Colleen Quigley, a world record holder and steeplechase athlete who competed for the US in the 2016 Rio Olympics, has revealed an unusual aspect of her training regimen on Instagram. The 31-year-old athlete posted a video demonstrating a tongue-pulling exercise she incorporates into her routine.
In the video, Quigley shows how she uses her tank top to pull her tongue in various directions—up, down, left, and right. She holds each position for several seconds. Quigley claims that this exercise helps to release tension in her pelvic floor.
“Sometimes you drool on yourself—just try to relax into it,” Quigley advises in the clip. She explains that the exercise targets the muscles in the tongue and jaw, which are connected to the pelvic floor through the body’s myofascial system.
Quigley credits Dr. Noah Moos, a chiropractor from Texas who has worked with several Team USA athletes, for introducing her to this technique. Despite finding the exercise uncomfortable and admitting that it may look odd, Quigley believes it has significant benefits. “It’s insane what it does for your whole body!” she says.
Cate Schaffer, a pelvic floor therapist from South Carolina, spoke with Well+Good about the connection between oral movements and the pelvic floor. She noted that activities involving the mouth—such as eating and talking—can affect the pelvic floor, which is also linked to the vagus nerve connecting to both the pelvic organs and the voice box.
Schaffer warns that a tight jaw or altered breathing patterns can contribute to pelvic floor tension and discomfort. She suggests starting with one to two minutes of tongue pulling, trying different directions, and following up with relaxation and gentle massage of the cheek and temporal muscles.
While Schaffer acknowledges the connection between the jaw and pelvis, she remains skeptical about the overall effectiveness of the tongue-pulling technique. “Will it hurt to stretch your tongue passively? Most likely not,” she says. “Is it the most effective way to improve the pelvic floor? Probably not.”
Pelvic floor issues, such as discomfort during sex, affect 10% to 20% of American women. Kegel exercises, which involve contracting the muscles used to hold in gas or urine, are commonly recommended to strengthen the pelvic floor and improve sexual health.
