June 2026

Why exercises just isn't enough

By Erica Bermudez, OTR/L — pelvic floor occupational therapist

One of the most common frustrations I hear is:

"I've been doing the exercises, but I'm still having symptoms."

It's very understandable if you've been doing all of the exercises but still are having symptoms.

We've been taught to think of the body like a machine:
Find the weak muscle.
Strengthen it.
Problem solved.

But pelvic health is rarely that simple.

Your pelvic floor doesn't exist in isolation.

It's constantly influenced by:

  • stress
  • breathing patterns
  • sleep
  • movement habits
  • past experiences
  • how safe or threatened your nervous system feels

This is one reason why two people can have similar symptoms but need completely different approaches.

Sometimes progress comes from adding the right exercise.

Sometimes it comes from addressing everything happening around the exercise.

If you've been feeling stuck, it doesn't necessarily mean you're doing something wrong.

It may simply mean there's more to the story & that you may need to speak with a professional.

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