Power from the Pelvis: Real Strength Starts at Your Core

When most of us think about “core strength,” we picture abs, crunches, or maybe a strong plank. But your true core starts deeper — in the part of your body we rarely talk about: the pelvic floor.

Your pelvis is your foundation. It supports your spine, holds up your organs, and works in constant rhythm with your breath, your posture, and your nervous system. When this system is out of alignment — even just a little — it can show up as back pain, fatigue, pelvic floor symptoms, and feeling disconnected from your body.

This week, we’re diving into how your core actually works, how posture and breathing impact your strength and stability, and what you can do every day to reconnect to your center.

Let’s break it down.

More Than Just Abs

The real “core” is a team — not a six-pack. It includes four deep muscle groups that work together to create a pressure system that stabilizes your spine and supports movement:

• Pelvic floor

• Diaphragm (your main breathing muscle)

• Transverse abdominis (deep core layer)

• Multifidus (tiny spinal stabilizers)

Imagine this system like a canister that works as a pump to build pressure and release pressure within your abdomen and facilitate breath— when one part is weak or uncoordinated, the whole system struggles. That’s when symptoms pop up.

Pelvic floor dysfunction can look like:

• Leaking with sneezing, coughing, or lifting

• Hip or low back pain, even chest and rib pain

• Core weakness or abdominal doming

• Feeling disconnected from your movement or body

What helps? It’s not just about doing more kegels. In fact, tension without relaxation is often part of the problem. What actually creates change:

• Diaphragmatic breathing

• A balance of relaxation and strength

• Glute activation and proper pelvic alignment

Why Posture Changes Everything

Posture isn’t about standing perfectly straight — it’s about how pressure flows through your body all day long.

When your ribs flare, your pelvis tilts, or your shoulders collapse forward, your core can’t activate the way it should. This leads to uneven pressure, tension, and even dysfunction in your pelvic floor and spine.

Common issues related to poor posture:

• Diastasis recti (ab separation)—this is not just seen in pregnant women but also in men with an extended and weak abdomen

• Pelvic floor symptoms (leaking, heaviness, inability to fully empty bladder, erectile dysfunction, constipation)

• Neck, back, or hip pain

• Core disconnection, fatigue, and compensation patterns

So what does good posture look like?

• Ears over shoulders

• Ribs stacked over your pelvis

• Core gently engaged — not gripped

• Glutes supporting the pelvis beneath you

This is your foundation, and how you stand, sit, and move through the day all builds on it. Small shifts can make a big difference.

Chiropractic & Nervous System Support

Your postural patterns and pelvic balance aren’t just muscular — they’re neurological. Stress, trauma, and daily tension can get stored in the spine, pelvis, and surrounding muscles. That’s why nervous-system-based chiropractic care is such a powerful support tool to:

• Restore spinal and pelvic alignment

• Rebalance postural and core muscle function

• Improve breathing mechanics and nervous system regulation

Posture Corrective Kits are another great tool to help correct postural discrepancies over time. For most people, remembering to do an exercise program is not always easy on the busy schedule or when you only have 5 minutes to spare. With a proper posture analysis to fit you with the best posture kit for YOU, you can see amazing results for just 5 minutes a day.

And if you’re dealing with deeper root issues — like chronic tension, poor healing, or irregular cycles — functional medicine testing can help you get to the bottom of it. Don’t guess — test. Knowing what’s happening in your body gives you a clear roadmap forward.

Try This: Daily Pelvic Core Reset

(3 Minutes a Day to Reconnect, Realign & Rebuild Your Core)

You don’t need an hour-long workout to reconnect to your strength. Try this short, powerful routine — it’s simple enough to do first thing in the morning, between meetings, or before bed.

Breath + Core Connection

1. Sit or stand tall.

2. Inhale through your nose, feeling the sides of your abdomen expand outward creating a 360 degree expansion of air. As you inhale, relax your pelvic floor tension—similar to when you stop trying to hold in urine, its not a push but a gentle release of squeeze.

3. Exhale slowly, gently lifting your pelvic floor and engaging your lower belly — imagine picking up a marble with your sit bones.

Posture Reset

1. Lift your chest to the ceiling like someone is trying to read letters on your shirt.

2. Gently roll your shoulders back and down.

3. Tuck your chin back, like someone is trying to kiss you and you aren’t interested!

4. Fire up your glutes with a soft squeeze — this helps anchor the pelvis.

Glute Activation (Optional Add-On)

1. Do 10 slow glute squeezes, holding for 3 seconds each.

2. Stay tall and relaxed through your upper body.

This tiny practice reconnects your breath, core, and posture — and over time, it builds the foundation for deeper strength, better movement, and less tension.

Your pelvis is more than just a structural base — it’s a powerful center of strength, stability, and energy. When it’s aligned and supported, everything else starts to work better: your core activates, your posture improves, and your movement feels more connected and effortless.

Whether you’re training, healing postpartum, preparing for birth, or just wanting to feel more steady and strong — this is your foundation. It’s never too late to reconnect.

At Align Family Chiropractic, we’re here to help you tap into that power — from the inside out.