The Body Part Most Women Ignore Until They Think It's Too Late

You may have started following a Mediterranean diet and walking every day to keep your heart healthy. Maybe you do puzzles every morning, read books and socialize as much as you can to keep your mind active. But there’s likely one part of your body that you’re not paying enough attention to.

It’s actually a group of muscles that play an important role in your sexual, urinary and digestive health, and, too often, women ignore it until they have problems, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Even women who are incredibly proactive about their health can miss this completely—not because they don’t care, but because it’s rarely discussed at routine doctor’s appointments. In fact, many people assume that symptoms like leaking a little when you laugh or feeling pressure “down there” are just a normal part of getting older, when in reality, they can often be treated or prevented. And the earlier you pay attention, the more you can preserve function, comfort and confidence.

Here’s what you should know, and how to keep this part of your body as healthy as possible as you age.

The Body Part You Shouldn’t Ignore

It’s your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles provide support to your bladder, bowel and internal reproductive organs. The Cleveland Clinic refers to them as a “bowl or sling” that keeps these organs in place. Pelvic floor muscles have many functions, including:

Letting you control when you poop, pee and fart
Supporting your posture
Enabling you to cough or sneeze without peeing
Supporting vaginal contractions during sex
Allowing you to support your baby during pregnancy—and give birth vaginally

Since your pelvic floor plays so many important roles, it’s crucial to keep these muscles healthy, especially as you age, saysDr. Nissrine Nakib, MD, associate professor, medical director and vice chair of urology at the University of Minnesota, and advisory board member at Flyte.

What Impacts Your Pelvic Floor Health

Lots of things, Dr. Nakib says. “Hormone changes, childbirth, gravity, surgeries.”

Any of this can weaken the muscles in your pelvic floor, removing support for the organs there, leading to pelvic floor dysfunction, she explains.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is common, affecting about a third of women at some point in their lives. It occurs when you can’t relax and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles properly to pee or poop.

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Perimenopause and menopause can worsen pelvic floor dysfunction too, says Dr. Carolyn Botros, DO, a urogynecologist at Atlantic Health.

“The lack of estrogen from the ovaries creates a thinning of the vaginal and vulvar skin, which can result in more pelvic floor dysfunction,” she says. “This can create more pelvic floor disorders like constipation and bladder leakage, in addition to pelvic or vaginal pain or pain with intercourse.”

Changes during menopause, along with past pregnancies and surgeries, can put extra pressure on the pelvic floor, and the muscles can become more lax (this can also happen naturally with age), says Aleece Fosnight, PA-C, a physician assistant at Aeroflow Urology, who specializes in urology and women’s health.

How To Keep Your Pelvic Floor Healthy

It’s never too early or too late to address your pelvic floor health. Here are some tips:

Treat vaginal dryness and irritation

Dr. Botros says these issues are important to treat. They can cause vaganial tissues to thin and lose elasticity, which can contribute to pelvic floor problems, according to the American Physical Therapy Association. You can try over-the-counter vaginal moisturizers or talk to your doctor.

Address constipation

Chronic constipation puts extra pressure on your pelvic floor, which can lead to muscle weakness if left untreated, Dr. Nakib says. Increasing your fiber intake, drinking more water and exercising more can help, but your doctor can also offer advice. And, avoid straining when you poop, Fosnight says.

Get a handle on leaks

If you pee a little when you laugh or cough, talk to your doctor, Dr. Botros says. This could signal that you have a pelvic floor problem and may need treatment.

Do Kegel exercises

These exercises strengthen your pelvic floor. To do Kegels, squeeze, hold and relax your pelvic floor muscles. But Dr. Nakib says most women don’t do them correctly. To find the right muscles, insert your finger into your vagina and squeeze like you’re trying to hold in your urine; if you feel tightness on your finger, you’re doing it correctly, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. You can also see a pelvic floor physical therapist for help, Fosnight says.

Exercise

Walking, Pilates and yoga can increase circulation, strengthen your core and improve muscle endurance, which is good for your pelvic floor, Dr. Nakib says. Just strive to move more and sit less.

See your doctor

Pay attention to these symptoms: vaginal or pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, vaginal dryness, an urgency to urinate, bladder leakage, frequent urination, constipation, feeling stool left behind after having a bowel movement, and feeling a bulge in your vagina. If you have them, Dr. Botros says to make a doctor’s appointment.

“As urogynecologists, we evaluate this every day and can refer to pelvic floor physical therapists, which is like working with a personal trainer for this area of the body,” Dr. Botros says.

Up Next:

Sources:

Dr. Nissrine Nakib, MD, associate professor, medical director and vice chair of urology at the University of Minnesota, and advisory board member at Flyte
Dr. Carolyn Botros, DO, a urogynecologist at Atlantic Health
Aleece Fosnight, PA-C, a physician assistant at Aeroflow Urology, who specializes in urology and women’s health
Cleveland Clinic, Pelvic Floor Muscles
UChicagoMedicine, Pelvic Floor Disorders
American Physical Therapy Association, Vaginal Dryness
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Kegel Exercises

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Health & Wellness section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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The Body Part Most Women Ignore Until They Think It’s Too Late