08/30/2026
There are SO many rules about how women are “supposed” to brace when they lift.
Don’t hold your breath.
You HAVE to hold your breath.
Kegel when you lift.
Don’t Kegel when you lift.
As a pelvic PT, my answer is usually…
It depends. 😂
I’m almost 45. I’ve had 2 babies, endometriosis excision, a hysterectomy… and, you know, gravity and life happening for a few decades.
I still like to lift heavy.
When I deadlift heavy, I use a strong brace and I hold my breath.
When I squat, I use a different strategy.
Why? Because I’m not trying to follow a rule. I’m trying to manage pressure.
And the way I manage pressure doesn’t have to look the same for every exercise—or the same as it does for someone else.
This is where I think we get into trouble with all the “never do this” and “always do that” advice.
A breath hold isn’t automatically bad.
A Kegel isn’t automatically the answer.
And more tension isn’t always better.
Your body should have options.
The goal is to figure out what works for YOU.