OB/GYN and women’s health expert Dr. Jessica Shepherd talks to thousands of women who are looking for ways to reduce their bladder leaks. Below she shares 10 things every woman should know about her bladder, especially if you experience incontinence.
In the video above, she also shares tips for minimizing urinary incontinence through core exercises, doing Kegel exercises, getting pelvic floor physical therapy, and changing your diet to avoid triggers.
1. Light bladder leakage (LBL) is common.
Dr. Shepherd: It’s more common than you think! 1 in 3 of us experiences Light Bladder Leakage (LBL), which is why talking about it is so important because that’s the only way we’re going to find a solution.
2. Bladder leakage is more common in women than men.
Dr. Shepherd: Fact! Most women experience bladder leakage after childbirth since vaginal delivery weakens the muscles that control the bladder. Estrogen loss during menopause can also weaken pelvic muscles.
3. LBL isn’t caused by aging.
Dr. Shepherd: Weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to urinary incontinence. Life events such as pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and certain surgeries can increase a woman’s risk of pelvic floor muscle damage during intense abdominal exercise, as the muscles may already have sustained damage or become weakened from past trauma.
4. You likely encounter at least one common LBL trigger daily.
Dr. Shepherd: The involuntary loss of urine that occurs when pressure is suddenly placed on your bladder. This could happen when you cough, laugh, sneeze, exercise or lift a heavy item.
5. Exercising can help reduce leaks.
Dr. Shepherd: One helpful way to reduce leaks is to strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor. You can do this with yoga, Pilates, tai chi, bridges, clams and Kegels. There are lots of benefits to incorporating exercises like this into your workout, including maintaining pelvic tone and pelvic health. In addition, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can improve sex and help you avoid pelvic prolapse [a condition where the pelvic organs drop out of position]. The trick is to make sure you have the correct form – it takes practice to find and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles correctly.
6. Pelvic floor muscles also make up your core muscles.
Dr. Shepherd: The core is not limited to the muscles you can see around the stomach (what we often think of as the “six-pack” region). In fact, dozens of muscle groups make up the core, including Pelvic floor muscles, Obliques (which run along the trunk), Rectus abdominis (the “six-pack” muscles), multifidi (deep back muscles), Diaphragm Transverse abdominis (located underneath the external and internal oblique’s) and Gluteus maximus (butt muscles).
7. Practicing good posture can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
Dr. Shepherd: Poor posture can lead to weak abdominal muscles, which in turn weaken your pelvic floor muscles. Next time you