When it comes to pelvic floor health, there is a lot of emphasis on strength during the postpartum phase. And yes — strength matters. But the pelvic floor also needs the ability to let go. Muscles that are “always on” aren’t truly strong — they’re tense, overworked, and limited in their function.

This is especially true in both prenatal and postpartum training. During pregnancy, a constantly tight pelvic floor can make it harder for the muscles to yield to pressure and adapt to a growing belly. Postpartum, unresolved tension can interfere with recovery, breath mechanics, and return to higher-impact exercise.

A healthy pelvic floor isn’t one that’s just strong. It’s one that moves through its full range of motion — able to lengthen, relax, and contract when needed. Downtraining is the process of teaching those muscles how to release, so they can function as part of the full core system.

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What Happens If You Struggle to Release Pelvic Floor Tension?

If the pelvic floor tense, it becomes less responsive. Instead of adapting to pressure changes from breath, movement, or load, it holds on. Over time, this can show up as:

• Difficulty coordinating breath and core tension
• Sensations of heaviness or discomfort
• Pain with penetration or internal exams
• Leaking during high pressure tasks (coughing, sneezing, lifting) despite having a “strong” pelvic floor
• A constant feeling of tightness in the hips or lower back

This doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means the system is out of balance — and learning to downtrain helps restore it.

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5 Strategies to Downtrain a Tight Pelvic Floor

1. Breath

Breath is the foundation of downtraining. When you inhale deeply and expand the ribs and back, the diaphragm lowers — and the pelvic floor naturally lengthens in response. This creates a built in release without forcing anything. Exhaling restores gentle tension, teaching the system how to move dynamically instead of gripping or bracing.

This breath driven release also improves awareness and control. You’re not “pushing down” — you’re letting the pelvic floor move in sync with your breathing mechanics.

Here is a step by step on how to inhale to release:

• Start with a neutral setup: Position your ribs over your pelvis — whether seated, lying down, or on hands and knees. This alignment allows the diaphragm and pelvic floor to move together instead of working against each other.
• Relax your belly and pelvic floor before you inhale: Before you take a breath in, consciously soften the lower abs and pelvic floor. You might imagine your sit bones widening slightly or your pelvic floor “melting” downward.
• Inhale through your nose — slow and low: Breathe in gently through your nose, focusing on expanding. Visualize the air spreading wide through your lower ribs, back, and sides.
• Let the diaphragm descend: As you inhale, the diaphragm naturally moves down. Instead of forcing the breath into your belly, think about creating space under your ribs. The pelvic floor mirrors that motion — it lengthens and releases in response to the diaphragm lowering.
• Exhale softly through your mouth: Blow out gently through pursed lips, like fogging a mirror. This allows your ribs to come back together and your core to lightly re-engage without gripping.

Simple imagery cues to help:

• “Breathe wide into your ribs like an umbrella opening.”
• “Let your breath fill the space behind your heart.”
• “Feel your pelvic floor lengthen like a trampoline gently lowering.”
• “Inhale space, exhale softness.”

Try:

• Rockback Breathing with Reach: In a child’s pose-like position, you reach forward and breathe into the back and sides of the ribs. This promotes expansion through the back body and teaches the pelvic floor to lengthen with inhale.

• 90/90 Hip Lift with Reach (gentle, breath focus): With feet on the wall and hips tucked, you focus on light, expansive breathing rather than heavy core tension. This reinforces rib-pelvis alignment and uses the hamstrings/obliques to set the pelvis while allowing the pelvic floor to relax with a full inhale down.

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2. Mobility

Pelvic floor tension often pairs with stiffness in the ribs, thoracic spine, or hips. Improving mobility in these areas creates space for movement and expansion, reducing the need for the pelvic floor to “stabilize everything.” Rib and upper back mobility are especially important since they influence how the diaphragm and pelvic floor coordinate during breathing and movement.

Restoring this mobility helps distribute pressure evenly through the torso, so the pelvic floor doesn’t take on all the load.

Try:

• Side-Lying Rib Smash with Forward Reach: Place a ball or roller under the ribs and reach forward as you breathe. This encourages posterior rib expansion and releases upper-back stiffness, decreasing upper ab or pelvic floor gripping.

• 90/90 with Forward Reach: From a 90/90 hip position, reach both arms forward as you exhale and allow your ribs to wrap. This improves thoracic mobility while reinforcing rib-pelvis alignment.

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3. Adductors

The adductors (inner thighs) are deeply connected to the pelvic floor through shared fascial lines. When the adductors are weak or underused — which is common postpartum — the pelvic floor often compensates by overworking. Restoring both adductor strength and length helps the pelvic floor release more effectively.

Try:

• Adductor Rockback with Rotation: With one leg extended, rock back into a stretch as you rotate through the upper back. This lengthens the adductors while promoting pelvic and rib mobility for a full-body release.

• Quadruped Hip Shift: On hands and knees, shift the hips gently side to side and back toward the heels, maintaining breath and alignment. This helps the adductors and pelvic floor release together.

• Side-Lying Adductor Glides: Lying on one side, extend the top leg and gently glide it forward and back, focusing on controlled movement through the inner thigh.

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4. Hip Openers

Tight hips often equal a tight pelvic floor. Hip openers create space for the pelvis to move freely, which reduces compensatory gripping from surrounding muscles. When combined with breathwork, these positions encourage deep relaxation through the pelvic floor while maintaining support through the surrounding system.

These are particularly powerful postpartum, when hip mobility and pelvic awareness may feel restricted.

Try:

• Deep Squat Off Yoga Block With Trigger Point Release: Sit into a supported squat with your butt on a yoga ball and a lacrosse ball between your rectum and sitz bones. Take slow, deep breaths into the belly and ribs. The position encourages pelvic floor lengthening while opening the hips without strain.

• Quadruped Rockback with Internal Rotation: Rock the hips back while gently letting the knees fall inward to explore internal rotation and release through the pelvic floor. Inhale as you sit back to send breath down to your pelvic floor muscles.

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5. Nervous System Regulation

Pelvic floor tension isn’t purely physical — it’s often a reflection of stress, overwhelm, or a heightened nervous system. When the body feels unsafe or on high alert, the pelvic floor naturally holds tension as a protective response.

Downtraining includes teaching the body that it’s safe to relax. Gentle breathwork, restorative positions, and slow, mindful movement all support this shift. The more you pair relaxation strategies with movement, the more your system learns to let go automatically — without needing to “think” about it.

Try:

• Legs Up the Wall: A simple, restorative position that helps regulate the nervous system, reduces pressure, and allows the pelvic floor to fully release.

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Final Thoughts

Pelvic floor health is about more than strength — it’s about balance. A muscle that can’t let go is just as limited as one that can’t contract. By weaving downtraining strategies into both prenatal and postpartum programs, you give the pelvic floor space to release, respond, and coordinate with the rest of the core.

Breath, mobility, adductor work, hip openers, and nervous system regulation all play a role in teaching the pelvic floor to move through its full range of motion. The result is a system that’s not only stronger, but also more adaptable, responsive, and resilient.

Looking for more guidance in your pre/post natal training. Try the Lift with Emily App for free today.