Pelvic Floor Super Bowl Tips
- Feb 8
- 3 min read
Hi friends, it’s Super Bowl Sunday! This usually means comfy couches, good food, lots of cheering, and maybe a little more yelling than usual. But between jumping up to celebrate, laughing with friends, and sitting for hours at a time, your pelvic floor is working more than you might realize. Here are a few simple tips to help you stay focused on the game instead of worrying about leaks, pressure, or that “I should’ve gone to the bathroom earlier feeling.”
#1 Pay Attention to Bladder Irritants
Sporting events often include great food and drinks (and we’ll never tell you to avoid them). However, these bladder irritants can cause bladder irritation that can lead to strong urgency to pee or even leakage (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2021).
If you are consuming bladder irritants, just know that you may find yourself feeling the urge to go to the bathroom more often. Drinking small amounts of water with these irritants can help limit the irritation and minimize symptoms. If you find yourself suddenly needing to go to the bathroom, try urge suppression techniques like 5 quick squeezes of the pelvic floor muscles.
Note that if you are consuming any alcohol it is not only a bladder irritant, but it is a diuretic also (Hobson, 2010). This means that alcohol stimulates our bodies to create more pee than they normally would. You may find yourself with a full bladder more often.
#2 Keep Your Pelvic Floor Relaxed
If you’re into the game, you might find yourself stressed and tensing your muscles or holding your breath in key moments (and that’s okay!). The pelvic floor often tenses along with our other muscles even though we don’t realize it (Bo, 2015). If you find yourself tensing, make sure you relax your pelvic floor muscles afterwards. If the pelvic floor muscles stay clenched for too long it can lead to pelvic pain and even urinary symptoms. Take a few diaphragm breaths and visualize the pelvic floor muscles softening and dropping down towards your feet to help them relax.
#3 Use the Pelvic Brace
If you’re helping to host the party, you might be doing a lot of lifting. This could be heavy lifting like moving around furniture to prepare, or it could simply be lifting trays of food. To help minimize symptoms like urinary leakage or pelvic pressure and heaviness, use the pelvic brace by breathing out while you squeeze and lift the pelvic floor muscles.
If you use these techniques but you still find yourself struggling with pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms, seeing a pelvic floor physical or occupational therapist can help! You can find one near you at www.mypfm.com/find-a-pt
To learn more about your pelvic floor muscles, check out these great resources:
Check out our YouTube channel
Learn more about your pelvic floor on our Instagram
Support your pelvic floor muscles with the myPelvic Bra
Visit our Amazon store for our favorite pelvic health products
For providers, check out our growing library of educational courses to learn more so you can better help your clients here.
Written by Emily Reul, PT, DPT
References
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Prevention of bladder control problems (urinary incontinence). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/bladder-control-problems/prevention. Updated July 2021. Accessed February 8, 2026.
Hobson RM, Maughan RJ. Hydration status and the diuretic action of a small dose of alcohol. Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2010;45(4):366-71.
Bo K, Berghmans B, Morkved S, Van Kampen M. Evidenced-based physical therapy for the pelvic floor bridging science and clinical practice. 2nd edition. 2015.
