Smart Pilates

Should you be squeezing your pelvic floor all day, every day, just in case?

Short answer: no.

This is one of the biggest myths out there, that more is always better when it comes to your pelvic floor.

Your pelvic floor needs to do two jobs: hold on, and let go. A muscle that’s clenched all day can’t do either of those properly when it actually matters, like lifting the car seat, sneezing, or running for the bus.

Constant low-level gripping (often totally unconscious) is incredibly common postnatally. You might notice it in your jaw too, or your bum, or your shoulders creeping up around your ears.

What you actually need is a pelvic floor that can switch on when you need it, and properly switch off the rest of the time.

So the rule isn’t “squeeze constantly.”

The rule is: learn what “on” and “off” actually feel like, and practise both.

If you’ve spent months clenching “just in case”, that’s something we can unpick together 💛

“I’ve been doing my kegels every day, so why does it still feel the same?”

I hear this a lot. And sometimes the issue isn’t a lack of squeezing, it’s the opposite.

Your pelvic floor can go wrong in two directions.

Hypotonic (too lax): weaker, harder to feel, more prone to leaking and heaviness. This is the one most people picture when they think “weak pelvic floor.”

Hypertonic (too tight): gripping, overactive, often can’t fully relax. This one can also cause leaking, plus pain, urgency, and a pelvic floor that’s permanently switched on and exhausted.

A tight pelvic floor isn’t a strong one. It’s often a tired one that’s forgotten how to let go.

If you’ve been doing endless pelvic floor exercises and nothing’s improving, or it’s actually got worse, that’s not you failing at the exercise. That’s a sign you might need a different approach entirely.

What does your pelvic floor feel like - tight, lax, or somewhere in between? Drop it below, I’ll pick a few to talk through 👇🏾

How do you know if your pelvic floor needs some work?

It’s not always a leak when you sneeze. Sometimes it’s much quieter than that.

Things to look out for:

• Leaking when you cough, sneeze, jump, or quite literally p**s yourself laughing 😭
• A feeling of heaviness or pressure, like something’s about to fall out
• Needing the loo all the time, or never quite feeling “finished”
• Lower back ache with no obvious reason
• A general sense that something’s not quite connecting
• Pain or discomfort that wasn’t there before birth

If any of this sounds like you, first off, you’re not the only one. And we’re definitely not gonna put it down to “just getting older,” nope, we ain’t doing that 🙅🏾‍♀️

This is so common, but it doesn’t mean you have to live with it.

Next week, I’ll show you a proper way to check your connection. Look out for the video 👀

Your pelvic floor.

Probably the most-mentioned, least-understood muscle group after having a baby 😬 So what is it, and what does it actually do?

Midwife asks: “Are you doing your kegels?”

You: “Mm-hm.” (Secretly googles it later.)

Here’s what’s actually going on. Your pelvic floor is a sling of muscles running from your p***c bone to your tailbone. It supports your bladder, bowel and uterus. It works with your breath. It works with your deep core. And during pregnancy and birth, it goes through an enormous amount of change.

It’s not just “the squeezing muscle.”

It’s not something you either “have” or “don’t have.”

And doing more kegels isn’t automatically the answer, sometimes it’s the opposite of what your body needs.

It’s a normal part of you that can be properly understood, assessed, and rebuilt, once you know what’s actually going on.

Did anyone explain your pelvic floor to you postnatally, or was it just left unsaid? Let me know in the comments 👇🏾

NewMumSupport

If you’ve read along with the diastasis posts over the last few weeks, I want to talk to you directly for a minute.

Diastasis freaks a lot of women out.

It’s one of the most common postnatal issues. And it’s one of the most fixable when you understand what’s actually going on and you’ve got the right support.

You don’t have to live with a tummy that feels disconnected. You don’t have to avoid lifting your kids, or carrying the shopping, or wondering why your core just isn’t doing what it used to do. You don’t have to wait for it to magically get better on its own.

I work with postnatal women across SE London, in person, in your home.

We start with a free 15-minute consultation. Then a free taster session, if it feels right. Then The First Phase, 4 weeks of 1:1 postnatal Pilates, tailored to you and where you actually are right now.

No pressure. No bounce-back. No telling you to ‘just do your Kegels.’

If any of the last few weeks have felt like I’ve been talking directly to you, I probably have been.

Link in bio to book your consultation 💛

Min

So excited for this ❤️

I’m popping along to The Parent & Baby Haven this Wednesday 17th June as their special guest, chatting all things postnatal Pilates, pelvic floor, diastasis recti and and rebuilding strength from the inside out after baby.

If you’re local and fancy coming along to meet me and have a chat, I’d love to see you there.