Physio, Pilates, yoga, Nursah Katkak blends them all to help women with pelvic pain feel strong, supported, and in sync with their cycle. Her advice? Less Kegels, more breath, and full permission to move with your body, not against it.
Name: Nursah Katkak
Day job: Physiotherapist (Musculoskeletal; Women’s Health)
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Describe your work in one sentence.
I’m a physiotherapist who blends pilates, yoga and evidence-based women’s health physiotherapy to empower women to move with strength, confidence, and joy.
What’s your journey - how did you land here?
My journey began in Turkey, where I trained and practised as a physiotherapist in my studio before moving to Melbourne to complete my Master of Physiotherapy. Alongside my clinical work, I built a deep love for Pilates and yoga as tools for both rehabilitation and self-discovery.
What drives me is seeing people reconnect with their bodies, whether that’s a new mum regaining trust in her core, someone living with chronic pain finding daily relief, or a patient rediscovering joy in movement they thought they had lost.
You’re a physio, Pilates and yoga teacher. How do these connect?
Each role adds a different lens: physiotherapy gives me the clinical tools to assess and treat, Pilates gives me a structured yet playful way to rebuild strength and control, and yoga teaches presence, breath, and compassion for the body.
Together, they form an integrated approach, and I can tailor sessions to meet patients where they are physically, mentally, and emotionally.
What drew you to women’s health and pelvic physio?
Coming from Turkey, I noticed how rarely women speak about pelvic health. Topics like leakage, pain with intimacy, or recovery after birth are often surrounded by embarrassment, and many don’t even realise that help exists. If an OB-GYN doesn’t guide them towards the right support, most women don’t know that women’s health physiotherapy is even an option.
That silence really struck me. I wanted to be the person who could break that cycle so they don’t feel alone in these experiences.
How can physio help with pelvic pain day-to-day?
Physiotherapy can help by identifying the drivers of pain, whether muscle tension, weakness, posture, or habits, and creating a tailored plan to manage them. This may include gentle pelvic floor downtraining, stretches, breathwork, manual therapy, and graded exercise.
Importantly, physio also equips you with practical strategies: how to pace activity, how to relax and release the pelvic floor, and how to rebuild trust in movement so daily life feels less restricted and more supported.
How can Pilates and yoga support endo sufferers?
Traditional workouts often focus heavily on high intensity. Some women might even be advised to push through pain. For someone with endometriosis, that can sometimes flare symptoms.
Pilates and yoga, on the other hand, offer low-impact, gentle yet strengthening movement that can be adapted to energy levels, the menstrual cycle, and pain on the day. They also focus on breath, mobility, and nervous system regulation. All of these things can help calm pelvic tension and ease bloating.
Is there a link between posture, alignment, and pelvic pain?
One surprising connection is between the jaw and the pelvic floor. Both areas share fascial and nervous system links, so jaw clenching often mirrors pelvic floor tension. Forward head posture or constant jaw tightness can indirectly contribute to pelvic pain.
Slouching is another big one: when you collapse through the spine, pressure shifts onto the abdomen, compressing pelvic organs and sometimes aggravating pain. Add inactivity into the mix, and you often see slowed gut motility or constipation, which then feeds back into more pelvic discomfort. Knowing how your posture and daily habits affect these areas can be a powerful first step in breaking that cycle.
What are your go-to physio or Pilates moves people can do at home?
- Child’s pose with deep breathing → relaxes the pelvic floor and eases cramps.
- Supine butterfly stretch (lying on your back, soles of feet together, knees apart) → opens the hips and reduces pelvic tension.
- Pelvic rocks lying on your back → gentle movement to mobilise the spine and pelvis.
- Happy baby pose → great for stretching the pelvic floor and calming the nervous system.
- Always pair these with slow, diaphragmatic breathing. Breath can make a difference.
Do small shifts in sitting, standing, or posture make a difference?
It really depends on what the pelvic pain stems from. For example, if tailbone pain is part of it, sitting slouched with your weight on the tailbone often makes things worse. Using a cushion or tilting forward slightly can help.
The knees also play a role, especially in women with hypermobility, as locking the knees back while standing can create extra strain through the pelvis and lower back. Carrying habits matter too: a heavy bag always on one shoulder or arm can increase tension.
Small changes like softening the knees when standing, keeping weight balanced when sitting, and swapping to a backpack or alternating bag sides can make a real difference daily.
