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Causes and consequences of pelvic floor weakness

Sep 30, 2025

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Causes and consequences of a weak pelvic floor

The pelvic floor muscles perform an important task in the body, and if they are weakened, it can have a major impact on your well-being.

A weak pelvic floor is more common in women than you might think. It is just not talked about often because the subject is often associated with shame. This is because the muscles in the pelvis play a major role in continence, for example. However, sexual function and posture are also related to it. To understand what it means when the pelvic floor is weakened, one must first clarify the question of what is actually happening there in the body.

What is the function of the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor consists of three layers lying one on top of the other in the lower pelvis. It is therefore a muscle group consisting of muscles, connective tissue, and fascia. They form a type of plate that ensures the uterus, bladder, and bowel remain in their proper place.

If women experience weakness of the pelvic floor muscles over the course of their lives, the organs begin to descend. Once this happens, their natural functions are restricted and problems arise, which often manifest first in the bladder. But how does a weakened pelvic floor occur in the first place?

What causes pelvic floor weakness?

Pelvic floor weakness occurs when the elasticity of the muscles decreases. This can happen due to age, but it can also have other triggers. These include hormonal causes, physical strain over the course of one's life, or personal factors. Essentially, it is the same as with any other muscle: without targeted training, the pelvic floor can eventually no longer fulfill its actual task, which leads to a pelvic organ prolapse.

Causes of pelvic floor weakness:

Hormonal changes such as menopause or pregnancy
Physical strain during pregnancy or childbirth
Lifting and carrying heavy objects over many years
Age-related muscle laxity
Chronic constipation
Chronic cough
Diabetes
Smoking
Severe obesity

What are the consequences of a weak pelvic floor?

Many women experience pelvic organ prolapse at some point in their lives, but whether symptoms actually occur and to what extent they are felt is highly individual. It may be that one woman has no symptoms or only mild ones, while another has to struggle with very severe consequences. This depends partly on the severity of the prolapse and partly on how much the organs press against each other or against the vaginal wall. To help you recognize whether you are suffering from a pelvic organ prolapse, the most important symptoms are listed here. However, this list is no substitute for a doctor's visit. If you suspect that your pelvic floor is weak, it is always better to seek medical advice.

Pelvic floor weakness symptoms:

Stress incontinence: Inability to hold urine during physical exertion such as lifting heavy objects, exercising, laughing, or coughing.
Urge incontinence: A sudden, intense urge to urinate, often resulting in uncontrolled urine loss.
Abdominal pain
Back pain
Constipation
Impaired sexual sensation
Bladder prolapse
Uterine or vaginal prolapse
Fecal incontinence

What can you do about a weak pelvic floor?

Even if it all sounds bad at first: in addition to medical consultation, there are things you can do yourself to combat a weak pelvic floor and regain your quality of life. Through targeted training, it is possible to strengthen the muscles so that symptoms are alleviated or, in the best case, disappear entirely. Even if you don't have any symptoms yet, the following products and associated exercises can prevent them from occurring in the first place.

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Strengthening of the muscles thanks to pelvic floor training aids

To help you strengthen your muscles in a targeted way, a perfectly coordinated pelvic floor training set is available to assist you.
Start in Phase I with the five vaginal cones: they help you purposefully train your awareness of your pelvic floor muscles and gradually regain control over them.
In Phase II, passive long-term training begins with a vaginal cone. This prevents the pelvic floor from weakening again.

Training with a seat cushion

A seat cushion for pelvic floor training not only strengthens your pelvic floor muscles but also promotes a healthy posture. The cushion is perfect for everyday use, as it passively trains the muscles in the pelvic floor, chest, and abdominal areas.

Pilates ring workout

The Pilates ring has various areas of application. For one, you can use it to train your pelvic floor. Furthermore, it is also excellent for strengthening your back and abdominal muscles. With regular use, your coordination and sense of balance are also trained.

General tips for strengthening the pelvic floor

Train the muscles without equipment: Imagine you urgently need to go to the bathroom but are holding back your urine. Relax in between and then tense up again. Breathe normally and consciously while doing so. This exercise can easily be integrated into everyday life.
Consciously tense your pelvic floor before lifting heavy objects.
Sitting or standing upright encourages the muscles to work automatically.
Sports such as yoga, Pilates, swimming, or cycling are perfect for training your core without putting too much strain on the pelvic floor.

Always seek medical advice

Important note: This article contains only general information and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It is not a substitute for a consultation with a doctor.

FAQ – The most important questions regarding pelvic floor weakness

What is pelvic floor weakness?

The pelvic floor is an important muscle group in the pelvis that ensures that organs such as the bladder, bowel, and uterus remain in place. Over the course of life, various factors can lead to a decline in muscle strength and connective tissue, which often results in organ prolapse.

How does pelvic floor weakness develop?

For one thing, it is normal with age for muscle mass to decline without targeted training. For another, hormonal changes during menopause as well as pregnancy and the subsequent birth play a major role.

What are the causes of a weak pelvic floor?

Possible causes include menopause, pregnancy or childbirth, as well as lifting and carrying heavy objects. Age-related weakening of the muscles, chronic constipation, chronic cough, diabetes, smoking, or severe obesity can also contribute to this.

What happens if the pelvic floor is too weak?

When the pelvic floor muscles weaken, the organs begin to descend. This frequently results in involuntary urine loss when coughing, sneezing, or laughing, as well as during exercise and other physical exertion. Other symptoms include an uncomfortable feeling of pressure or a foreign body sensation in the lower abdomen, as well as back pain.

What helps with a weak pelvic floor?

A weakened pelvic floor does not have to be permanent. Just like any other muscle, it can be trained and can regain its function. There is targeted pelvic floor training for this, which helps you regain control. This way, your symptoms will gradually disappear, and you can feel more secure in your everyday life.

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Sale

Pelvic floor training value set

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Pelvic floor training aids Phase I active

€35,99

Intimate hydrogel

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Seat cushion for pelvic floor training

€26,99

Pilates ring

€27,99

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Pelvic Floor Training Aid Phase II

€26,99

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