Stress Incontinence Is A Common Problem For Active Women…but There’s No Need To Despair.

Women who play sport or exercise may look enviably fit and healthy compared with other women. But research has shown that they are more likely to suffer from the hidden problem of stress incontinence.
All women who engage in activities that increase abdominal pressure are likely to experience the small leaks of urine known as “stress incontinence”. This doesn’t mean that they leak as a result of emotional stress, but rather that urine leaks occur when pelvic floor muscles are subjected to the physical stress created by jogging, running or jumping.

Eighty percent of trampolinists at the elite level suffer from this embarrassing problem, and at least 30% of women over 45 admit that they leak urine during physical activity. Even much younger women admit that sporting or fitness regimes cause urine leakage at times.

If this describes you, don’t despair. There’s no need to give up your fitness or exercise program, as stress incontinence can be usually be overcome by a strengthening the hidden muscles of the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor exercises are recommended internationally as the first step in beating stress incontinence, so it’s vital for active women to incorporate them into their exercise programs.

The problem is knowing where to start!

Pelvic floor muscles are hidden deep inside the body, so many women find it difficult to locate and engage the right muscles, and harder still to contract them correctly. Try the following exercises for yourself. If you find you struggle with locating and engaging the muscles, or with exercising regularly enough, consider one of the many easy-to-use and affordable aids that are now available to help you to develop correct exercise technique.

Firstly, tighten the muscles around your back passage, vagina and front passage and lift up inside as if trying to stop passing wind and urine at the same time. It is very easy to bring other, irrelevant muscles into play, so try to isolate your pelvic floor muscles as much as possible by not pulling in your tummy, not squeezing your legs together, not tightening your buttocks and not holding your breath.
The effort should be coming from the pelvic floor muscles themselves.

Hold the contraction for as long as you can, building up to a maximum of 10 seconds. Rest for 4 seconds and then repeat the contraction as many times as you can up to a maximum of 10 contractions. Try to do these exercises in a slow and controlled way with a rest of 4 seconds between each muscle contraction.
The second exercise uses the same muscles but works them quickly to help them react to sudden stresses. Practise some quick contractions, drawing in the pelvic floor and holding for just one second before releasing the muscles. Do these steadily, aiming for a strong muscle tightening with each contraction up to a maximum of 10 times.

Try to do one set of slow contractions, followed by one set of quick contractions, six times each day. Do these exercises regularly and you will see results within 3 to 6 months, but you should continue them for life to keep your pelvic floor muscles as fit as possible.

And of course, if you have a severe or persistent problem, you must seek the advice of your health practitioner.

By: Pelvic Floor Exercise

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About the Author: Linda McClelland is the founder of Pelvic Floor Exercise, providing information, links and products to help women and men worldwide improve their pelvic floor fitness. With more than 18 years experience in women’s health services, Linda brings together the best current information on pelvic floor strengthening at www.pelvicfloorexercise.com.

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