The Mind–Body Connection: How Disordered Eating Impacts Your Pelvic Floor & Physical Health

(And What You Can Do to Heal)

This blog is a collab between Lexi Bonilla, LCSW, therapist specializing in disordered eating, body image, & trauma, and Erika Warneke, DPT, physical therapist with extensive experience in treating pelvic pain, core dysfunction, & various orthopedic conditions.

We see—every day—how emotional stress and disordered eating patterns can impact the body, from muscle tension to pelvic floor dysfunction. Together, we’re breaking down the science in a way that actually makes sense, feels validating, and helps you understand what your body has been trying to tell you.

Let’s dive in!

Have you ever asked yourself these questions?

“Why does everything feel tighter when I’m stressed?”

“Why does sex hurt randomly?”

“Why do I feel bloated, tense, or off when I’m anxious about food?”

“Why does my body freak out during certain seasons or events?” (holidays, summer, weddings, etc.)

“Why do I get dizzy or shaky when I’m trying to ‘eat clean’?”

“Why does my body feel disconnected when I’m trying so hard to be ‘healthy’?”

If you’ve ever wondered why your pelvic pain, fatigue, tension, or “off” body sensations seem to flare when your relationship with food feels stressful… you’re not imagining it. 

Your mind and body are always in conversation and disordered eating can shape that conversation more than most people realize.

Disordered eating is what happens when food starts to feel complicated. It can look like constant food guilt, skipping meals, obsessing over “good” vs “bad” foods, compulsive exercise, or feeling like your worth depends on what you eat or how your body looks.

What we often label as “just physical” symptoms can be your body’s way of asking for safety, nourishment, and connection.

In this blog, we’ll explore how disordered eating impacts the nervous system, pelvic floor, and overall physical wellness, and why healing requires a mind–body approach.

When Your Body Feels Unsafe: How the Nervous System Responds

The nervous system is your body’s communication network. It controls how you think, feel, move, and respond to stress. The nervous system plays a huge role in how the body holds (or releases) tension. 

When someone is navigating food rules (“I can’t eat this, I shouldn’t eat that”), body criticism (“Ugh I hate the way I look”), chronic stress, or perfectionism, the body can slip into protective mode, also known as fight, flight, or freeze.

This can look like:

• Holding your breath without noticing

• Clenching your jaw, shoulders, or core

• Feeling disconnected from hunger or fullness cues

• Racing thoughts or trouble winding down

• Fatigue from constantly “pushing through”

• Feeling numb, shutdown, or dissociated

  
  

Your body isn’t malfunctioning.

It’s trying to protect you.

And here’s the part most people don’t realize:

When the nervous system stays tense… the pelvic floor often follows.

Your pelvic floor is part of your core and is impacted by your fight-or-flight response system. It may tighten when the body feels threatened, even emotionally.

The Pelvic Floor + Disordered Eating: A Hidden Link

Chronic Stress = Chronic Clenching

If you’re constantly bracing against internal stress (food guilt, fear of weight gain, self-criticism), your pelvic floor may stay in a state of tension. Negative thoughts about your body are clues that your nervous system is “dysregulated” or outside of its ability to be fully engaged in the present moment. 

This can lead to:

• Painful intercourse

• Urinary urgency

• Difficulty fully relaxing your pelvic muscles

• Constipation or incomplete emptying

  
  

Your body is trying to keep you “safe”… even when you don’t ask it to.

Malnutrition & Restriction Impact Pelvic Floor Strength

The pelvic floor is made of muscles, and muscles require fuel.

When someone is under-nourished or cycling through restriction and binge patterns, those muscles can weaken.

Dieting, a behavior encouraged by society as a way to cope with poor body image, also activates your body’s fight/flight response. Your body cannot tell the difference between food restriction and “danger”. Diets can threaten the body’s sense of safety. 

This may show up as:

• Urinary incontinence

• A feeling of pelvic heaviness

• Increased risk of prolapse (Prolapse = when the pelvic floor gets weak and an organ presses into the vaginal wall, causing pressure or heaviness.)

