The Pelvic Floor: Why It Matters and What You Can Do for Yours

The pelvic floor is having a moment.

From women’s health influencers on social media to celebrities recovering from childbirth, it seems like everywhere you look, someone is talking about their pelvic health or their favorite “kegel exercises”.

Perhaps you’re wondering what the hype is all about. Why is the pelvic floor so important? Does it even matter if you’re not pregnant? How do you know if you have problems related to your pelvic floor muscles?

In this feature on the pelvic floor, we’ll answer these questions and more. Read on to learn:

• The functions of the pelvic floor
• Who can benefit from pelvic floor exercises 
• How pelvic floor training devices can help you connect to your pelvic floor
• How to get started with pelvic floor exercises (sometimes called “kegel exercises”)

So what is the pelvic floor, anyway?

If you don’t really understand what the pelvic floor does or why it matters, you aren’t alone. Let’s break it down.

Your pelvic floor is a collection of muscles, nerves, and connective tissue at the base–the “floor”–of your pelvis. It forms a diamond shape between your pubic bone in the front, tailbone in the back, and sitting bones on the sides.

The pelvic floor plays a key role in several important bodily functions: you can remember these roles as “The Five Ss”:

1. Support: Visualize the pelvic floor like a hammock supporting internal organs like the bladder and intestines. In pregnancy, the pelvic floor supports the growing uterus and allows for vaginal childbirth

2. Stability: The pelvic floor connects the underside of your pelvis, providing stability for the pelvis, hips, lower back, and your overall posture

3. Sphincters: Pelvic muscles contract to close off your urethra and rectum, allowing you to hold in urine and bowel movements

4. Sex: The pelvic floor muscles surround the vagina and support the penis: regardless of your anatomy, they are critical to sexual function. These are the muscles that contract during arousal and orgasm

5. Sump pump: Your pelvic floor assists your circulatory and lymphatic systems, helping to shunt blood and lymph fluid throughout your body

The muscles that line the underside of the pelvis are perhaps the best known component of the pelvic floor–and with good reason! If something is “off” in your pelvic floor muscles, you may experience symptoms of a pelvic floor disorder.

Here are some examples of common symptoms that may be related to pelvic floor problems:

• Urinary leakage with activities like running, bending, or sneezing
• Chronic constipation or pain when pooping
• Pain with sexual activity, particularly during intercourse
• A sense of pelvic fullness or heaviness, as though something is “falling out” from your insides
• Sudden urgency to pee or poop
• Reduced pleasure during sex and/or less intense orgasm
• Chronic pelvic pain, which may or may not be related to your menstrual cycle

And the list goes on. Pelvic floor dysfunction and the problems it can cause are extremely common: in the United States alone, one in four women will experience a pelvic floor problem in her lifetime.

People with pelvic floor problems often dismiss their symptoms as a “normal part of aging” or “something that just happens after childbirth”. Some feel too embarrassed to discuss their symptoms with anyone, even their medical providers.

If you struggle with pelvic floor symptoms, you may feel disconnected from your body, your sexuality, even your sense of self. Many people with pelvic floor disorders report reduced confidence, poor body image, and decreased motivation to engage in sex.

Our pelvic floors are intertwined with our very identities. It’s no wonder that philosophies and healing systems worldwide, from yoga and Tibetan Buddhism to naturopathic medicine and acupuncture, believe that the pelvic and abdominal regions are the source of the sense of self.

“Alright, alright, I get it,” you may be thinking. “The pelvic floor is important. But if I have problems with mine, what do I do about it?”

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Health and Wellness

Some pelvic floor problems are more complex than others, but fortunately, there are ways to address them all! Many of the common problems discussed above are related, at least partially, to weakness and poor coordination of the pelvic floor muscles.

For example, if you leak pee when you cough, sneeze, or jump, your pelvic floor muscles may lack agility – they can’t contract quickly or strongly enough to close your urethra completely. The sudden pressure of a cough or jump pushes on your bladder, and urine escapes through the partly open urethra.

Here’s another example: If you’ve gone through or are going through menopause, you may notice that “things just feel different down there”. Sex may seem less pleasurable than it used to be; you might feel like your pelvis and vagina feel heavy, as though they are “hanging” or “sitting” lower.

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to live with these symptoms! The pelvic floor muscles are no different than any other muscle in your body: with practice and consistency, you can train them to rebuild their strength and coordination.

Here are some examples of life stages in which you can benefit from pelvic floor exercises:

• Adolescence and young adulthood, particularly if you’re involved in athletics
• Pregnancy and the postpartum period
• Perimenopause and menopause
• The postmenopausal years

If you thought, “That sounds like most of my life”, you’re right! There’s no wrong time to start caring for your pelvic floor.

Devices to Help with Pelvic Floor Exercises

Whether the concept of pelvic floor exercises (PFE) is new to you or not, it can be hard to know where to start. Even if a healthcare provider has suggested that you could benefit from PFE, they likely provided little-to-no instruction on how to perform them.

At least one-third of people with vaginas are performing PFE incorrectly…and they don’t even know it. Clearly, most people need guidance when it comes to “doing their kegels”.

This need has spawned a growing market for pelvic floor trainers of all shapes and sizes– because when it comes to pelvic floor training, there’s no one-size-fits-all.

Femme Flexor’s founder, Wanda Cotie, is a sexual wellness expert with over 20 years of experience helping people connect with their bodies. She understands the uniqueness of each person’s journey to optimal pelvic and sexual health. In the course of her career, Wanda has seen every “kegel trainer” on the market, and none have met her criteria for what a pelvic floor exerciser should be.

Enter Femme Flexor.

With the help of a pelvic health physiotherapist, Wanda designed the trainer she wanted but couldn’t find. Her Femme Flexor is an intra-vaginal device made from the highest-grade silicone. It’s simple, sanitary, and safe for nearly everyone with a vagina.*

Wanda wants nothing more than to help women and people with vaginas connect to their pelvic floors, their bodies, and thereby, their inner selves. When asked what sets Femme Flexor apart from its competitors, she cites its focus on comfort, inclusivity, and pleasure.

• The Flexor’s tapered shape makes it easier to insert. It sits higher in the vaginal canal so it won’t slip out when you move
• For users who are turned off by the phallic shape of other pelvic floor trainers, the Flexor offers a neutral, non-phallic alternative
• The Flexor’s vertical “wings” create a comfortable internal pressure against the vaginal walls, subtly cueing the PFM to engage in a way that cylindrical trainers don’t. When paired with a vibrator or other tool for self-pleasure, it can enhance the quality and intensity of an orgasm – or as Wanda calls it, a floorgasm.

Perhaps most uniquely for a world that is increasingly focused on quantifying every aspect of health and the human body, the Flexor is simple by design. Users who crave a low-tech alternative to the Bluetooth-enabled, battery-powered, application-driven kegel trainers saturating today’s market will find Femme Flexor to be a breath of fresh air.

Take charge of your pelvic health and get yours here!

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*If your medical provider has instructed you to avoid vaginal penetration or the insertion of anything into your vagina, you should not use Femme Flexor. The content of this article should not be used as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider before undertaking any pelvic floor training program.

Caitlyn Tivy is a doctor of physical therapy specializing in pelvic health for people of all ages and genders. She has completed advanced training in women’s health and the pre- and postpartum periods, and she writes extensively on pelvic and women’s health topics.