Stop Leaks Before They Start: 3 Habits to Avoid for Strong Bladder Control
80% of my clients say that urinary incontinence impacts their quality of life.
I've worked with countless women frustrated with their pelvic floor health and incontinence issues. They're often surprised to learn they're making habitual mistakes that can unknowingly hold them back.
Today, I want to share 3 hidden patterns that could be silently sabotaging your pelvic floor health, leading to urinary incontinence, hip pain, pelvic discomfort or other symptoms - and offer simple fixes to empower you.
But first, What is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary leakage of urine. This means that you lose urine from your bladder by accident. Those embarrassing leaks you may have experienced at different times in life are urinary incontinence.
The severity of incontinence can vary between individuals with different root causes of the incontinence itself. It can be a frequent and more debilitating issue and the amount leaked can vary greatly from a few drops to a full emptying of the bladder.
What Causes Urinary Incontinence?
Pelvic floor dysfunction is what causes urinary incontinence. Several factors, including pregnancy, childbirth, hormonal changes, skeletal issues, and even chronic coughing can compromise the integrity of the pelvic floor and cause urinary incontinence.
The pelvic floor muscles act like a hammock, supporting your bladder and other internal organs. When these muscles become weak or overstretched, they can struggle to contain urine, which can cause mortifying slips and leaks.
There are several types of urinary incontinence, here are the most common types:
Stress incontinence: This is the most common type of incontinence. It occurs when urine leaks due to pressure on the bladder, such as when you cough, sneeze, laugh, lift something heavy, or exercise.
Urge incontinence: This type of incontinence is caused by a sudden, strong urge to urinate which may be uncontrollable, causing you to leak before you can reach a toilet. This can be caused by nerve damage in your pelvic floor.
Mixed incontinence: This is a combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
Overflow incontinence: This type of incontinence occurs when your bladder does not empty completely when you urinate leading to frequent leaks.
Functional incontinence: This type of incontinence is caused by a physical or mental impairment that makes it difficult to get to the toilet in time.
Simply tightening the pelvic floor muscles with Kegels isn't the answer. Overdoing Kegels (and doing them incorrectly) can actually create tightness and more dysfunction, which is really the opposite of what you are trying to achieve!
The key lies in addressing the root cause of the problem, not just the symptoms.
What are the Signs & Symptoms of Urinary Incontinence?
Most of us are acutely aware of when we are having accidental leaks. The most common signs and symptoms of urinary incontinence include:
Experiencing leaks to variable degrees when sneezing, laughing, jumping, or exercising (this is stress incontinence).
Feeling a sudden and urgent need to urinate that seemingly comes from nowhere and getting to the bathroom becomes an emergency.
Urinating frequently. This is regarded as when you urinate more than 8 times in 24 hours or more than twice at night.
Waking up during the night many times to urinate.
Having a second pee when you stand up from “emptying” your bladder.
Constant dribbling of urine from the bladder.
Urinary incontinence is very embarrassing for most people and can really affect their quality of life, mental health, and confidence. However, this issue is very common, affecting millions of people of all ages and stages of life.
And the best news? You can fix it without having to wear pads all the time by working on regaining your pelvic floor function. Here are 3 seemingly small and innocent habits you may be making that are silently sabotaging your pelvic floor and leading to those embarrassing leaks.
Habit #1: "Tensing on the Toes" (Hips in Front of Heels)
Many people subconsciously stand with their hips pushed forward, causing their weight to fall heavily on the balls of their feet and jamming into their toes. This misalignment can contribute to bunions and weak glutes and can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction. If your toes are death-gripping, you are in PF trouble.
Fix:
Find your balance and fix your posture! Move your thighbones back. Imagine a straight line running through your ankle, knee, and hip (greater trochanter.) Aim to distribute your weight evenly across your entire foot, grounding your heels first. This simple shift can significantly improve your posture and support your pelvic floor.
Habit #2: The "Tuck-Under" (Hidden Pelvic Tilt)
Many of us slump while sitting (are you guilty? I am always catching myself in a slouchy sit!), unknowingly creating a tilted pelvis that puts unnecessary strain on the pelvic floor. If your pubic bone is in front of your sitting bones, you are tucked under, landing more onto the tailbone. This can lead to weakness, discomfort, and even leaks. I also call this “Netflix Posture"!
Fix:
Find your neutral zone! Whether watching TV or busy at work, imagine you're sitting with a "tall spine." Keep your front hip points more in line with your pubic bone. Feel your lower back gently press against the chair, engaging your core muscles to maintain a neutral pelvic alignment. While a stronger core can help maintain this position, prioritizing conscious awareness can also make a significant difference.
Habit #3: Opting Out of FUN (Avoiding Activity Due to Fear of Leaks)
Letting fear of leaks prevent you from enjoying life's activities can lead to isolation and anxiety. Remember, knowledge is power! Understanding your triggers, pelvic floor exercises, and bladder-training techniques gives you the confidence to participate fully.
Fix:
Get informed and practice! I offer resources, programs and classes that provide a safe space to learn, ask questions, and practice techniques to manage your urinary incontinence, improve your pelvic floor health according to your unique dysfunction and regain control.