How do you use breathwork in your teaching - and why is it so powerful?
Breath is one of the most powerful tools for pelvic health. The diaphragm and pelvic floor move together. When you inhale, the pelvic floor gently lengthens; when you exhale, it naturally lifts.
Teaching people to connect with this rhythm helps release tension, improve coordination, and calm the nervous system. In Pilates and yoga, we use breath not just for relaxation but also to build strength and control.
For many women, learning to breathe “into” the pelvis is the first step in reducing pain and restoring confidence in movement.
Any breathwork tips people can try at home?
Small, consistent practices often go a long way:
- Jaw + pelvic release: unclench your jaw while inhaling deeply to relax the pelvic floor.
- Gentle stretches: child’s pose, happy baby, or windscreen wipers (lying with knees side to side) help ease tension.
- Movement snacks: every hour, stand up, stretch, or walk.
For chronic pain, how do you balance movement with rest?
With chronic pain, it’s less about “pushing through” and more about pacing. Movement is important because it keeps tissues mobile, boosts circulation, and calms the nervous system. But rest is equally important for recovery.
I encourage my clients to think of it like a “movement budget”: spend a little energy on gentle activity daily, but keep some in reserve so you don’t flare symptoms. Some days that might mean a full Pilates class; other days, it’s just a walk and breathwork. Both are valid.
How can someone know when to push or slow down in their cycle?
It starts with awareness. I suggest tracking energy, mood, and pain across a few cycles so we begin to see patterns.
Many feel stronger and more energised in the follicular phase (after bleeding), while the luteal and menstrual phases may call for gentler, restorative practices.
Learning to honour these shifts, instead of expecting the same performance every day, helps women build trust with their bodies and reduce frustration when symptoms change.
Beyond movement, what lifestyle factors matter most for pelvic pain?
Beyond exercise, the biggest shifts often come from daily lifestyle patterns. Stress management is crucial - high stress can amplify muscle tension and make the nervous system more sensitive to pain.
Sleep also plays a huge role; when people aren’t getting good-quality rest, their ability to recover and regulate pain is much lower. And finally, nutrition and hydration can’t be overlooked. Supporting digestion, avoiding constipation, and reducing systemic inflammation can all ease pressure on the pelvis and improve overall comfort. Together, these elements create the foundation for movement and therapy to really work.
Do you adapt your own workouts around your cycle?
Yes, I’ve learned to match my workouts with my energy. I generally check in with myself before any movement practice to see what exercise my body would like.
In my follicular phase, I can push myself further during Pilates, yoga, or walking. As I move into my luteal phase, I scale it back to slower flows. During my period, I focus on restorative yoga, walking, and breathwork. It’s also okay if I don’t feel like moving during this time. This helps me work with my body, not against it.
What does your self-care routine look like when you’re off balance?
When I’m off balance, I always go back to basics. That might mean slowing down with restorative yoga, taking long walks by the beach (the water always calms me), or even treating myself to some ice cream.
I usually feel better when I’m productive and ticking things off my list, but I’ve realised that’s still me “grinding” towards something. So I’m learning to give myself full permission to rest, without guilt, and let that be enough.
Any go-to tools that always reset you?
Movement is an anchor for me, and the type of movement depends on how I feel on the day. Cooking with my favourite music on is another one!
What’s one pelvic health or women’s physio myth you’d love to bust?
Every woman should do Kegels. Women need to learn how to relax their pelvic floor - not just strengthen it. The real goal is balance.
Why do you think periods are still taboo?
For generations, periods have been framed as private, messy, and even dirty. That culture of silence is hard to undo. The more we normalise these conversations, the more women seek support when something isn’t right.
If you had the attention of all women for a few minutes, what’s your #1 health message?
You don’t have to put up with pain, leakage, or discomfort as “just part of being a woman.” Your symptoms are valid, they matter, and help exists!
MY CYCLE
- My period in 3 words: Grounding, reflective and tender.
- Period self-care toolkit: Gentle yoga flows, mani-pedi, chocolate!
- Favourite herb for hormone balance? Dandelion root tea has been a recent favourite.
- Most underrated period self-care ritual or hack? Pairing deep breathing with a jaw release!
- Contraception of choice: Non-hormonal options, I like staying connected to the natural rhythm of my cycle.
- On day 1, you’ll find me: Curled up rewatching Friends for the millionth time.
