210- Your Doctor Said You Need to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor…But Do You?

“You just need to strengthen your pelvic floor.” Maybe you've heard this from a doctor, a friend, a trainer—or good ol' Google. 😂 You're leaking? Do Kegels. Feeling pressure? Strengthen your pelvic floor. Had a baby? Your pelvic floor must be weak. But is “weak pelvic floor” really the whole story? In this episode of Pelvic Floor, Core & More, we're challenging the assumption that having a pelvic floor symptom automatically means you need to strengthen your pelvic floor. Because strength absolutely matters—but it's only one part of how a healthy pelvic floor functions. Your pelvic floor also needs to contract, relax, lengthen, coordinate with the rest of your body, and respond appropriately to what you're asking it to do. So before you add another 50 Kegels to your day, let's ask a better question: What does your pelvic floor actually need? In This Episode We Explore Why “weak pelvic floor” can be an incomplete explanation Why having a pelvic floor symptom doesn't automatically tell us what your muscles need The difference between pelvic floor strength and pelvic floor function Why your pelvic floor needs to be able to contract AND relax How doing more isn't always the answer when your body is already working really hard Why leaking, pressure, heaviness, or other symptoms may deserve a closer look before assuming weakness How your pelvic floor works with your breath, core, movement, and the rest of your body Why two women with the same symptom may need completely different approaches The problem with jumping straight from symptom → weak → strengthen A better question to ask when you've been told you need to strengthen your pelvic floor Why This Matters I am NOT telling you that pelvic floor strengthening is bad. Sometimes strength is exactly what we need to work on. What I want to challenge is the assumption that strength is always the answer. Think about everything your pelvic floor has to do throughout your day. It responds when you breathe. When you cough. When you lift. When you run. When you go to the bathroom. When you have sex. When you pick up your kid. When you exercise. Your pelvic floor isn't an isolated muscle sitting at the bottom of your pelvis waiting for you to remember your Kegels. 😂 It's part of a much bigger system. So if you're experiencing symptoms, I don't just want to know: “Is your pelvic floor strong?” I want to know: “What does your pelvic floor need to be able to do better?” The Big Takeaway If you've been told you have a “weak pelvic floor,” you don't need to panic—or immediately throw away your Kegels. 😂 Get curious. What symptom are you actually trying to change? When does it happen? Can you contract your pelvic floor? Can you relax it? What happens during movement? Does more strengthening actually change the symptom? Have you had an individualized assessment to understand what's happening in YOUR body? Because: Strength is one quality of a well-functioning pelvic floor. It isn't the whole definition. And sometimes a much better question than: “How do I make my pelvic floor stronger?” is: “What does my pelvic floor actually need?” 🌿 Ready to Understand the Bigger Picture? If you're listening to this thinking: “Okay, Dr. Des…if pelvic floor healing isn't JUST about strength, what else am I supposed to be looking at?” GOOD. 👀 That's exactly the question I want you asking. And it's exactly why I created Healing Beyond Kegels, my FREE pelvic floor masterclass coming this October. We've reduced pelvic floor healing to strengthening for far too long. Inside Healing Beyond Kegels, I'm going to help you zoom out and start understanding how your pelvic floor, core, breath, pressure, and movement work together—so you can stop guessing about what your body needs. Because sometimes we need to understand before we strengthen. Make sure you're connected with me so you'll be one of the first to know when Healing Beyond Kegels is ready. 💛 Connection First. Intention Over Perfec