How to Overcome Pelvic Floor Issues After 50
Did you know that pelvic floor issues impact many women over 50? My podcast guest, Sara Reardon will help you get the help you need.
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Pelvic floor issues are common but not normal. Help is available so women can take back their bodies, says board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Sara Reardon in her new book, FLOORED: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage (pub date June 10, 2025). Dr. Sara has built a robust community online as “The Vagina Whisperer” (664K Instagram followers; 13 Million TikTok Views) teaching women how to prevent as well as overcome pelvic floor issues at every stage of life with simple tips like “squeeze before you sneeze” to more advanced protocols to prepare for childbirth or navigate changes during menopause.
In this episode of Last First Date Radio:
- How Sara became known as “The Vagina Whisperer”
- What is the pelvic floor, and what are the common symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?
- What a woman should do if her doctor tells her her pelvic pain or leakage is essentially a normal part of being a woman, aging, pregnant, postpartum, menopause, etc
- Some of the most common pelvic floor problems and what women do to treat them
- Top tips any woman can do right now to take care of her pelvic floor
- Why there’s a stigma around talking about women’s health “down there”
- How pelvic floor problems evolve over time if left untreated
- How women’s partners can help them with their pelvic floor pain
- What a woman can do if she can’t find a pelvic floor therapist near her
EP 665: Sara Reardon – A Woman’s Guide to Overcoming Pelvic Floor Issues After 50
Why did you write FLOORED: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage?
I never planned to be an author. People kept saying I should write a book as a resource for women. I got an email from a Harper Collins editor asking me to write the book. I wanted women to feel less alone in every stage of life.
How did you become known as “The Vagina Whisperer”?
I’ve been practicing as a pelvic floor specialist for 18 years. Over the past five or six years, there’s been more awareness on social media. I started sharing information with my girlfriends and patients. So, in 2016, I started my account “The Vagina Whisperer”, because women weren’t getting this important information. I wanted to give them tips and tools to help them understand their bodies and give them relief.
What is the pelvic floor, and what are the common symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?
The pelvic floor supports your uterus, ovaries, your bowels, and for women, it affects menstruation and intercourse. If you have issues like urinary leakage, discomfort with bowel movements, or painful sex, it has to do with your pelvic floor.
What should a woman do if her doctor tells her her pelvic pain or leakage is essentially a normal part of being a woman, aging, pregnant, postpartum, menopause, etc?
Find a new doctor if you’re dismissed or minimized. You deserve to be treated with respect.
What are some of your top tips any woman can do right now to take care of her pelvic floor?
If you’re perimenopausal or menopausal, talk to your provider about topical estrogen, learn about the right lubes for more comfortable sex. Make your muscles stronger by knowing the proper way to pee – by letting the stream flow. For bowel movements, use a stool to relax and not strain. Pushing weakens your pelvic floor.
What do you think about the “big vulva” industry that’s booming selling women products like vaginal deodorant?
As we have more awareness of vaginal health, there are a lot of businesses that have released products that are for deodorizing vaginas. This is dangerous. It can put you at a higher risk for infections. If there’s a strong odor, get yourself checked for infections. There is a normal scent to vaginas.
How can women’s partners help them with their pelvic floor pain?
Knowledge is powerful. These are muscles and tissues in our body. If there’s pain, something isn’t right. If you had back pain, you’d tell your partner, too. First, understand where the pain is coming from. Second, ask your partner to help you. Do you need them to do yoga with you before sex? Use a lubricant? Communication is key. You’re not broken. It’s a WE problem, not a YOU problem.
What should a woman do if she can’t find a pelvic floor therapist near her?
You have a lot of options. Go to pelvicrehab.com or pelvicglobal.com or google to find a therapist near you. If you can’t find one, you can also do tele-health to get educated about your pelvic floor. I have an online exercise program. You can also buy my book to learn more.
What are your final words of advice for anyone who wants to go on their last first date?
The most important work we can do is on ourselves. That’s where you’re going to find the most growth. When my husband and I were getting married, someone asked what I liked about him. A better question is, “do you like who you are when you’re together?”
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