Pelvic Health is Human Health: A Guide For All Bodies

Say "pelvic floor" in public and see how many people squirm. May is Pelvic Pain Awareness Month, and people should know that "pelvic floor" is no longer just a women's health issue.

As a fitness trainer and yogi, I practice and preach the importance of pelvic support when exercising, breathing, and just being. Gone are the days when the term "pelvic floor" is solely associated with kegals, childbirth, and pregnancy. Taking good care of your pelvis is an underrated way to optimize your fitness. That's why I have created this guide on pelvic floor functions and their role in physical and nervous system health, along with simple breathwork tips for support.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a living, breathing, sensing tissue that communicates constantly with the diaphragm, jaw, and nervous system. Think of the pelvis as a bowl, and the pelvic floor as its base made of layered muscles and connective tissues, starting from the pubic bone to the tailbone (coccyx), and from one sitting bone (ischial tuberosity) to the other. All bodies with a pelvis have a pelvic floor. This includes you. Across all bodies, the pelvic floor surrounds the fascia of the hips, abdomen, and inner thighs.

Pelvic floor muscles carry foundational responsibilities in the human body, including:

• supporting the bladder, bowel, uterus, and prostate throughout pregnancy, birth, urinary control, and sexual function

• managing pressure during movement

• enabling sexual function

• contracting and releasing with each breath

Why breathwork supports the pelvic floor

If you place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest and breathe naturally, your pelvic floor moves with every breath. The diaphragm is the dome-shaped breathing muscle under your lungs. The pelvic floor and diaphragm move in sync, co-regulating intra-abdominal pressure.

Many people habitually hold their breath when stressed or exercising, which tenses the diaphragm, spikes intra-abdominal pressure unevenly, and puts excess force on the pelvic floor. Over time, this creates chronic tension, dysfunction, or both. Slow, full breathing isn't just calming. It's physical therapy for your pelvic floor.

The pelvic floor is the "root" of Mūla Bandha

In yogic tradition, mūla bandha, also known as "root lock", is one of three primary energies used to direct prāṇa (life force) within the body. Practicing mūla bandha skillfully includes inhaling while relaxing the pelvic muscles, and exhaling upon engaging them, helping prevent excess tightening.

1. Inhale gently.

2. Imagine yourself subtly drawing in the tissue between the genitals and the anus

3. Exhale and subtly brace the pelvis.

An overly tight and an overly loose pelvic floor are equally problematic. The pelvic floor naturally rises upon exhale and descends upon inhale, mirroring functional movement and ancient wisdom principles about load management and urinary continence. Practiced over time, mūla bandha trains both the lift and the release, two equally important halves of healthy pelvic floor function.

The pelvic floor and jaw connection

It may surprise you, but the jaw and pelvic floor are connected through fascial chains and shared nervous system pathways. The body is made of a continuous web of connective tissue from the inner arches of the feet, up through the inner thighs, the pelvic floor, diaphragm, deep neck flexors, and all the way to the base of the skull and jaw. Pulling anywhere along this line increases bodily tension.

Try this simple clinical practice to loosen your jaw tension:

1. Relax your jaw

2. Drop the tongue to the bottom of the mouth.

3. Part the back teeth slightly

4. Subtly open the mouth, observing how the perineum feels.

The above steps will help you consciously unclench your jaw regularly, which slowly reduces tension over time. You can also do some lateral jaw movement, like deliberate yawning, or massage your ear's small flap of cartilage near its canal for a calming effect.

The pelvic and vagus nerve connection

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body, expanding from the brainstem through the throat, heart, lungs, and abdominal organs, touching almost all pelvic floor regulation structures along the way.

Within the parasympathetic nervous system, the vagus rules pelvic floor release, tissue healing, and sexual arousal. When vagal tone is high (active and well-regulated), the pelvic floor becomes more regulated and responsive. Ever heard of the “fight-flight-freeze” response? When we feel threatened, the pelvic floor often braces, especially when the nervous system detects a threat to bodily boundaries. This is not a weakness; it's your body's intelligence. When threatened, the nervous system needs specific signals to feel safe again.

Some methods to tone the vagus nerve and calm the pelvic floor include:

• slow breathing, expanding in all directions beyond the belly

• humming, especially upon exhaling

• gargling

• cold water on the face

• positive social connection

• gentle touch

• regular rest

• somatic and/or trauma-informed bodywork

• extended exhale breathing (inhale 4 counts, exhale 6–8)

• notice & avoid excess breath-holding, especially during exercise or concentration

Pelvic floor = the root to fitness and emotional health

Throughout your fitness and healing journey, do not neglect your pelvic health. The pelvic floor is not a separate part of you that you train like a bicep. It is embedded in every breath, in the set of your jaw, your nervous system, and sense of safety. Everyone’s working from the same system but with different starting points, ranging from women managing prolapse, men navigating pelvic pain after prostate surgery, non-binary folks dealing with chronic holding, yogis refining their bandhas, and more. The work isn't about "fixing" something, but about listening to your body.

Note: Fit By Rehan does not provide medical services. If you're experiencing pelvic pain, leakage, pressure, sexual dysfunction, or chronic tension, consider seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist.