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

Bycompetitivefemaletraining

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:

  1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat.
  2. Place one hand on your lower belly and one near your perineum.
  3. Inhale deeply into your ribs and belly — try to feel gentle expansion into your pelvic floor.
  4. Exhale slowly and imagine lifting your pelvic floor up and in — like picking up a blueberry with your vagina.
  5. 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.

Next Steps

  • Track your symptoms around your training and cycle
  • Start incorporating breath-based and core coordination work
  • If symptoms persist, work with a pelvic floor physical therapist

Want to learn more? Keep following our Blog and Instagram for athlete-focused education on pelvic floor health, strength, and performance.

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