Tension Relief for Pelvic Floor: 3 Habits That Keep You Stuck

Living with overactive pelvic floor muscles can contribute to many issues, including pain during sex, low back and hip pain, constipation, and urinary problems. Being on this journey can be extremely challenging, and it may take time to understand how your body works and recognize when you’re actually holding tension in your pelvic floor.

Here are three things that may be keeping you stuck in pelvic floor tension, along with some adjustments you can make to support yourself every day.

1. Holding Your Breath When Moving or Stretching

Many of us don’t realize how much the breath impacts us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Specifically, when it comes to your pelvic floor, holding your breath while stretching isn’t as helpful as you might think.

If you’ve ever seen a pelvic physio and been given stretches, you were probably instructed to hold the stretch for 5–10 breaths. But are you truly inviting the breath all the way in?

Take Child’s Pose as an example. Next time you find yourself in this pose, focus on breathing into the back, front, and sides of your ribcage (also known as 360 breathing), while also relaxing your pelvic floor—inviting the breath to travel all the way into your pelvis.

Try This: Place one hand on your lower belly and the other on your ribcage. As you breathe in, notice if your hands move. The goal is for your lower belly to gently expand with your breath while the ribs widen. If your belly stays tight or pulled in, consciously soften your abdomen and let the breath flow more freely.

2. Always Engaging Your Core Instead of Learning to Relax It

This brings me to the next point—your core. Your core and pelvic floor are closely connected. If you’re constantly sucking in your belly or engaging your core muscles, you’re also tensing your pelvic floor.

This is something I’ve personally struggled with since I was a teenager. For years, I believed that keeping my core tight was a sign of strength and good posture. I would unconsciously suck in my belly throughout the day—while walking, sitting, or even practicing yoga. It became such a habit that I didn’t even realize I was doing it.

It wasn’t until I started exploring pelvic floor health that I learned how this constant core engagement was contributing to tension and discomfort. Learning to soften my belly—especially during movements like yoga or stretching—felt unnatural at first. But over time, it became a practice of letting go, both physically and mentally.

Try This: Next time you’re in Child’s Pose, check in with your belly. Are you unconsciously pulling it in? See if you can consciously relax your abdomen, allowing it to soften and expand with each breath. You can also practice this during other movements—like walking or standing—by noticing when you’re holding tension and practicing the art of letting go.

3. Assuming All Pelvic Health Issues Mean Weakness—When Tension Could Be the Real Issue!

You’ve probably seen TikTok videos encouraging you to do “kegels to the beat.” However, not everyone needs to be doing kegels—sometimes, the real challenge is learning to relax your pelvic floor.

Many people assume that pelvic pain or dysfunction is always a sign of weakness, but in reality, tension can be the root cause. Overactive pelvic floor muscles can create tightness and discomfort, which may be mistaken for weakness because of symptoms like urinary leakage or difficulty fully emptying the bladder.

HOT TIP: Visit a pelvic physio to determine whether your pelvic floor is truly weak or overly tense. You can experience urinary issues from both conditions, so getting the right assessment is crucial!

How Can You Start Finding Pelvic Floor Tension Relief Right Now?

If you're ready to begin your journey to pelvic floor tension relief, I invite you to lean into trust for your body and what it's capable of. One of the best ways to start finding relief is through mindfulness and relaxation practices.

I’ve created a free meditation called Leaning into Trust, designed to help you cultivate a sense of ease and connection with your body—especially when living with pelvic pain. This meditation will guide you toward finding peace and relaxation in your pelvic floor, helping you begin to release tension.

Click here to access your free meditation and start your journey toward pelvic floor tension relief today!

Take care, and remember - you've got this!

Penny