Still Bloated No Matter What You Eat? Your Pelvic Floor Could Be to Blame
Part One: Still Bloated No Matter What You Eat? Your Pelvic Floor Could Be to Blame
Part Two: Why Your Workouts Are Making Bloating Worse — And How to Fix It for Good
Part Three: Core Exercises That Actually Get Rid of Bloating (Not Make It Worse)
Part Four: Why Bloating Gets Worse After Having Kids (And How to Fix It)
You're eating clean, drinking water, taking probiotics, maybe even cutting out gluten, but you still end the day feeling bloated and uncomfortable. If you've tried every elimination diet, expensive supplement, and gut health protocol but you're still dealing with that stubborn low belly pooch that gets worse as the day goes on, your pelvic floor might be the missing piece of the puzzle.
Can Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Cause Bloating?
Most women think their pelvic floor only matters for bladder control, like preventing leaks during exercise or sneezing. But here's what I see in my practice as a pelvic floor physical therapist: when your pelvic floor isn't functioning properly, your entire digestive system suffers.
Your pelvic floor muscles form the bottom of your core system. When they're not working correctly, all of your other core muscles are impacted and can't function properly either. When your core muscles are not functioning properly, your organs loose support and are not able to maintain their optimal position. This impacts digestion and elimination- the position of your organs impacts how well your intestines can move food through your system and how effectively your body can eliminate waste. Without properly functioning core muscles, your digestive system gets overloaded and bloating is the result.
Think about it like this - if the foundation of a house is unstable, everything inside the house is unsteady, and all the structures above the foundation have to shift, which weakens it more. The same principle applies to your pelvic floor and digestive system!
Signs Your Pelvic Floor is Behind Your Bloating and Belly Pooch
Not sure if your pelvic floor is the culprit? Here are the telltale signs I see with my patients:
You feel worse after doing traditional "core" exercises like crunches or planks. Instead of feeling stronger, you feel more bloated and your belly actually looks more distended.
Your bloating gets progressively worse throughout the day, regardless of what you eat. You might wake up with a relatively flat stomach, but by evening you look and feel like you're carrying extra weight in your midsection.
You have to push or strain to have a bowel movement, even when you're eating plenty of fiber and drinking water. Or you feel like you can never fully empty your bowels, leaving you with that constant heavy feeling.
You experience pelvic pressure or heaviness along with the bloating, like everything in your pelvis is just sitting there, not moving properly.
Why Traditional Bloating Solutions Aren't Working
Most bloating advice focuses exclusively on food - what to eat, what to avoid, which supplements to take. But if your core muscular system isn't functioning properly, these solutions are just addressing symptoms, not the root cause.
You can take all the digestive enzymes and probiotics in the world, but if your pelvic floor isn’t supporting proper organ positioning and movement, you'll continue struggling with the same issues.
Gut health protocols and elimination diets can't fix pelvic floor dysfunction. That's why you might see temporary improvements that don't last, or find that certain approaches work for other people but not for you.
How the Core Recovery Method® Resolves Bloating
You don't have to accept these symptoms as your new normal. There are two specific techniques that can help restore proper organ position, relieve congestion and tension, and get your digestive system flowing smoothly again: abdominal massage and hypopressive training.
Abdominal Massage
Abdominal massage uses targeted intentional pressure to release built-up tension around your digestive organs. When you apply deliberate strokes in specific patterns across your abdomen, you help decompress areas where things have gotten stuck or sluggish. This encourages better circulation and lymphatic flow, lifts and centers organs that have shifted out of place, and improves circulation to your intestines, stomach, and pelvic organs. The result is less bloating, smoother digestion, and more complete elimination.
Hypopressive Breathing
Hypopressive breathing creates a unique internal lift that naturally draws your organs back up to where they belong. This specialized breathing pattern generates a rhythmic suction effect inside your abdomen, encouraging everything to move upward and inward to their ideal positions. As you practice these controlled breath sequences and combine them with certain postures, your deep core muscles activate automatically, leading to improved organ function and circulation. This approach powerfully addresses chronic bloating while simultaneously toning your midsection.
When my patients incorporate these two techniques into their daily routine, they enjoy a significant improvement in their gut health. They wake up in the morning with a flat toned belly, confidently enjoy the foods they love, have consistent, regular, and complete elimination, and a light and lifted feeling in their belly!
These methods are easy to practice at home and can complement any dietary or lifestyle changes you’re already making to support your gut health. You can learn these two simple yet powerful techniques inside The Core Recovery Method® online program.
What This Means for You
When your pelvic floor muscles are functioning properly again and your organs are in their best position, your body can start digesting food efficiently again, moving waste through your system regularly, and maintaining that flat, light and comfortable feeling in your belly throughout the day!
You can have regular, complete bowel movements without straining or feeling like something's left behind. No more feeling heavy and uncomfortable.
Most importantly, you can start eating foods you love again without the immediate bloat. When your core muscles are doing their job, your digestive system can function properly, and your body can handle a normal, varied diet without the dramatic bloating response.
