Hypertonic Pelvic Floor: When 'Tight' Isn’t Strong

The pelvic floor is often misunderstood — even among health and fitness professionals. When someone experiences pelvic pain, bladder issues, or core weakness, the common advice is: "Do kegels. Strengthen your pelvic floor." But what if your pelvic floor isn’t weak — it’s overworking?

A hypertonic pelvic floor is one that holds too much tone or tension. In other words, the muscles are too tight — not too loose — and they may not know how to let go. This can cause just as much dysfunction as weakness, if not more. Understanding the difference is critical for anyone supporting postpartum bodies, healing from trauma, managing chronic stress, or simply trying to reconnect with their pelvic health.

What Is a Hypertonic Pelvic Floor?

A hypertonic pelvic floor is one in which the muscles are chronically contracted, even at rest. These muscles may seem “strong,” but they’re often fatigued, inflexible, and poorly coordinated. Just like a clenched jaw or tight shoulders, a hypertonic pelvic floor reflects tension that hasn’t been discharged.

This condition can interfere with normal pelvic functions: urination, bowel movements, sexual activity, and even breathing. When the pelvic floor can’t fully relax, it disrupts the natural rhythm of support and release that the body relies on. Strength without mobility is not functional — and in this case, tightness can actively prevent true strength from developing.

Common Symptoms of a Hypertonic Pelvic Floor

The signs of a hypertonic pelvic floor can be subtle at first — and often dismissed or misdiagnosed. Common symptoms include:

• Pain or burning in the pelvic area

• Pain during or after sex

• Difficulty emptying the bladder or bowels

• A sense of heaviness or fullness

• Urinary urgency or frequency

• Lower back, hip, or tailbone pain

• Feeling like you “can’t relax” that part of your body.

Because many of these symptoms overlap with those of a hypotonic (weak) pelvic floor, people are often given strengthening routines that make the problem worse. That’s why assessment and body awareness are so important.

What Causes the Pelvic Floor to Overactivate?

There are many reasons someone might develop a hypertonic pelvic floor, and it often involves both physical and emotional factors.

Chronic stress and anxiety can lead to unconscious muscle bracing — including in the pelvis.

High-impact sports or fitness routines may create tension from overuse, especially when paired with poor core control.

Birth trauma, sexual trauma, or medical trauma can leave behind deep tissue guarding.

Postural habits, like clenching the glutes or standing with a tucked pelvis, contribute to unnecessary activation.

Misguided core training that emphasizes constant engagement (“pull your belly in,” “squeeze your core”) trains the body to brace rather than move.

The body is smart. If it’s holding, it’s protecting. But sometimes what helped you survive one chapter becomes a barrier in the next.

Why ‘Tight’ Doesn’t Equal ‘Strong’

Muscles that are always contracted don’t have full range of motion. That means they can’t fully lengthen or fully contract. This is why people with hypertonic pelvic floors often feel weak, unstable, or fatigued — even though the muscles are technically “on” all the time.

True strength is about coordination, responsiveness, and adaptability. A functional pelvic floor can turn on and off. It supports when needed, then softens. If you skip the release phase, you’re training rigidity, not resilience.

This is why many people with chronic pelvic issues don’t benefit from kegels — and why many movement professionals are shifting to a “soften first” approach in pelvic care.

Releasing Before Strengthening: The New Foundation

If you suspect your pelvic floor is overactive, the first step isn’t to strengthen — it’s to listen and release. This may include:

 Diaphragmatic breathing (connecting the breath and pelvic floor)

Body scans and somatic awareness work

Supported rest poses (like child’s pose, happy baby, or constructive rest)

Manual therapy or internal pelvic floor bodywork (when guided by a specialist)

Downtraining techniques: slow, low-load movements that cue the nervous system to soften

At Banyan and Nomad, we focus on movement that respects the nervous system. We don’t force release. We invite it. With breath, rhythm, and gentle repetition, the body can learn a new way to be.

When to Seek Specialized Care

If symptoms persist or interfere with daily life, working with a pelvic floor physical therapist or a Functional Pelvic Health Practitioner (like Elena Rozmina Marian) can provide clarity and guidance. Internal assessments, when appropriate, can identify whether hypertonicity is present and help tailor a program that includes manual techniques, neuromuscular re-education, and movement therapy.

Even without internal work, external movement cues, breathwork, and nervous system regulation can dramatically change how the pelvic floor behaves. Healing isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what your body actually needs.

When Strong Hurts: Rethinking Pelvic Floor Care

A hypertonic pelvic floor doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong — it means your body has been trying to protect you. It’s simply time for a new kind of support.

At Banyan and Nomad, we teach movement and recovery from the inside out. If your pelvic floor feels tight, tense, or always “on,” your next step may not be strength — it may be softness. Trust that release is a form of strength, too.

 Explore our Balance Training Series or connect with Elena Rozmina Marian, Level 1 FPHP Practitioner, for compassionate, nervous system-informed pelvic care.