There are so many question marks surrounding the female orgasm, so we're here to talk about one of the biggest factors in it actually happening: your pelvic floor. Of course, there are so many other elements that help you reach climax—your partner, foreplay, stimulation—but it's your pelvic floor muscles that can make or break the Big O.
Sex & Relationship Therapist Carli Blau, LCSW, breaks it down once and for all.
1. YOUR PELVIC FLOOR AND YOUR ORGASM ARE CLOSELY LINKED.
When an orgasm occurs, there is a uterine contraction, and then the muscles around the pelvic floor contract. That’s why your body may jerk or move in a quick way when it happens – the muscles tense when the orgasm occurs.
2. YOUR PELVIC FLOOR CAN BE WHAT'S PREVENTING YOU FROM HAVING AN ORGASM
If the pelvic floor is too tight, there might not so much to contract because the muscles are so tight already. If the pelvic floor is too loose, on the other hand, it might be difficult to feel an orgasm. Tightening it might help it feel more profound.
3. YOUR WORKOUTS MAY BE OVER-STRENGTHENING YOUR PELVIC FLOOR.
If you have never had your pelvic floor evaluated, you may not know if your pelvic floor is normal, hypertonic or hypotonic, and therefore, you may not know what workouts are best for you. For someone with a hypertonic pelvic floor, core and pelvic floor muscles may be so tight that they aren’t able to achieve an intense orgasm, or one at all. If part of the orgasmic pleasure is from the muscle contractions, one can imagine without these contractions, an orgasm may feel less intense.
The Pvolve Method is great because you can use your equipment to do a well-balanced, full-body workout.
If your pelvic floor is hypertonic, there are other ways to utilize Pvolve equipment to strengthen your arms and the rest of your body. That way, you’re not increasing your pelvic floor strength, but rather strengthening other important parts of your body. You can also tap into the mindfulness and breathwork classes to release the tension in your pelvic floor.
4. BUT, YOUR WORKOUTS CAN ALSO HELP STRENGTHEN YOUR PELVIC FLOOR IF NEEDED.
Someone with a hypotonic pelvic floor may want to exercise and tighten their pelvic floor and core.
That's where our Pelvic Floor Strengthening Program can help. In this six-part series, trainer Alexia Acebo and Dr. Amy Hoover, Chief Physical Therapist and member of the Clinical Advisory Board, provide step-by-step instruction on how to engage your pelvic floor—starting with gentle breath work and moving into more intense movements with equipment.
MORE ABOUT CARLI:
Dr. Carli Blau, LMSW, M.Ed., M.A., Ph.D. in Clinical Sex Therapy, is a Licensed Sex and Relationship Therapist who specializes in women’s health including infertility, endometriosis, and PCOS. She is certified in Maternal Mental Health, received her Master’s of Social Work from Columbia University, a Master of Education in Human Sexuality from Widener University, and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Clinical Sex Therapy studying infertility and sexual esteem in women trying to conceive.