• Core instability

• Low-back or tailbone discomfort

  
  

A body without enough energy struggles to support you the way it wants to.

For active folks or athletes, this under-fueling can also show up as RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). This is a state where the body isn’t getting enough energy to support both daily life and training demands. RED-S can lead to decreased strength, slower recovery, hormonal shifts, and even worsening pelvic floor symptoms because the body is constantly operating in conservation mode.

In other words, it’s not about willpower or fitness level, it’s about your body not having the fuel it needs to function the way it wants to.

Circulation, Blood Pressure & Dizziness

Disordered eating also affects circulation, hydration, and blood pressure, which can lead to:

• Dizziness when standing

• Lightheadedness during exercise

• Feeling “floaty," shaky, or unsteady

• Difficulty focusing

  
  

This isn’t weakness or “not trying hard enough.” This is physiology.

Your body is asking for support, not judgment.

Healing Happens When We Treat the Whole Person

The pelvic floor does not exist in isolation. Neither do your eating patterns. Neither does your nervous system.

You heal when each part of you is supported, together.

That’s why collaboration between therapists, pelvic floor PTs, dietitians, and primary care providers can make such a profound difference.

Mind–body healing is not “too much.” It’s essential.

PT Tools You Can Try at Home

You don’t need intense workouts or complicated routines to reconnect with your body. Small, consistent movements help your nervous system feel safe, improve circulation, and gently strengthen the muscles that support your core and pelvic floor.

Here are some beginner-friendly tools from Erika that you can try at home:

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing (3–3–6 Pattern)

Breathe in for 3, hold for 3, exhale for 6. Do this for 5 minutes at a time to reduce global muscle tension and calm your nervous system. Great for: pelvic tightness, anxiety, bracing, digestive discomfort.

2. Seated Shoulder Rolls

Roll your shoulders forward 8 times and backward 8 times. This helps release upper trap tension (a common holding pattern for people dealing with stress, food anxiety, or perfectionism.)

3. Supine Knee Rocks

Lie on your back with knees bent, then gently rock them side to side for 30 seconds. This supports gentle spine and hip mobility without pushing your limits.

4. Wall Angel Slides

Stand with your back against the wall and slide your arms up and down slowly for 10 reps. This helps improve posture, open your chest, and decrease the “protective” rounding posture many people fall into.

5. Post-Meal Walk (5–10 Minutes)

A short, easy-paced walk after eating improves circulation, digestion, and nervous system regulation (no performance goal, no calorie-burn mentality). Just connection and care.

Why This Routine Helps

The purpose of this routine isn’t to “work out.” It’s to:

• increase circulation

• reduce tension

• support digestion

• gently rebuild strength

• help your nervous system feel safe

• rebuild trust between you and movement

  
  

Pairing these PT tools with therapy creates a powerful foundation for healing emotionally and physically.

Gentle Ways to Nourish Yourself (Body + Mind)

Here are some supportive practices to help rebuild trust in your body and your relationship with food:

• Checking in with what you need before choosing a meal:

  • “Do I need something warm or cold?”

  • “Am I low on energy?”

  • “Do I need something satisfying or something light?”

  • “Have I had enough protein/fat/carbs today?”

  • “Is this a hunger that needs food, or a feeling that needs comfort?”

• Eating enough and often enough to stabilize your nervous system (a good rule of thumb is about every 3 hours)

• Letting go of “all-or-nothing” food rules

• Reframing self-talk around hunger, fullness, and satisfaction

• Adding compassion (even 1% more) to your decisions

Final Thoughts: Your Body Wants to Support You — Here’s How You Can Support It Back

Your pelvic floor isn’t betraying you.

Your nervous system isn’t being dramatic.

Your body isn’t broken.

It’s speaking.

And when we treat both the emotional and physical layers of food and body struggles, everything changes.

If you’re ready for a supportive, trauma-informed space to explore this work, I’d love to help you begin that journey.

Book a free introductory call with me at Innerbloom Counseling!

Book Now

 You deserve food freedom and physical ease. Your body has been waiting for you.