What Is the Pelvic Floor?
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that form a supportive hammock across your pelvis. These muscles play a vital role in bladder and bowel control, sexual function, stability, and core strength.
When they weaken (which can happen during pregnancy, birth, menopause, or simply with age), symptoms can follow. Good news is that these muscles often respond well to targeted pelvic floor muscle exercises recommended by the NHS for every woman after pregnancy.
What are the symptoms of a weak pelvic floor?
Symptoms of a weak pelvic floor include:
- Urinary incontinence (leakage when sneezing or exercising)
- Pelvic heaviness or pressure
- Bowel control issues
- Reduced sensation during intercourse
- Frequent urination
These are common signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, especially postpartum or during menopause. Early pelvic floor physiotherapy can help improve these symptoms.
Why Women Struggle—But Don’t Talk About It
1 in 3 women experience stress urinary incontinence after childbirth, according to NHS data on exercise in pregnancy.
Signs Your Pelvic Floor Might Need Help
- You leak a little when sneezing, laughing or running
- You feel heaviness or a bulge that could indicate pelvic organ prolapse
- Sex feels painful—or just not the same
- You’re rushing to the loo or struggling to make it in time
- You feel disconnected from your core after birth
These symptoms are common — but they’re not normal.
The Cost of Not Getting Support
Pelvic floor issues can impact your:
- Confidence and sense of self
- Intimacy and relationships
- Exercise habits and lifestyle
- Long-term health and surgical risk
Too many women are told to "just do Kegels"—but that’s often not enough.
What Actually Helps
The UK’s clinical gold standard — NICE Guideline NG123 — recommends specialist pelvic floor muscle training as first-line treatment for stress and urge incontinence. Evidence shows that specialist women’s physiotherapy can significantly reduce or resolve pelvic floor symptoms for most women — even years after childbirth or menopause.
In fact, NICE Quality Standard QS77 further states women should receive a supervised 3-month programme before any surgical options are considered.