Pelvic Floor Health for Men and Women: Your Secret Weapon for Pain-Free Sport

When you hear “pelvic floor health,” most people think about postpartum recovery or women’s health. But the truth is — everyone has a pelvic floor, and it’s critical for both men and women who want to move, lift, and play sports without pain or dysfunction.

The Pelvic Floor: Your Body’s Hidden Powerhouse

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that form a sling at the base of your pelvis. It supports your bladder, bowel, reproductive organs, and connects with your deep core system — diaphragm, abdominals, and low back stabilizers.

When this system is working well, it helps you:

• Generate power for lifting, running, and rotational sports

• Control pressure during heavy lifts (no leaks!)

• Prevent pain in your low back, hips, and pelvis

• Stabilize your spine during quick changes of direction or impact

  
  

When the Pelvic Floor Isn’t Working Right

Both men and women can experience pelvic floor dysfunction — and it’s not just about bladder control.

Common symptoms include:

• Leaking urine during lifting, jumping, running, or sneezing

• Pressure or heaviness in the pelvis

• Hip, groin, or low back pain that doesn’t respond to traditional strength work

• Difficulty “activating” core muscles or feeling stable during lifts

• Painful intercourse or pelvic pain

If you’re an athlete (or just active), these symptoms often show up when you ramp up training intensity — like getting back into the gym, running after time off, or during preseason practice.

Return-to-Sport Pelvic Floor Training

Think of the pelvic floor as part of your performance chain. Just like we train your glutes or core to get you ready for sport, we can also train the pelvic floor to:

• Coordinate with breathing during lifts and high-intensity movement

• Improve timing — relax when needed, contract when needed

• Handle pressure during heavy squats, deadlifts, and rotational sports

• Build endurance for long runs or repetitive activities

At Chardon Performance Therapy, we incorporate breathing drills, core stability work, and functional strength to re-train this system — not just in isolation, but in the context of your sport.

When to Get Specialized Pelvic Floor Care

Sometimes you need more than an external approach — especially for persistent leaking, pelvic pain, or more complex cases. That’s when we refer to trusted pelvic floor specialists like Kare Pelvic Health.

Kare Pelvic Health provides:

• Internal pelvic floor assessment and manual therapy

• Individualized care for both men and women

• Advanced training for complex pelvic health cases

• A collaborative approach — so your care is integrated with what we do here in the clinic

This combination of specialized internal work + functional training is often the missing link that helps athletes return to sport confidently and without fear of symptoms.

Bottom Line

Whether you’re a runner, golfer, lifter, dancer, or weekend warrior — your pelvic floor is key to moving powerfully and pain-free.

📅 Schedule an initial assessment with us to get started with movement-based strategies and return to your sport. If you need deeper assessment or internal pelvic floor treatment, we’ll coordinate with our partners at Kare Pelvic Health to get you the most complete care possible.