Welcome to P.volve Unfiltered—your space for real talk, not girl talk. Throughout the month and beyond, we’ll talk all things female body: orgasms, periods, boobs, the pelvic floor and so much more. Best part is we’re doing it in the most honest, raw way so that you can get the answers to your burning questions (we can talk burning, too!) to better understand your body and your health with a team of experts on our side.

The time has come for more Ooo's.

There are so many question marks surrounding the female orgasm, but we're here to talk about one of the biggest factors related to it actually happening: the pelvic floor. Of course, there are so many other factors at play that help you reach climax—foreplay, your partner, stimulation—but it's your pelvic floor muscles that can make or break the Big Moment. 

Below, Sex & Relationship Therapist Carli Blau 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 you might see in a movie or a video, a person’s body may jerk or move in a quick way. This is caused by the muscles tensing 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 then the uterus or pelvic floor muscles might be too tight where there’s not so much to contract; the muscles are so tight already. And if the pelvic floor is too loose, it might also be difficult to feel an orgasm and tightening it might help you feel a more profound orgasm.”

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.

P.volve 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 P.volve 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.” 

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 new Pelvic Floor Strengthening Program can help. In this six-part series, trainer Alexia and Dr. Amy 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.

MEET CARLI

LMSW, M.Ed., M.A., Ph.D. Candidate in Clinical Sex Therapy 

Carli Blau 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. 

For more from P.volve Unfiltered, check out the women's wellness section on our blog or get started with our workouts with a 14-day free trial.