Do you have to bring an extra towel with you to your cardio class to “mop up” the urine you leak when you jump, step, or kick?
That can be embarrassing, not to mention discouraging to even the most optimistic of women. Yet women’s urinary incontinence keeps many ladies from exercising as much as they would like.
Luckily, you can take some simple steps to avoid urine leakage during exercise. Using some or all of these tips can get you back on your exercise program before you know it. Plus, you’ll be staying high and dry during your workout, without any embarrassing pauses for “mopping up”!
Preventing Urine Leakage During Exercise – 7 Tips
Tip #1: Exercise Your Body Inside and Out
Being able to work out at the gym without urine leakage may depend on how regularly you exercise your pelvic floor muscles. Regularly exercising these muscles can keep you toned and fit internally, which prevents urine leakage. For the scoop on pelvic floor muscle contractions (also called Kegels) check out our free informational ebook.
Download the “What’s Up Down There” ebook here.
Tip #2: Take Your Prescribed Medication for Women’s Urinary Incontinence
If your doctor has prescribed medication that eases your urinary incontinence symptoms, be sure to keep taking your medication. If you have stopped taking your medication because of the side effects (such as dry mouth, constipation, or dry eyes), try some of our strategies for coping with these side effects. You’ll find it much easier to deal with medication side effects than with urine leakage—plus you get to keep up with your exercise program. Check out our strategies for coping with medication side effects here.
Tip #3: Limit Fluid Intake
While it is important to stay hydrated when you exercise, limiting your fluid intake just before your exercise session can help prevent urine leakage. You are the best judge of how much fluid you need to drink before and during your workout to stay hydrated while preventing leakage accidents. Experiment with different levels of fluid intake until you see some level of improvement in your urinary incontinence symptoms. Normally, women need to drink between four and nine cups of water per day to stay hydrated. Timing your fluid intake to avoid exercise times can reduce urine leakage during workouts.
Tip #4: Avoid Bladder Irritating Food and Drinks
Did you know that certain food or drinks can irritate your bladder, which can worsen your symptoms of urine leakage? One of the ways to avoid a urine leakage incident during your workout is to avoid these food and drinks at all times, and especially on days when you plan to exercise. Click here for a list of bladder irritants to avoid.
Tip #5: Urinate Just Before Working Out
Emptying your bladder before your workout can prevent leakage accidents. You can go a step further by practicing double voiding. Double voiding means urinating until you feel that your bladder is empty. Then, wait a few seconds, and urinate again. This allows your bladder to empty completely, which can help prevent symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, which is also called overactive bladder.
Tip #6: Use a Tampon or Urethral Insert
Both tampons and urethral inserts increase pressure on the urethra and support the bladder. Both of these actions can help prevent urine leakage during while you exercise, especially if you suffer from stress urinary incontinence. If you are interested in using a urethral insert, ask your doctor or urologist.
Tip #7: Use Absorbent Pads or Diapers
While this option seems unattractive for many women, since pads and diapers can be bulky and uncomfortable, you might be surprised at the advances in these products. Trying different absorbent products until you find the one that works for you may allow you to return to an active lifestyle without worrying about that embarrassing “wet panty” look. Check out the different kinds of absorbent products on the market today, and see which ones fit your needs.
Get it? Got it? Good! Go forth and exercise freely!
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