Does The Pelvic Floor Affect Core Stability
Why Your Core Pressure System Has A Hole In The Bottom
Every coach talks about core stability. Almost none of them talk about the pelvic floor. This is a problem, because the pelvic floor is the bottom of the core stability system, and if it is not functioning, no amount of planks or deadbugs will give you stability under heavy load.
What The Pelvic Floor Actually Does
The core stability system is a pressurized cylinder. The diaphragm is the top. The transverse abdominis and obliques are the walls. The pelvic floor is the bottom. When all four components are functioning, intra-abdominal pressure increases evenly and your spine is stabilized from the inside. When any component fails, pressure leaks and the system compensates.
The Pressurized Cylinder Model
This model, central to both PRI and clinical biomechanics, explains why isolated abdominal training does not produce true core stability. The cylinder requires all four walls. A plank trains two of them (rectus and obliques). It does not train the top (diaphragm) or bottom (pelvic floor) or the coordination between them.
How Anterior Pelvic Tilt Compromises The Pelvic Floor
When the pelvis tilts anteriorly, the pelvic floor moves into a lengthened, disadvantaged position. It cannot contract efficiently because the bones it attaches to are in the wrong position. The result is a pressurization system open at the bottom. When someone squats heavy and butt winks, one factor is a pelvic floor that cannot oppose the descending diaphragm. Pressure escapes inferiorly.
Why Kegels Are Not The Answer For Athletes
Restoring pelvic floor function does not require isolated pelvic floor exercises for most athletes. It requires restoring pelvic position. When the pelvis is repositioned through PRI corrective work, the pelvic floor returns to a mechanically advantageous position where it can contract efficiently. The pressurization system seals automatically.
How Restoring Pelvic Position Fixes Pelvic Floor Function
This is why PRI corrective work often produces dramatic improvements in squat and deadlift stability within the first few sessions. The exercises are not directly targeting the pelvic floor. They are repositioning the pelvis so the pelvic floor can do its job. MOVECHECK assesses the entire pressurization system across multiple stages and addresses all four components of the cylinder.
See This In Your Own Body
Every concept in this article is tested in the MOVECHECK assessment. Find out which patterns apply to you.
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