Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Female Athletes: How to Know if YOU FIT THE BILL

The pelvic floor is one of the most undertrained and misunderstood muscle groups in female athletes. Whether you’re lifting, jumping, running, or simply trying to feel stable and strong in your core — your pelvic floor is involved.

And yet, many women don’t realize that symptoms like leaking, bloating, instability, or hip pain may actually point back to pelvic floor dysfunction.

This article breaks down:

What the pelvic floor is
The difference between a tight vs weak pelvic floor
Symptoms to watch for
How to assess yourself
Exercises to start restoring strength, coordination, and function

What Is the Pelvic Floor?

Your pelvic floor is a sling of muscles located at the base of your pelvis. These muscles support your pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, rectum), stabilize your spine and pelvis, and work with your diaphragm and deep core muscles to help you breathe, brace, and move efficiently.

For athletes, your pelvic floor is part of your inner pressure system — and if it’s not functioning well, performance suffers.

Tight vs. Weak: It’s Not Always One or the Other

One of the biggest misconceptions is that pelvic floor dysfunction always means the muscles are too weak. But many women — especially athletes — experience symptoms because their pelvic floor is actually too tight (hypertonic).

Signs of a TIGHT pelvic floor (hypertonic):

Difficulty starting or fully emptying when urinating
Leaking even though your core feels strong
Pain with penetration, tampons, or pelvic exams
Chronic hip, groin, or low back tension
Heaviness or bloating in the lower abdomen
Feeling like you can’t fully “let go” or breathe into your belly

Signs of a WEAK pelvic floor (hypotonic):

Leaking when you sneeze, jump, or lift heavy
Feeling unstable during squats or overhead lifts
Pelvic organ prolapse symptoms (bulging or heaviness)
Difficulty engaging your deep core during training
Postural collapse under fatigue

💡 Many women have both tightness and weakness — which results in muscles that are constantly “on,” but not functionally strong. This leads to poor coordination, compensation patterns, and strain during performance.

How to Do a Simple Self-Assessment

You can’t diagnose yourself, but you can become more aware of how your pelvic floor is functioning.

Try this:

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat.
Place one hand on your lower belly and one near your perineum.
Inhale deeply into your ribs and belly — try to feel gentle expansion into your pelvic floor.
Exhale slowly and imagine lifting your pelvic floor up and in — like picking up a blueberry with your vagina.
Ask yourself:
- Can I feel both a release on inhale and a lift on exhale?
- Do I clench or hold tension all the time?
- Do I leak, feel pressure, or brace with my breath when lifting or running?

If any of this feels unfamiliar, disconnected, or strained, your pelvic floor may need some attention — not just more kegels.

Where to Start: Exercises for Coordination & Strength

Whether your pelvic floor is tight, weak, or both, the first step is restoring connection and control.

✅ 360° Breathing

Inhale into the ribs, back, belly, and pelvic floor
Exhale with gentle lift and tension — avoid sucking in
This retrains your core-pelvic system to coordinate naturally

✅ Heel Slides or Deadbugs

Activate your transverse abdominis and pelvic floor in low-load, controlled movement
Great for reconnecting breath to core under motion

✅ Happy Baby, Deep Squat Hold, or Supported Child’s Pose

These help relax a hypertonic pelvic floor and down-regulate tension
Breathe deeply into your pelvic bowl

✅ Glute Bridges + Hip Mobility Work

Strengthen posterior chain while encouraging pelvic control
Target hip function, which directly influences pelvic floor balance

✅ Pelvic Floor Lifts

Gentle contractions: imagine lifting a marble or blueberry with your vagina
Focus on full release and controlled engagement — not clenching

Takeaway: Your Pelvic Floor Is a Performance Muscle

If you’re an athlete dealing with:

Leaking during workouts
Lower abdominal bloating or heaviness
Hip or low back discomfort
Trouble bracing or stabilizing under load

…it’s time to pay attention to your pelvic floor.

This isn’t just a postpartum topic. It’s a performance issue — and the earlier you address it, the stronger and more resilient you’ll be in the long run.