You train hard, stay hydrated, and stretch like it’s your job. But if you’re still dealing with nagging back pain, core fatigue, or even surprise leaks during workouts, your pelvic floor might be the missing piece. Most people assume weakness is the issue, but a tight pelvic floor can cause just as many problems. The tricky part? The symptoms often look the same. How to tell if pelvic floor is tight or weak is difficult.
To figure out what’s really going on, you need to know:
- The key signs of pelvic floor dysfunction
- What a “tight” pelvic floor actually feels like
- Why “strong” doesn’t always mean healthy
Let’s dig into how to tell if your pelvic floor is tight or weak and what that means for you.
Pelvic Floor Muscles and Pelvic Pain
If you’re experiencing pelvic pain, leaking urine, or unexplained fatigue in your core, it’s time to take a closer look at your pelvic floor muscles. As a sports physical therapist, I see athletes every week who don’t realize their pelvic discomfort is tied to tight or weak pelvic floor muscles.
Let’s break this down so you know what’s happening and how targeted pelvic floor physical therapy can help.
Understanding Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction
Your pelvic floor muscles support your pelvic organs, help control bladder and bowel movements, and work with your abdominal muscles to stabilize your core.
When these muscles become too tight or too weak, your performance and quality of life suffer.
A few things that can cause pelvic floor dysfunction include:
- Overtraining without proper recovery
- Chronic constipation or frequent straining
- Poor lifting mechanics or postural habits
- A history of abdominal or pelvic surgeries
- Chronic cough or past injuries to the pelvic area
If your pelvic floor is tight, it may feel like deep pressure near your pubic bone or a burning sensation around the vaginal canal or rectum.
Weak pelvic floor muscles might feel like heaviness, a lack of control, or leaking urine during workouts.
Common Symptoms Athletes Shouldn’t Ignore
You don’t have to deal with these issues alone. Pelvic floor symptoms often overlap, but the most common complaints we hear in the clinic include:
- Painful sex or decreased sexual sensation
- Pelvic heaviness or dragging feelings
- Urinary urgency or frequent urination
- Difficulty starting or stopping bowel movements
- Leaking urine during exercise or sneezing
- Lower back pain that won’t resolve with standard core work
These symptoms suggest your pelvic floor muscle tone is either too high or too low. Knowing which one is the problem is the key to solving it.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. Reach out now to start your personalized pelvic floor recovery with a physical therapist who truly listens and gets it.
Schedule your Discovery Visit or call us directly at (623) 343-8706. We’re here when you’re ready.
How a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist Helps You Find the Root Cause
We don’t just hand you a list of pelvic floor exercises and send you on your way.
Instead, we start with a full-body movement assessment to understand how your pelvic floor muscles work with your hips, glutes, and core.
If you’re dealing with pelvic floor tightness or overactive pelvic floor muscles, we’ll guide you through:
- Breathing drills to reduce pelvic floor muscle tension
- Deep hip and pelvic stretches that target tight muscles
- Relaxation techniques for calming the nervous system
- Muscle control strategies to improve coordination
If you have underactive pelvic floor muscles or signs of pelvic floor muscle weakness, we’ll shift to strengthening. That can include:
- Foundational core and glute work that supports pelvic floor health
- Kegel exercises performed correctly with real-time feedback
- Sport-specific movements that retrain how your pelvic floor responds under load
Pelvic Pain Doesn’t Mean You Have to Stop Moving
You can absolutely stay active while working through pelvic floor issues. The key is choosing movements that support healing instead of adding more stress to the pelvic region.
Together, we’ll:
- Adjust your training to reduce pressure on the pelvic floor
- Teach you how to engage the right muscles during sport and recovery
- Focus on form, breathing, and alignment during lifts and runs
This isn’t about slowing you down. It’s about restoring pelvic floor strength and control so you can move confidently and pain-free.
What’s Next if You’re Dealing With Pelvic Discomfort
If any of this sounds familiar, you might be dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction that needs a more specialized approach. A pelvic floor physical therapist can guide you toward better muscle balance, improved performance, and less pain in daily life.
Your pelvic floor muscles work hard behind the scenes. It’s time to give them the attention they deserve.
Continuous Motion Physical Therapy: Targeting Your Pelvic Floor Muscles for Relief
At Continuous Motion Physical Therapy, we understand how frustrating pelvic pain can be when it interferes with your workouts, your focus, and your everyday routine.
If you’ve been living with symptoms like pelvic heaviness, leaking urine, or sexual dysfunction, your pelvic floor muscles may be holding tension, weakness, or both.
Why We Start With a Discovery Visit
You deserve to feel heard. That’s why your first step with us is a complimentary Discovery Visit where you can talk through your concerns, symptoms, and medical history.
We listen carefully and use this session to:
- Understand the full picture of your pelvic health
- Identify triggers from past injuries, surgeries, or stress
- Map out how pelvic floor muscle dysfunction may be affecting your core and movement
This visit helps you decide whether pelvic floor physical therapy is right for you, without pressure or commitment.
How We Customize Your Pelvic Health Plan
Once we understand your needs, we build a plan that works with your body and your goals. Your pelvic floor muscles support so much more than you realize.
When they lose coordination or control, the symptoms can show up in ways that don’t seem connected.
Your plan may include:
- Myofascial release to ease pelvic floor muscle tension
- Training for weak pelvic floor muscles using targeted techniques
- Real-time movement retraining to rebuild pelvic floor strength
- Strategies for breathing, relaxation, and pelvic floor muscle control
Every session builds on your progress. We adapt your treatment based on how your body responds so you move forward with confidence
Why You Don’t Have To Live With Pelvic Pain
Pelvic pain is common, but it isn’t something you have to accept. With the right guidance, you can restore your pelvic floor muscle tone, manage symptoms, and get back to doing what you love without hesitation.
We treat pelvic floor issues every day. Our goal is to help you:
- Return to sport with strength and confidence
- Improve bladder and bowel control
- Ease pelvic discomfort during daily tasks or workouts
- Feel more connected and in control of your body
If you’ve been wondering whether your pelvic floor is tight or weak, or if pain and leaking are getting in the way, this is your next step.
Schedule Your Discovery Visit Today
You don’t have to figure it out alone. Reach out now to start your personalized pelvic floor recovery with a physical therapist who truly listens and gets it.Schedule your Discovery Visit or call us directly at (623) 343-8706. We’re here when you’re ready.
