Have you ever run, jumped, or done a workout and, all of a sudden, you realize that you’ve leaked a little bit? For many women, urine leakage during exercise can cause them to feel shame or embarrassment. In many cases, this results in them not pushing themselves as hard as they would like competitively or avoiding workouts entirely to prevent potential leakage.
The thing is, you are not alone, and it’s not something you should feel ashamed about. In fact, 20% of 20-year-olds, 30% of 30-year-olds, and so on throughout the age groups experience some sort of leakage. Fortunately, most causes of leakage are treatable through effective pelvic floor strengthening exercises. We’re going to explore why this happens and how to stop urine leakage while running and doing other exercises.
Why Do I Leak at the Gym? Understanding Stress Urinary Incontinence
So many women wonder “How do I stop leaking urine when I exercise?” or “Why do I pee when jumping?” and they’re not alone! Stress urinary incontinence is common and happens when the pelvic floor muscles are weak and unable to support the bladder and surrounding organs during high-impact activities. Running incontinence is one of the more common instances, but this sort of leakage can happen during other activities like jumping, heavy lifting, HIIT workouts, yoga, and dancing.
One of the most common causes of bladder leakage during exercise is weak pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, anus, vagina, digestive tracts, and all the associated functions. When the pelvic floor muscles are weak, they don’t function properly, resulting in many symptoms, including peeing when jumping and other leakages.
In some cases, muscle weakness can be caused by pregnancy or menopause. What most people don’t realize is that these high-impact activities can actually be the cause of weak pelvic floor muscles. Gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, Olympic lifting, and other high-impact sports can overwhelm the pelvic muscles over time if they’re not intentionally strengthened to counteract the forces of high-impact sports. Fortunately, there are ways to not only stop leakage but prevent it from happening entirely.
Weight Lifting and Bladder Leakage
Once we understand why bladder leakage happens, it’s easier to understand why certain activities such as weight lifting can cause more leakage due to the amount of pressure put on the body. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it any less common and frustrating for those experiencing it.
As individuals lift more and more weight, putting short bursts of pressure on the body, this can over time result in weight lifting incontinence. While weight lifting incontinence is common, customers who use Kegelbell have gone from peeing when they have a personal record lift, to feeling confident that their pelvic floor is as strong as they are.
How Do I Stop Leaking Urine When I Exercise?
So what is the trick to how to stop urine leakage while running? Unfortunately, there’s no real magic trick to stopping leakage, but fortunately, there are a number of different solutions that can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
When the muscles are strong, the body is able to prevent leakage and other issues that are a symptom of pelvic floor weakness. If you are struggling with weight lifting incontinence or urine leakage during any exercise, read on to learn some tips for improving this leakage.
6 Ways To Stop Leaking Urine When Exercising
There are a number of different exercises, devices, and solutions to help prevent leakage when exercising. Read on and find out which option is best for you.
1. Practice Kegels
The best way to stop bladder leakage during exercise is to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Just like you wouldn’t try to lift something heavy without building up your bicep muscles, you can’t expect your pelvic floor muscles to be able to keep up with high-impact exercises without the right exercises. Doctors recommend that people with vaginas do 10 minutes of kegels three times a day every day to maintain healthy pelvic floor muscles.
2. Avoid Spicy and Acidic Foods
If you’re living with weak pelvic floor muscles or just getting started on your strengthening journey, one way to help prevent leakage is by avoiding spicy and acidic foods. Spicy food, citric juices, and other items like that can irritate the bladder and exacerbate existing problems. Opt for hydrating with water and high-fiber foods instead.
3. Practice Yoga or Pilates
Pilates and yoga classes that focus on the core are another great way to help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. While kegels are the best exercise to target the pelvic floor muscle specifically, these sorts of exercises are complementary and help to strengthen all the surrounding muscles.
4. Try Bladder Training
People experiencing urgency or leakage may feel like they’ve lost control of their bladder and bodily functions. By scheduling bathroom visits, you can help create a habit for your bladder. This allows you to incrementally take back control and feel more comfortable knowing you can hold back urine when you need to.
5. Use a Tampon
Some women find that inserting a tampon ahead of workouts can help prevent bladder leakage during exercise. This works by putting pressure on the urethra, which, in turn, makes it harder for urine to escape. We don’t recommend this option as a long-term solution, but for those looking for a stopgap measure as you work towards strengthening your pelvic floor muscles, this is an option to explore.
6. Avoid High-Impact Workouts
While you’re working on strengthening your pelvic floor muscles, one way to prevent leakage is to avoid workouts that include jumping, lifting heavy weights, and other strenuous workouts. HIIT workouts, jumping jacks, running, and weight lifting can all result in leakage, so it’s recommended to avoid exercises like these until you can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
7. Start Vaginal Weight Lifting
If you’re serious about strengthening your pelvic floor muscles, vaginal weight lifting takes kegels and muscle building to the next level. Kegelbell, the first pelvic floor trainer of its kind, hangs the weights outside the body. Not only does this create a more comfortable experience for the user, but the dynamic movement of the cord creates additional challenges and allows women to accelerate their pelvic floor strengthening journey.
Don’t Stop Exercising Because of Leaks. Try Kegelbell Today!
If you’re tired of asking, “How do I stop leaking urine when I exercise?” and want an effective, fast way to stop leakage during exercise, Kegelbell is the answer. Customers who get started with Kegelbell see results in as little as two weeks, with workouts lasting just five minutes, three times a week in muscle-building mode.
Kegelbell is the first device of its kind as well as being FDA Registered as a medical device. You’re already taking care of the rest of your body, so why not invest five minutes, three times a week in your pelvic floor health?
