Tag Archives: light leakage

stress incontinence may be a problem during exercise

The Catch 22 of Stress Urinary Incontinence

Exercise and Stress Incontinence

“If I exercise I leak, so I won’t exercise”

Does this sound familiar?  Everyone knows that exercise is good for your body, but it’s hard to be motivated if you think exercise will lead to an embarrassing moment.  A recent study shows a correlation between exercise and urinary incontinence – the more sedentary lifestyles were tied to higher rates of incontinence.

It’s a catch 22 for women with stress incontinence – exercise can help reduce symptoms, (especially if obesity is a factor), however many women find increased incidents of leaking during exercise.  So what to do?  Consider exercises that support the core and pelvic floor management and avoid intense bouncing movements (such as jumping jacks – we hate jumping jacks!!) or abrupt core muscle contractions.

Though this study shows a link between incontinence and exercise, it doesn’t look at the question of whether exercise is being avoided because of the urinary incontinence or whether more abundant exercise helped to keep symptoms in check.

The urogynaecologist on this research team suggests that health care professionals should be asking openly whether urinary incontinence is a barrier to exercise.  If a patient has stress incontinence, they could be guided towards exercises that minimize strain on the pelvic floor.  Acknowledging that stress incontinence could be preventing an active lifestyle is a first step towards finding ways to stay active despite the condition.

Science Daily Article: Involuntary urinary incontinence can discourage sufferers from exercise

Research Summary: Female reproductive factors are associated with objectively measured physical activity in middle-aged women

 

 

What About When you Pee Yourself All the Time?

When you Pee all the time after baby

Most women are prepared for body changes throughout pregnancy – we know there’s weight gain, fluid retention, and stretched-out skin.  We don’t immediately expect to bounce back from these things the second baby is born, but the general plan is … read more

Strengthening your Pelvic Floor – Kegel Exercises

kegel exercises for strengthening pelvic floor

Weakened pelvic floor muscles are one of the key causes of Stress Urinary Incontinence.  The pelvic floor works like a hammock to support organs including the bladder, colon, and uterus.  If the pelvic floor is weak, urine can leak. The … read more

Young and Active? You’re not Immune to SUI

Pre-kids, my assumption about urinary control issues was that it was limited to the very young and the very elderly.  After the kids came, I started experiencing stress urinary incontinence and blamed vaginal labour and delivery.  While childbirth is certainly … read more

Period Panties for SUI

THINX is “Period-proof underwear that protects you from leaks and keeps you feeling dry.” We’re thinking if these undies can hold up to two tampons worth of fluid during menstruation, they’ll offer more than enough protection for light leakage from … read more

Yoga For Stress Urinary Incontinence

If you practice yoga regularly or have tried it in the past, you have probably found that it’s a great way to find focus and relaxation along with the physical rewards of strength and flexibility.  Yoga is often used as … read more

Leaks Can’t Stop Me Now

A product placement video by HelloFlo, generating awareness on Stress Urinary Incontinence.  Can you relate? From their website: “We wanted to make a video to show women that we’re all in this together and there is no shame in our … read more

Core Training for Continence Recovery

Birth trauma, high-impact activities, hormone fluctuations as we age – any or all of these can lead to weakened pelvic floor causing stress urinary incontinence.  A program called Coretiques, created by physiotherapist Cheryl Leia aims to retrain the deep core … read more

Disposable Leakage Prevention

There are lots of disposable leak-absorbing products on the market today, and now manufacturer Kimberly-Clark’s Poise brand aims to help women prevent leakage instead of just absorbing leaks.  Their new product Poise Impressa is similar to a tampon; it’s inserted … read more

Lifestyle changes to Manage Stress Urinary Incontinence

Because of the embarrassment associated with Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI),the condition is overwhelmingly under-reported, which means that most women aren’t getting the help we need to recover.  Most studies indicate that less than half of SUI cases are reported, and … read more