bowel movements.

It can feel embarrassing.

Too personal.

Maybe even “not ladylike.”

But here’s what I tell my patients:

Your bowel habits are one of the clearest indicators of your overall health.

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I also believe they’re one of the best indicators of how well your pelvic floor is functioning.

Ignoring bowel habits because they feel uncomfortable to discuss doesn’t make the problem go away.

It simply delays finding answers.

That’s one of the reasons I started talking openly about pelvic floor health. Women deserve to understand their bodies without shame or embarrassment.

Frequency Isn’t the Whole Story

Many people judge bowel health using only one question:

“How often do you go?”

While frequency matters, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

I care just as much about how you’re having your bowel movements.

For example:

  • Are you holding your breath?
  • Are you pushing and straining?
  • Do you feel like you’re fighting your body?
  • Do you leave the bathroom feeling completely empty?

Those answers often tell me much more than simply hearing, “I go every day.”

A healthy bowel movement should feel comfortable.

It shouldn’t feel like a workout.

The Connection Between Constipation and Your Pelvic Floor

Many women don’t realize that constipation and the pelvic floor influence each other.

Sometimes constipation contributes to pelvic floor problems.

Other times, the pelvic floor itself is contributing to constipation.

That’s why I ask every patient about bowel habits—even if they came to see me for leaking, prolapse, or pain.

Everything is connected.

Once my patients understand that relationship, something interesting happens.

Their perspective changes.

Instead of thinking:

“Why is my physical therapist asking about poop?”

They begin asking:

“How can improving my bowel habits also improve my pelvic floor?”

That shift in understanding is incredibly powerful.

Understanding your body creates confidence.

Stop Fighting an Uphill Battle

At the beginning of this episode, I shared a story about becoming a mom.

Before my children were born, I had all kinds of rules about technology.

I was convinced my kids wouldn’t be interested in screens.

Then reality happened.

No matter how hard I tried to fight it, technology was part of the world they were growing up in.

Eventually I realized something important:

I could keep fighting an uphill battle…

Or I could adjust my approach and create healthy habits that actually worked for our family.

That same lesson applies to constipation.

So many women spend years fighting their bodies.

They strain.

They push harder.

They assume discomfort is simply part of life.

But once they understand how the pelvic floor works and how healthy bowel habits support that system, everything becomes less of a struggle.

The goal isn’t to fight your body.

The goal is to work with it.

Better Bowel Habits Protect Your Pelvic Floor

One of the biggest reasons I care about constipation is because repeated straining doesn’t just affect your bowels.

It affects your pelvic floor too.

Every time we bear down excessively, we place additional pressure on the muscles and connective tissues that support our bladder, uterus, and rectum.

Over time, that repeated stress can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction.

That’s why I don’t look at constipation as an isolated digestive problem.

I see it as part of your pelvic health.

Addressing bowel habits isn’t just about becoming more comfortable.

It’s about protecting the strength you’ve worked so hard to build.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), healthy bowel habits involve more than frequency. Persistent straining or difficulty passing stool can signal constipation even if bowel movements occur regularly.

Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference

One thing I love about pelvic floor therapy is that meaningful progress often starts with simple changes.

You don’t always need a complicated plan.

Sometimes it’s learning to pay attention to your bowel habits.

Sometimes it’s changing your toilet posture.

Sometimes it’s improving your breathing.

Those small adjustments work together to make bowel movements feel easier and place less stress on your pelvic floor.

As I often tell my patients, once your bowels and your pelvic floor begin working together instead of against each other, that uphill battle starts to disappear.

Your Next Step

If you’ve always assumed your bowel habits were “normal,” I encourage you to get curious.

Instead of only asking, “How often do I go?”

Start asking:

  • Do I strain?
  • Do I feel completely empty afterward?
  • Does my body feel relaxed, or am I forcing the process?

Those questions can tell you far more about your pelvic floor than you might expect.

If you’re ready to understand what’s contributing to your symptoms and want a personalized plan for improving your pelvic floor health, I’d love to help.

Complete Your Pelvic Floor’s Next Step Form to discover the next best step for your body.

👉 https://www.beyondthevbypauli.com/nextstep

Remember, your body is constantly giving you information. Learning how to listen to it is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.

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