Should I exercise with urinary incontinence?
For many going through the challenges of urinary incontinence, simple daily activities and exercises can become a formidable challenge. However, the secret doesn't lie in surrendering to these challenges, rather embracing and adapting to them to ensure that we continue to stay active.
In other words, don't quit exercising because of urinary incontinence!
So, let's explore the various aspects of incontinence and exercise, including:
- Why do I leak when I exercise?
- Can I still exercise with incontinence?
- Ways to manage a weak bladder
- Empower your exercise with Incontinence Shop
Why do I leak when I exercise?
To understand urine leakage during physical activity, it's important to take a closer look at stress urinary incontinence. This is a common type of incontinence that, unlike an overactive bladder, comes about most during exercise.
Picture the bladder as a balloon supported by the pelvic muscles. When we exercise, the pressure within the abdomen increases, putting additional stress onto the bladder and urethra. Under normal circumstances, the sphincter muscles securely release the flow of urine, but with stress incontinence, it's a bit of a different story.
The pressure of exercise when you have stress incontinence can cause the sphincter muscles to open up, resulting in unintended bladder leakage.
This doesn't just happen during high-intensity workouts, though. Simple daily activities like coughing, laughing, or lifting can create a similar result, posing challenges in maintaining bladder control.
Can I still exercise with incontinence?
With this in mind, it might seem counterintuitive to suggest exercise if you live with incontinence. But the answer is - absolutely, yes you can and should!
Nurturing an active lifestyle is important. Not just for maintaining a healthy weight, but for ensuring the vibrancy of your daily life isn't eclipsed by the challenges of managing urine flow and unexpected bladder leaks.
Which exercises are best?
The best types of exercises for incontinence are generally low-impact. A low-impact exercise routine reduces the risk of making your incontinence worse by jeopardizing your bladder control, and includes activities like:
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Yoga
- Walking
- Water aerobics
These exercises are great for maintaining fitness without exacerbating existing urinary leakage.
Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles is also an essential part of managing your incontinence. A robust pelvic floor supports the bladder and urethra, reducing instances of a urine leak and improving control over your bladder muscles.
Pelvic floor exercises - also known as Kegel exercises - are best for this, and can be seamlessly woven into your daily life.
How else do I help my weak bladder?
Outside of low-impact exercises, there are several things you can incorporate into your daily life that will reduce unexpected bladder leaks.
Avoid lifting
Lifting heavy weights can be detrimental to your pelvic floor muscles, with the strain of the extra weight making them work harder than they need to. This leads to potential strain and weakening over time.
But what about those unavoidable moments where lifting is needed?
Well, just be wary of lifting safely; engage your pelvic floor muscles before and during the lift. If you can do this, then you counteract the extra pressure exerted on your body.
It's a subtle but powerful method that protects your pelvic floor during those necessary lifts, ensuring its strength and keeping urinary incontinence at bay.
Drink plenty of water
Again, it might seem counterintuitive to suggest drinking more when managing incontinence, but dehydration can actually make things worse for your bladder. Lower fluid intake leads to lower bladder capacity as it gets used to holding less urine at any one time, making it more and more sensitive to ever-smaller amounts.
Dehydration also leads to concentrated urine, which can irritate the bladder and increase your need to go. Similarly, not enough water can increase the risk of constipation which can lead to straining during bowel movements, and further weakened pelvic floor muscles over time.
Eat the right foods
It isn't just our water intake that affects urinary incontinence - the food we eat also plays a big part.
Acidic and spicy foods are notorious for irritating the bladder lining, leading to increased urgency and frequency in urination.
On the other hand, high-fiber foods are champions for managing incontinence. By promoting regular bowel movements and preventing constipation, high-fiber food indirectly contributes to improved incontinence symptoms.
Make sure you have a generous helping of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet to make sure your digestive system operates smoothly and your pelvic floor is spared from unwanted pressure.
Avoid caffeine
As a diuretic, caffeine has a knack for increasing urine production and irritating the bladder. This one-two punch makes caffeinated drinks a major thing to avoid when managing incontinence.
Managing incontinence in your daily life
Managing urinary incontinence, especially when it comes to exercise and daily activities, highlights the importance of our habits. From workout routines to our diets, each carefully considered step empowers you to live a vibrant, unrestricted life, even with incontinence.
And for cost-effective solutions that improve your comfort and dignity, then look no further than Incontinence Shop.
For prices lower than supermarket costs - even for the most premium brands like TENA and Drylife - Incontinence Shop is the best choice for those looking for bulk incontinence products.
What's more, if you subscribe to your incontinence product of choice, then you can enjoy 10% off every order as well as convenient doorstep delivery.
