Queefing (vaginal wind, or vaginal flatulence) happens when air gets trapped in the vaginal canal and pushed back out. It's not gas from your GI tract — nothing about it is 'dirty' — but it can be loud, unexpected, and mortifying in a Pilates class. What it actually is: a signal about how well your pelvic floor is coordinating with intra-abdominal pressure. Here's how to read the signal and quiet it down.
Why it happens most often during exercise
- Positions that open the pelvis — deep squats, downward dog, happy baby, child's pose, hip-openers.
- Movements that dramatically change intra-abdominal pressure — heavy lifts, jumping, running, planks.
- Postpartum changes to vaginal wall tone or laxity.
- A pelvic floor that isn't coordinating well with the diaphragm on the way down or the way up of a movement.
- Hormonal shifts around perimenopause and menopause that thin vaginal tissue.
What it's NOT
- It's not a sign that anything is 'loose' or damaged.
- It's not the same as flatulence — no bacteria, no odor.
- It's not something you did wrong.
- It's not always a pelvic floor 'weakness' — sometimes it's a tight floor that can't coordinate the release-and-return cycle.
The 4-step framework to reduce it
- Breath first: exhale on the effort. Blow out as you stand up from the squat, as you push the weight, as you come out of the pose. This helps the pelvic floor lift with the movement instead of getting caught open.
- Pre-engage lightly: before the hardest part of the movement, do a gentle 30% pelvic floor lift (imagine picking up a blueberry with the vaginal walls). Not a max squeeze.
- Slow the transitions: coming out of downward dog, out of happy baby, out of a squat — a controlled exit gives the vaginal walls time to close before air can be forced out.
- Address the root: if it's happening constantly, it's a coordination or tone issue that a pelvic floor therapist can assess in one session. Guessing at exercises without an exam usually misses the actual driver.
When to see a pelvic floor therapist
If queefing is happening in almost every workout, if it's paired with leaking or pelvic pressure, if it started after birth, or if it's keeping you from the exercise you love — get evaluated. It usually takes 3–6 sessions to retrain the coordination pattern, and no one has to know about it besides you.
The bigger picture
Your pelvic floor is one of the most under-taught muscle groups in the body. It works with your diaphragm on every breath, every lift, every step. When the coordination is off, it shows up in small tells — queefing, mild leaking, that heavy feeling by the end of a long day. These aren't things to just live with. They're early information, and they respond really well to skilled care.
Pelvic floor & postpartum OT in Basking Ridge, NJ
Modern Movement is a women's health and orthopedic occupational therapy practice based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, serving moms across Somerset County — including Bernardsville, Bedminster, Far Hills, Warren, Bridgewater, Martinsville, Gladstone, and the surrounding Somerset Hills. We work with pregnant and postpartum women on pelvic floor health, diastasis recti, core recovery, low back & hip pain, and return-to-running — in person, one-on-one, for a full hour.
Want a plan built around you?
Book a 1:1 session with Amanda in Basking Ridge for a personalized assessment.