Everyday Movements That Heal (or Hurt): How to Move Smarter for Your Pelvic Floor
When we think about healing pelvic floor dysfunction, we often think about exercises, physio appointments, or breathing drills. But the truth is: it’s not just about what you do in class or clinic. It’s what you do all day long that really shapes how your pelvic floor responds, recovers, and supports you.
The way we lift, sit, stand, carry, sleep, and clean can either reinforce dysfunction—or quietly build strength, resilience, and ease.
This post will walk you through 8 everyday movements—with the why, the how, and what to avoid—so you can turn your daily life into a healing practice.
1. Lifting from the Floor (laundry basket, pet, toy)
Why it matters: We pick things up off the floor constantly. Whether it’s a child, a washing basket, or the post, it’s a key functional pattern—and one of the most common ways people strain their pelvic floor without realising. If you round your spine, lock your knees, or lift with your upper body instead of loading your glutes and legs, you transfer pressure downward through the core and pelvic cavity. Over time, this can contribute to prolapse symptoms, leaking, back pain, or abdominal separation. Done well, this movement strengthens your hips, hamstrings, and coordination with the breath.
The How:
Stand with feet under hips and knees soft
Hinge at the hips—imagine closing a drawer with your bum
Keep your spine long, ribs over pelvis, and shoulders soft
Inhale to prepare, exhale as you rise—feel your feet push the ground away
Lead from the back of your body: glutes and hamstrings do the heavy work
Keep the load close to your body if possible
The Don’ts:
Rounding the back or collapsing chest
Tucking the bum under
Holding your breath or bulging the belly
2. Lifting Into Something (car boot, pram, trolley)
Why it matters: These movements usually involve not only a lift, but also a forward reach or rotational element—which is where many people lose their postural strategy. Reaching into a car boot or lowering a baby into a pram often triggers rib flaring, spinal twisting, or bracing, especially if you're rushing or fatigued. Without good breath control and body awareness, these patterns can result in a pressure dump into the pelvic floor, increased risk of injury, or ongoing dysfunction in the deep core system.
The How:
Start with a wide, grounded stance to create stability
Keep knees soft and spine long
Hinge at the hips with ribs stacked over pelvis—avoid rounding or leaning forward from the spine
Use your legs and whole body to drive the movement, not just your arms
Pivot through your feet instead of twisting through your back
Inhale to prepare, exhale to lift and place the object
Keep your eyes up and neck neutral to avoid collapsing into the upper body
The Don’ts:
Twisting through the lower back
Lifting with the arms instead of the whole body
Rib flaring or shoulder scrunching
3. Carrying Something Heavy (shopping, baby)
Why it matters: Asymmetrical load is a common trigger for pelvic floor symptoms—especially when we're multitasking, rushing, or compensating with poor posture. Carrying a child on one hip, a heavy bag over one shoulder, or a basket in one hand creates imbalanced loading through the spine and pelvis. If we brace, lean back, or lock out the knees to manage the weight, the pelvic floor may bear more pressure than it can handle. Repetition over time reinforces dysfunctional patterns and robs the body of an opportunity to build strength.
The How:
Use a split stance (one foot slightly in front) to create stability and reduce pressure
Hug the load close to your centre of gravity—this reduces the torque through your spine
Keep ribs stacked over pelvis, avoiding any backward lean
Engage the whole body to support the carry—especially feet, glutes, and breath
Breathe laterally into the ribcage, keeping breath smooth and diaphragmatic, even under load
The Don’ts:
Leaning back to counterbalance
Gripping glutes or sucking in the belly
Shallow chest breathing or bracing
4. Standing at the Sink (washing dishes or chopping)
Why it matters: This is one of the most overlooked postures—yet we often spend hours here every week. Standing poorly at the sink creates downward pressure and postural fatigue, especially when our focus is elsewhere. Locking the knees, slumping the ribs forward, or letting the belly rest on the sink can switch off glute support and overstress the lower back and pelvic floor. Over time, this can feed into leaking, prolapse symptoms, or chronic discomfort across the hips and sacrum.
