💦 Pelvic Floors: What They Are, Why They Matter & How to Stop Leaking During Jumping Jacks

Frank Sinclair
15 minutes ago
4 min read

If you’ve ever found yourself sprinting to the loo before a workout class…… or felt that sneaky “oh no” moment during star jumps……

Welcome. You’re among friends 👋😊

In this week’s Voice of Fitness Reason Podcasts episode, Katie and I dove deep (but tastefully) into pelvic floor health - a topic that affects far more people than it gets credit for, yet still seems to live in the shadows of embarrassment, humour, or “I’ll deal with it later” avoidance.

This blog takes everything from our conversation and turns it into a practical, useful guide you can follow, whether you’re a mum, not a mum, in your 20s, in your 70s, male, female, or somewhere in between.

The pelvic floor doesn’t discriminate. So let’s get to know yours.

What Is the Pelvic Floor? Understanding the Muscles Down Under

A Simple Explanation

Your pelvic floor is a hammock-shaped group of muscles sitting at the bottom of your pelvis. Its job? Quite a lot, actually:

Supports your bladder, bowel, and (if you’re female) your uterus
Helps control wee, wind, and… other departures
Works with your core, diaphragm and glutes to stabilise your spine
Plays a role in sexual function
Absorbs impact and pressure during movement

It’s not just a “don’t wee yourself” muscle, it's a whole system, and when it’s not working well, it lets you know.

Why Pelvic Floor Issues Happen

Pelvic floor dysfunction can show up at any stage of life, and for anyone.

Common Triggers

Pregnancy
Childbirth
Menopause
High-impact exercise (running, jumping, those 'orrible Burpees)
Heavy lifting without awareness
Chronic coughing, constipation, or straining
Being too tight (overactive pelvic floor)
Being too weak (underactive pelvic floor)
Lack of ongoing training, muscles lose strength if we stop using them

And it’s NOT limited to mums. Katie works with plenty of young, fit, child-free women who experience leakage.

Likewise: Yes, men have pelvic floors, and yes… they can leak too.

Symptoms You Might Notice

Leaking during running, jumping, dancing or lifting
Feeling like you need to wee during star jumps
Urgency even when your bladder is barely full
“Pressure” or heaviness in the pelvis
Difficulty controlling wind
Lower back or deep core discomfort
Pain during sex
Feeling like the pelvic floor doesn’t “switch on” properly

Embarrassing? Potentially. Fixable? Almost always, yes.

A Simple Way to Activate Your Pelvic Floor

Wind, Water, Belly Button

This is the method Katie demonstrated with me Live on Podcast, and it’s brilliant.

You can do it sitting, lying, standing, or even waiting at a red light.

Step-by-Step:

Breathe in through your nose: Relax your belly. Relax everything.
Breathe out through pursed lips and…
👉 Imagine stopping yourself passing wind
👉 Then imagine stopping yourself having a wee
👉 THEN draw your belly button gently towards your spine
Release everything with control as you inhale again.

Repeat 10 rounds, once or twice per day, and pair it with some good daily habits to be well on your way to improved pelvic floor health.

Short-Term Tips: Managing Pelvic Floor Symptoms During Exercise

🌟 1. Choose lower-impact options

Step jacks instead of star jumpsMarch instead of runBodyweight squats instead of jump squats

🌟 2. Time your breath & brace

Use wind–water–belly-button during the effort phase:

On the push in a push-up
On the rise in a squat
On the pull in a row

🌟 3. Empty your bladder before class (but don’t “just in case” wee all day)

Over-emptying trains your bladder to shout prematurely.Once before class = good.Every 20 minutes = not good.

🌟 4. Tell your coach quietly if you need alternatives

A good instructor (hi 👋) will always give non-impact options, and if they don't then pack your gym bag and speed walk your way to the exit never to return again.

🌟 5. Modify without shame

Modifying isn’t weakness, it’s smart load management.

Long-Term Fixes: Retraining the Pelvic Floor

1. Do your daily activation reps

Consistency beats intensity.

2. Integrate pelvic floor work into your strength training

Breathing + bracing + lifting = GOLD.

Strength training is one of the best long-term solutions because it improves:

Core stability
Hip strength
Posture
Pressure management
Pelvic floor coordination

3. Avoid over-tightening

Too much gripping or constant squeezing leads to dysfunction.

4. Improve bowel habits

Avoid straining → huge source of pelvic floor stress.

5. Seek help if symptoms persist

A Pelvic Health Physiotherapist is the gold standard and usually only takes a few sessions to really see some progress so bite the bullet and get the help sooner rather than later.

Does Childbirth Change the Pelvic Floor?

In short: yes.

Creating humans is the GREATEST gift but when physically, it's going to have a huge impact on your body too so if you've noticed some changes in your pelvic floor post-pregnancy then don't be surprised, it's hugely common and birthing a child can stretch, tear or fatigue the muscles for months, even years after.

“You may never be exactly as you were pre-pregnancy but YOU CAN get much better than you are right now, so don't give up!”

A (Slightly Naughty) Strength Test

Shared by a pelvic health specialist Katie trained with:

If you’re fortunate enough to be having sex with your partner, try gently squeezing your pelvic floor. If they can feel it, that’s a good sign of engagement and strength. Have a funny feeling they'll be happy too 😉

Final Thoughts: Don’t Normalise the Leak

Yes, it’s common. No it’s not something you “just have to live with.” and with the right approach, you can dramatically improve pelvic floor control, comfort and confidence at any age.

Listen to the Full Podcast Episode

Thanks for listening and of course ANY questions at all please just get in touch, I'm always happy to help.

Happy squeezing!

FRANK

your Personal Trainer / Pelvic Floor Appreciator