Is a strong pelvic floor all that matters?
Why a Strong Pelvic Floor Isn’t Always Better: What You Haven’t Been Told
By Rosie Purdue, Women's Health Physiotherapist at Hatched House
We hear it often: “I’ve been doing my pelvic floor exercises every day — I want to be strong for birth.”
It’s well-intentioned. But here’s what most women don’t get told: strong isn’t always better when it comes to your pelvic floor.
In fact, if you’re squeezing and lifting without understanding your baseline, you might be making things harder for your body — not easier.
Let’s break down one of the biggest pelvic health myths and give you the knowledge you should have had from the start.
What Is a “Strong” Pelvic Floor, Really?
Strength doesn’t just mean tightness. A truly healthy pelvic floor is coordinated, responsive, and able to contract and relax. Think of it like a trampoline — firm but with give. It holds, supports, and moves with you.
But when the pelvic floor becomes overactive — constantly clenched or on high alert — it can stop functioning well. This is what we call a hypertonic or overactive pelvic floor.
Research by Professor Kari Bø, a leading figure in pelvic floor health, highlights that pelvic floor overactivity is often under-recognised, and can contribute to symptoms like incontinence, pain, and even obstructed labour [Bø, 2004].
Signs Your Pelvic Floor Might Be Too Tight
This can happen to gym lovers, pregnant women, new mums — even yoga teachers. It’s not about fitness. It’s about awareness.
You might have an overactive pelvic floor if you:
Struggle to fully empty your bladder or bowels
Have pain during sex, tampon use, or internal exams
Leak urine despite doing your Kegels
Feel constant pelvic heaviness, pressure, or urgency
Experience tailbone, hip, or lower back pain without clear cause
Dr. Helena Frawley’s research further supports that women with chronic pelvic pain or pelvic floor dysfunction often present with increased resting tone, reduced awareness of relaxation, and sometimes misdiagnosed weakness [Frawley et al., 2015].
How This Affects Birth and Recovery
Here’s the kicker: a tight pelvic floor can actually make labour more difficult.
If your muscles don’t know how to let go, they can’t open and stretch effectively during birth. That’s a bit like trying to push a baby through a clenched fist.
According to The Royal Women’s Hospital, the ability to consciously release and lengthen the pelvic floor in late pregnancy may support smoother second-stage labour, and improve perineal outcomes [The Royal Women’s Hospital, 2023].
In the postpartum period, an over-recruited pelvic floor may struggle to recalibrate. That can mean longer recovery, persistent pain, or pelvic floor symptoms that linger despite your best efforts.
So, Should I Stop Doing Kegels?
Not necessarily — but stop doing them blindly. Kegels (pelvic floor contractions) are only helpful when they’re appropriate for your individual body. If your muscles are already in a state of overwork or tension, more squeezing can make things worse.
This is why individualised pelvic floor assessment by a qualified physio is gold standard — a fact consistently reinforced by Pelvic Floor First (an initiative from the Continence Foundation of Australia).
What Can a Women’s Health Physio Do?
At Hatched House, our pelvic health physiotherapists:
Assess your pelvic floor through a detailed consultation
Check for signs of overactivity or tension
Teach you how to connect breath and pelvic floor
Support you with release techniques, movement retraining, and education tailored to you
Sometimes, the most powerful thing we help our clients do is let go.
The Bottom Line: Trust Your Body — With the Right Support
You don’t have to figure this out on your own, or keep guessing if you’re doing the “right” thing.
Whether you're preparing for birth, recovering postpartum, or just unsure about your pelvic health, we’re here to guide you gently and confidently.
📚 References
Bø K. Pelvic floor muscle training is effective in treatment of female stress urinary incontinence, but how does it work? Int Urogynecol J. 2004.
Frawley H, Dean S, Slade S, Hay-Smith J. Is there an evidence base for physiotherapy interventions for women with pelvic floor overactivity disorders? Neurourol Urodyn. 2015.
The Royal Women’s Hospital. Pelvic floor preparation for birth [patient info sheet], 2023.
Continence Foundation of Australia. Pelvic Floor First: https://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au