The How:
Stand with one foot slightly forward to create natural spinal rotation and better load-sharing
Keep both knees soft, with micro-bend—not locked out
Ribs should stack directly over the pelvis, allowing the spine to lengthen
Alternate: stand with both feet side by side and gently shift weight side to side to prevent fatigue
Rest a hand or hip lightly on the counter for support
Breathe wide into the ribcage to keep diaphragm and pelvic floor responsive
The Don’ts:
Locking knees or tucking bum
Hanging the belly or slumping ribs forward
Holding tension in the jaw, glutes or pelvic floor
5. Sit to Stand (getting off sofa or toilet)
Why it matters: Sitting and rising is one of the most functional movements we do daily—and one of the most common places we leak, strain, or hold tension. It’s an opportunity to engage glutes, coordinate with the breath, and maintain postural control. But if we collapse the chest, lose our alignment, or push with the belly, we miss the chance to build strength and instead overload the pelvic floor.
The How:
Sit with feet under your knees—not splayed forward
Lean forward slightly to load your glutes
Keep the spine long, ribs over pelvis
Inhale to prepare, exhale to rise with control
The Don’ts:
Letting knees knock inward
Rounding the spine or collapsing the chest
Holding your breath or bearing down to push up
Extra Focus: Sitting on the Toilet
Why it’s important: Toileting is a key moment where many people bear down unnecessarily, brace, or rush. These habits can train a downward pressure response and prevent full release.
Supportive Strategies:
Sit with feet supported—use a small footstool or yoga block if needed
Keep knees slightly higher than hips
Lean forward with forearms on thighs, back long - if peeing - but keep ribs stacked over pelvis if you are constipted
Inhale to soften, exhale slowly if straining
Allow time—rushing increases tension
Things to avoid:
Sitting with feet dangling or tucked under
Clenching the glutes or gripping the belly
Pushing or straining to empty the bladder or bowels
Holding tension in the jaw or shoulders
Letting knees collapse in
Chest dropping or spine rounding
Holding breath or bearing down
6. Driving or Desk Sitting
Why it matters: Whether you’re behind the wheel or at a desk, your sitting posture influences your whole system. Over time, poor sitting habits lead to chronic tightness in the hip flexors, shallow breathing, and a shortened, less responsive pelvic floor. A tucked pelvis or slouched spine can compress abdominal organs, reduce diaphragm mobility, and send a constant message of tension to your nervous system. If you’re leaking, gripping, or bracing by midday—it may have started with how you sat at 9am.
The How:
Sit on your sit bones (those bony points under your bum), not behind them
Keep your feet planted flat on the floor to give your pelvis feedback - when at work you could also use a small ball to roll under your feet
Ribs should stack softly over pelvis—not jutting forward or caving in
Use a small cushion or rolled towel behind your sacrum if your chair encourages slouching
Gently breathe into your sides and back to keep the diaphragm and pelvic floor responsive
The Don’ts:
Pelvis tucked or slouched
Shoulder rounding or chin jutting
Glute gripping or shallow breathing
7. Gardening or Cleaning Low (weeding, mopping)
Why it matters: These tasks involve frequent bending, kneeling, or squatting—often for long periods or in awkward positions. Done with poor mechanics, they can overstretch the pelvic floor, create excessive intra-abdominal pressure, and overload the lumbar spine and knees. Many people unknowingly round their spine, clench their glutes, or brace their belly to 'stay stable,' but this often leads to compensation patterns that strain rather than support.
The How:
Use a variety of positions: supported deep squat, kneeling with a cushion, or all fours with neutral spine
Shift weight through hips and feet rather than collapsing into the spine
Keep ribs over pelvis and move with the breath—inhale to set up, exhale to transition
Use props like kneeling pads or a stool for support when needed
The Don’ts:
Rounding or collapsing the spine while reaching or working low
Holding your breath or bearing down to maintain stability
Clenching glutes or locking knees
Overloading the lower back instead of distributing effort through the hips and cores**:
Rounding or collapsing the spine
Holding breath or straining
Overloading knees or low back
8. Sleeping Position
Why it matters: Sleep is when your body restores and recalibrates. Your nervous system shifts into a parasympathetic state, and your fascia, muscles, and organs take on the shape you’ve placed them in for hours. Poor sleep posture can lead to chronic twist patterns in the spine and pelvis, over-tightened fascia, or tension in the jaw and diaphragm that ripples down to the pelvic floor. Many women with pelvic symptoms wake feeling stiff, achy, or already braced—and often the root is in how they’ve spent the night.
