A Simple Practice to Start the Year
Written by Maya Moody, PT, DPT
January often comes with a push to do more. More exercise. More discipline. More routines.
But when it comes to pelvic floor health, sometimes the most powerful place to start is your breath.
Breathing is one of the most overlooked tools in pelvic health, yet it plays a huge role in how your pelvic floor functions. Whether you are dealing with leaking, pelvic pain, pressure, or core weakness, learning how to breathe well can be a game-changer.
The Pelvic Floor and Breathing Are a Team
Your pelvic floor does not work in isolation. It is part of a pressure management system that includes your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and deep core.
When you inhale:
- Your diaphragm moves downward
- Pressure gently increases in the abdomen
- Your pelvic floor naturally lengthens and relaxes
When you exhale:
- Your diaphragm rises
- Abdominal muscles gently engage
- Your pelvic floor recoils and lifts
This coordinated movement allows your body to manage pressure during daily activities like walking, lifting, exercising, and using the bathroom.
What the Research Tells Us
Research supports the close relationship between breathing and pelvic floor function. A study by Hodges et al., published in Neurourology and Urodynamics, found that the diaphragm and pelvic floor work together as part of the body’s core system, moving in coordination with each breath. When breathing patterns are altered, pelvic floor function and pressure management can also be affected.
In simple terms, how you breathe influences how your pelvic floor responds to everyday demands. This is one reason breathing retraining is often a key component of pelvic physical therapy.
What Happens When Breathing Patterns Are Off?
Many people unintentionally develop shallow or chest-based breathing, especially during times of stress, pain, or busy schedules. When breathing becomes restricted:
- The pelvic floor may stay tight or overactive
- Pressure management becomes inefficient
- Symptoms like leaking, urgency, pain, or heaviness can worsen
This is why strengthening alone is not always the answer. In many cases, the pelvic floor needs to learn how to relax and move with the breath before it can function well.
A Simple Breathing Practice to Start the Year
You do not need special equipment or a long routine. This exercise can be done in just a few minutes a day.
Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise
- Lie on your back or sit comfortably with your feet supported
- Place your hands on either side of your ribcage
- Inhale slowly through your nose, expanding your ribs outward into your hands
- Allow your belly to soften as you inhale
- Imagine your pelvic floor gently lowering or softening
- Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your ribs move inward and your hands come closer together
- Imagine your pelvic floor gently lifting back up
Aim for five to ten slow, relaxed breaths. Focus on ribcage movement rather than forcing the breath into your chest or belly.
This exercise is not about forcing contraction or relaxation. It is about restoring natural movement and coordination.
When Breathing Alone Is Not Enough
Breathing is a powerful foundation, but it is rarely the entire solution. Pelvic physical therapy may be helpful if you are experiencing:
- Urinary or bowel leakage
- Pelvic pain or discomfort
- Pressure or heaviness
- Pain with intercourse
- Difficulty engaging or relaxing your core
The team at Reborn Pelvic Health and Wellness can assess how your breathing, core, and pelvic floor are working together and create a personalized plan to support your goals.
A Gentle Way to Begin
If your goal this year is to feel more connected to your body, reduce symptoms, or move with more confidence, breathing is a safe and accessible place to start.
You do not need to overhaul your life in January. Sometimes, progress begins with simply learning how to breathe again.