Whoops… accidents during exercise! 

5 Tips to Avoid Little Accidents During ExerciseImage result for woman exercising

Exercise is part of staying healthy. A workout causes a surge in endorphins, leaving you feeling great.

But there is one thing that dulls this feel-good factor – realising that you have had a little accident – a small but involuntary escape of urine. Try as hard as you might, even with incontinence products suitable for exercise, but you still have a niggling fear that one day, everyone will be witness to your ‘little accident’.

It’s more common than you think

Incontinence is common in women and men of all ages, with around a quarter of women involved in non-competitive exercise reporting some level of urinary incontinence. As a result, they say they modify the way they exercise.

Incontinence is not inevitable sign of aging or post-child birth, and neither is it something that should control your life. Many causes of incontinence can be dealt with, so it is important to seek help from a medical professional.

Stress incontinence

There are various types and causes of incontinence. Stress incontinence is when there are small escapes of urine during exercise, such as jumping, running and so on. It can also happen when you cough, sneeze or lift heavy things.

The pelvic floor, the muscle that runs from the front of your body to the base of your spine, can become damaged or weak. This means it doesn’t function as well and when you do high impact activities or there is pressure on your abdomen, the pelvic floor muscle is unable to stop urine leaking from the bladder.

However, with these five clever tips, you could reduce and possibly stop these little accidents during exercise from happening. Try these ideas;

#1 Pelvic floor exercises

Men can do these exercises too. For women, they are the recommended treatment for solving and preventing bladder leaks.

You can do these exercises at any time, including pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, after pregnancy and at any age. There is no expensive kit to buy and they can be done any time of night or day, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

These clench and release exercises are easy to master and providing you are using the right technique, they will have a big impact on stopping those little accidents during your time exercising.

#2 Visit the bathroom right before you exercise

Emptying your bladder (and bowel) pre-workout is also another means of stopping embarrassing leaks.

Sometimes, a weak pelvic floor can make it hard to know if you have emptied your bladder properly, thus you bounce into your aerobics class only to find that within a few minutes of exercise, you feel a small leak of urine.

Try ‘double voiding’ – when you visit the toilet and urinate, when you think you have finished, stand up and then sit down again. You may find you urinate a small amount.

Do not limit your water intake during exercise. It makes you sluggish and it’s not good for your body. If you need to, there is nothing wrong with visiting the toilet half way through your work out.

#3 Don’t hold your breath

Holding your breath during high-impact activity like sprinting or lifting increases abdominal pressure, making the possibility of accidental urine leakage more likely. The best way to protect your pelvic floor during exercise is to breathe.

#4 Go low-impact for a little while

Exercise isn’t much fun when you are always conscious that you may have a ‘little accident’. Whilst you do your pelvic floor exercises and strengthen your muscles, or visit your GP and try some other treatment, don’t stop exercising, but change your routine. Instead of opting for high impact exercise, opt for low impact routines instead.

Swimming and yoga for example, are great forms of exercise that are far less likely to cause urine leakage. Better still, yoga; with its ability to tighten the pelvic floor muscles can decrease problem incontinence.

#5 Keep an eye on your weight

Exercise and activity is all about staying active and keeping your weight in check. If you have noticed your weight creeping up recently, this may be having an impact on incontinence.

 

Stress incontinence is not something you have to live with, either on a day-to-day basis or during exercise. There are treatments and remedies that can help, from medication from your GP to small changes in your lifestyle. Don’t give up your exercise goals because of urinary incontinence – with these five tips you’ll be back doing the exercise and activities you love in no time!

 

HARTMANN Direct provide a range of incontinence products for both men and women. There are discreet products perfect for everyday life, as well as during exercise so no one need know!