Floored Book Summary - Floored Book explained in key points

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Name: Floored
Rating: 4.2 (13 reviews)
Author: Sara Reardon

Sara Reardon

A Woman's Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage

4.2 (13 ratings)

19 mins

Brief summary

Floored delves into the intricate complexities of the real estate market, examining its profound impact on societal structures. Sara Reardon blends rigorous analysis with compelling narratives to reveal how space shapes economy and community.

Topics

Body Optimization Sex Self-Care Aging Women's Health & Maternity Healthy Living

Table of Contents

Floored
Summary of 6 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 6

What’s in it for me? Everything you were never taught about “down there”

Many women grow up hiding tampons in their sleeves, whispering about periods, and quietly tolerating discomfort “down there” as if it’s just the price of having a female body. When we leak a little urine, feel pain during sex, or discover a lump that turns out to be our bladder, we’re told it’s “normal” –⁠ something to manage with liners, surgery, or silence.

Vaginas are trending⁠ on red carpets, in museum exhibits, and even in candles. The awareness alone is a positive. Nevertheless, actual pelvic health care remains an afterthought.

In this Blink, you’ll uncover the often-ignored system at the center of so many physical and emotional struggles: the pelvic floor. You’ll learn why pelvic dysfunction affects nearly one in three women, how to identify subtle warning signs, and what you can do –⁠ starting today –⁠ to restore strength, function, and confidence. This is your crash course in reclaiming your body from the inside out.

What is the pelvic floor, anyway?

Sara Reardon started physical therapy school intent on becoming a sports therapist, inspired by her love of running. But a two-week unit on pelvic floor therapy changed everything. She discovered that the little-known pelvic floor muscles do much more than most people imagine –⁠ and yet they do everything from help us pee and poo to have sex and give birth.

So what is the pelvic floor? In short, it’s a hammock-like layer of muscles at the base of the pelvis –⁠ the bony area around your hips, sit bones, and pubic bone. These muscles control continence, support organs, assist with childbirth, and contribute to core strength.

What’s remarkable is how much these muscles do without conscious effort. Every breath involves coordination between your diaphragm and pelvic floor. They also contract automatically when you sneeze, laugh, or lift a grocery bag, keeping you stable and leak-free. Even during sleep, they maintain a gentle tone to hold everything in place.

Problems arise when the pelvic floor becomes either too tight or too weak. Tight muscles may lead to burning or difficult urination, painful sex, or constipation. Weakness can cause leaking, frequent bathroom trips, or a sense of not fully emptying your bladder. Because the pelvic floor connects with over 30 other muscles, issues here may also appear as back pain, hip problems, or even jaw tension.

Learning to examine your own pelvic floor empowers you to understand what’s happening in your body. Lie down with your knees supported, and use a mirror for external observation. With clean hands and trimmed fingernails, gently insert your index finger into your vaginal opening. Try contracting and relaxing the muscles inside at different lengths, checking if you can hold the contraction for five seconds before fully relaxing. Tenderness, tightness, or difficulty holding a contraction can signal areas to focus on –⁠ whether it’s strengthening or releasing.

Your pelvic floor deserves the same attention you’d give any other part of your body. Learning to work with these muscles can be the key to reclaiming comfort, confidence, and control in your daily life.

Peak pelvic performance

Though pelvic floor issues are common, they’re not normal. If you’re experiencing issues, seek treatment. The good news is that not everyone needs formal therapy. Many symptoms can improve with simple at-home changes.

It starts with the fundamentals, particularly posture. The way you sleep, sit, and stand directly affects your pelvic floor muscles. When sleeping on your side, stack your hips and place a pillow between your knees to keep your pelvic floor relaxed. While sitting, keep your feet flat on the floor and avoid crossing your legs at the knees, which tightens these muscles.

The secret world of pee and poo

Sandra, a teacher nearing retirement, cherished her Saturday morning with her best friend –⁠ until frequent urges to pee started ruining everything. She gave up coffee and started avoiding water. But eventually, she couldn’t complete even one lap around the block without leaking. Mortified, she considered giving up the walks she loved so much.

Nothing fixed the problem because the root cause wasn’t being addressed –⁠ her pelvic floor. These muscles control both urination and bowel movements by tightening to hold things in and relaxing to let them out. When they’re too weak, too tight, or uncoordinated, problems like Sandra’s emerge. Occasional leaks can escalate to complete loss of bladder control.

Sex and pregnancy

When Candace tried to have sex for the first time at sixteen, her partner kept hitting what felt like a “wall.” Sadly, when she told her doctor about the pain, she was advised to simply “relax more.” Like many women, she was left feeling broken, when in fact the issue was with her pelvic floor.

Painful sex and pelvic floor dysfunction can affect women at any age. The pelvic floor must relax to allow penetration while staying engaged enough to create pleasurable sensation. When these muscles are overly tight or in spasm, sex becomes painful or even impossible. Causes can include chronic tension from holding urine too long, poor posture, or past trauma –⁠ physical, emotional, or sexual. In each case, the pelvic floor responds to perceived danger by clenching protectively.

Birth and after

Recovery after childbirth and the transition through menopause are two of the most under-supported phases of a woman’s life –⁠ especially when it comes to pelvic health.

Postpartum, the body undergoes massive hormonal shifts. Estrogen and progesterone drop sharply, while oxytocin and prolactin surge. Tissues are healing from stretching, tearing, or incisions. Yet women are often cleared for full activity at six weeks –⁠ far too early for most.

Managing the pain

Imagine feeling like you’re sitting on a golf ball. Or that your underwear is made of sandpaper. Or that your clitoris has turned into a live wire. Strange as they may sound, these sensations are surprisingly common. About one in four women will experience unexplained pelvic pain in her lifetime.

Pain is the body’s alarm system, but with chronic pelvic pain, the signal often gets stuck. The original cause may be long gone, but the pain lingers, becoming more intense over time and often bringing anxiety, muscle tension, and fatigue along with it.

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What is Floored about?

Floored (2025) is a candid, empowering guide to understanding and healing the pelvic floor –⁠ an essential but often ignored part of the body that affects everything from continence to sexual wellness. The book breaks down myths, normalizes conversation around symptoms like pain and leakage, and offers practical tools for recovery across all life stages. With clarity and compassion, it urges women to reclaim agency over their bodies and demand better medical care.

Who should read Floored?

Pregnant and postpartum women
Fitness and body literacy enthusiasts
People experiencing pelvic pain or incontinence

About the Author

Dr. Sara Reardon is a board‑certified pelvic floor physical therapist and women’s health clinical specialist who has cared for thousands of patients since 2007 and founded The Vagina Whisperer, a widely followed online platform and movement. She’s a recognized advocate in mainstream media outlets –⁠ including Time, Harper’s Bazaar, and a TED Talk –⁠ championing better postpartum care and pelvic health education.

Categories with Floored

Health & Nutrition Sex & Relationships Personal Development

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