How High-Impact Workouts Can Affect Your Pelvic Floor Over Time

You don’t need to stop doing what you love. But understanding the long-term impact of high-impact workouts can help you protect your pelvic floor while staying active.

What Counts as High-Impact?

Think:

• Running

• Jumping (box jumps, jump rope, etc.)

• HIIT workouts

• Plyometrics

• Heavy lifting with breath-holding (aka Valsalva)

These movements can increase intra-abdominal pressure, placing more demand on your pelvic floor muscles.

Signs Your Pelvic Floor Might Be Struggling

• Leaking during movement

• Pressure or bulging sensations

• Core instability or doming

• Lower back or hip discomfort

Why This Happens Over Time

With repetition and without awareness of pelvic floor coordination, these movements can overload the system. Especially if paired with poor breath mechanics, weak core engagement, or postpartum recovery still in progress.

What to Do Instead

You don’t have to stop high-impact movement altogether. But:

• Scale wisely: Modify jumps, reduce reps, or swap movements when needed

• Coordinate breath + movement: Exhale on exertion

• Strengthen smart: Add low-impact pelvic floor support work to your weekly routine

• Work with a pelvic floor PT: Especially if you’re returning to impact postpartum or dealing with symptoms

Your pelvic floor is part of your athletic foundation. Train it with the same intention you give the rest of your body.