The How:
Lie on your side with a soft pillow between your knees to keep hips level
Align head, shoulders, ribs, and pelvis in one long line—imagine you’re nestled into a firm hammock
Keep your jaw soft, lips gently closed, and belly relaxed to allow natural breath
Use an additional pillow to support your top arm if needed (to avoid shoulder rounding)
The Don’ts:
Curling into a tight fetal ball
Twisting the spine or crossing legs
Sleeping with arm under head (shoulder jam)
Example Exercises for Daily Movement Repatterning (with Breath + Apnoea Support)
To help integrate these daily patterns into your body, here’s a simple, practical exercise you can try for each. These support real-life function, 360° breathing, and pelvic floor-friendly load management.
🔹 1. Lifting from the Floor
Exercise: Hip Hinge Reach to Chair
Place a small object on a low stool. Practice hinging with a long spine, staggered stance and soft knees to pick it up. Exhale as you rise.
Breath Option: 360° breath in standing; inhale wide, exhale as you push through feet.
Apnoea Option: Hold low hinge (Artemis), perform apnoea, return to standing with control.
🔹 2. Lifting Into Something
Exercise: Diagonal Load Transfer
Move an object from low right to high left. Use rotation through feet, legs and hips. Exhale to lift and guide the object in.
Breath Option: Breathe wide between each lift, maintain rib stack.
Apnoea Option: Start in Athena, hinge and reach forward, swivelling at feet, loading hips, hinging on inhale and recoiling through your spring slowly - repeat 3x then perform apnoea, return to stand.
🔹 3. Carrying Something Heavy
Exercise: Loaded Carry Simulation
Hold a weight close to your chest or side. Walk slowly, stay stacked, breathe laterally.
Breath Option: Practice wide, diaphragmatic breath under light load.
Apnoea Option: Standing apnoea in Athena pose, then short walk maintaining lifted posture.
🔹 4. Standing at the Sink
Exercise: Sink Reach Rock-Backs
Stand one foot forward, gently rock hips as if reaching to rinse. Stay stacked and use wide breath.
Breath Option: Expand ribs wide while holding posture.
Apnoea Option: Hold mini Freya at sink, perform apnoea on exhale.
🔹 5. Sit to Stand
Exercise: Box Sit to Stand with Breath
Sit tall, feet under knees. Inhale to prepare, exhale to rise slowly.
Breath Option: Coordinate 360° breath with movement, avoid breath holding.
Apnoea Option: Seated apnoea in Hestia, then rise with controlled exhale.
🔹 6. Driving / Desk Sitting
Exercise: Wall Sit with Rib Stack
Sit upright or lean against wall, stack ribs over pelvis. Raise arms overhead without collapsing.
Breath Option: Side and back rib breath in seated.
Apnoea Option: Seated apnoea, maintain upright posture while softening elsewhere.
🔹 7. Gardening / Cleaning Low
Exercise: Supported Squat or All-Fours Rocking
Use support to kneel or squat. Rock gently while maintaining stacked spine.
Breath Option: Inhale into low back and sides during movement.
Apnoea Option: Perform apnoea in Gaya then transition into movement.
🔹 8. Sleeping Position
Exercise: Side-Lying Rib Expansion
Lie with pillow between knees, hand on ribs. Breathe wide into top ribs.
Breath Option: 360° side-lying breath, soft jaw, relaxed belly.
Apnoea Option: Not for sleep, but calming apnoea in this clam position before bed can support nervous system reset.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to overhaul your life to support your pelvic floor. You just need to notice how you move. When you stack your body well, breathe fully, and avoid gripping or bracing, you create the conditions for healing. Your daily movements can be rehab in disguise.
Want to go deeper? My Pelvic Floor MOT OR short course can you practical tools to retrain these patterns with support and guidance. Find them in the resources link on the website
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