Pelvic floor health has been in the spotlight in recent years, yet its connection to sexual well-being is often overlooked and misunderstood. It plays a crucial role in sexual function – from better muscle strength to better orgasms to overall sexual health and well-being.

Prominent pelvic floor specialist and fitness expert Courtney Virden is the founder of the iCORE Method pelvic floor program. With years of experience treating complex pelvic floor disorders, sexual dysfunction, and musculoskeletal and sports injuries, Virden has a unique perspective on how to achieve overall sexual satisfaction and a more fulfilling sex life.

Her approach integrates targeted exercises and holistic strategies to improve orgasm quality, increase sensitivity, and heighten arousal. She’s even worked with celebrities like the Kardashians and brands like POOSH.

Virden explains how strengthening your pelvic floor can impact your overall sexual health and well-being, and yes, that includes better orgasms for both men and women. (You might want to bookmark this section.)

What exactly is pelvic floor health?

You may or may not have been aware of the importance of an optimal pelvic floor. “A healthy pelvic floor means having strong, toned and responsive muscles that can contract and relax as needed,” says Virden. “It also includes healthy fascia and open neural pathways that ensure optimal pelvic floor function.”

Pelvic floor health may seem to be important only for women, but Virden says it’s equally important for men and women. “If the pelvic floor muscles aren’t properly tightened and aligned, it can lead to dysfunction. (On the other hand,) if the pelvic floor is too tight, tense or unable to relax, it can lead to a range of symptoms,” Virden explains. These can include sexual dysfunction, bladder and bowel problems, lower back pain and discomfort with movement.

Virden goes on to say that in men, this can manifest as erectile dysfunction or difficulty urinating, while women may experience pain during intercourse or urinary incontinence. “A healthy pelvic floor with strong, toned muscles that can contract and relax properly is essential to preventing these problems and supporting overall physical well-being,” Virden notes.

Pelvic floor and sexual health

How does pelvic floor health relate to sexual health and well-being? “Pelvic floor health plays an important role in sexual health and satisfaction,” says Virden. “In women, low tone and misalignment can reduce sensation and make orgasm difficult, while a hypertonic (too tight) pelvic floor can cause pain during penetration and prevent climax. In men, pelvic floor imbalances can lead to ejaculation and erection problems.”

And what about orgasms? “Exercising the pelvic floor and restoring proper tone and tension can significantly increase sexual satisfaction in both men and women,” explains Virden. “By getting the alignment right, you can open neural pathways, which improves sensations.”

Virden explains that good pelvic floor tone can lead to better orgasms in women, resulting in better sensations and improved orgasm ability and quality. For men, it can help with erectile function and ejaculatory control. “Ultimately, this leads to more satisfying and fulfilling orgasms,” Virden notes.

How to improve pelvic floor health

Okay, so how can both men and women improve pelvic floor health? Virden offers a few exercises to try.

Exercise No. 1: Rollovers

1. Start in a deep squat behind an exercise ball, balancing on your toes and balls of your feet.
2. Wrap your body around the ball and press your pubic bone into it. This will help stretch and open your pelvic floor, thighs, hips and lower back.
3. Roll forward and backward, continuing to apply pressure to your pubic bone against the ball to increase the stretch.

Tip: Make sure you maintain a relaxed neck position.

Exercise 2: Knee to chest

1. Lie on your back on a mat.
2. Bend one knee with your foot on the floor while the other leg rests on an exercise ball.
3. Tilt your pubic bone forward toward your chest and lift your gluteus maximus slightly off the mat so that your pelvis tilts.
4. Bend your leg on the ball and roll the ball toward your shoulder so that your knee goes down and your foot rolls outward.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise on the other side.

Tips: Your lower back should remain relaxed and you should have a pelvic tilt throughout the exercise. The leg on the floor should remain stable and your hips should be level with the ceiling.

The importance of a healthy pelvic floor

As a pelvic floor expert, Virden cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining pelvic floor health for men and women throughout life. “Preventive care can help avoid many problems, and most existing problems can be resolved with a suitable pelvic floor program such as the iCORE Method app, without the need for surgery or ongoing symptoms,” she says.

“The pelvic floor is the foundation of our core and any instability here can lead to problems throughout the body. Just as you wouldn’t build a house on an unstable foundation, you shouldn’t train your body on an unstable pelvic floor.”