Incontinence... who suffers with it?? Both Men & Women, and there are many causes & reasons why, including:
Childbirth
Pregnancy
Changes with age
Menopause
Hysterectomy
Enlarged prostate
Prostate cancer
Obstruction (Urinary stones or Tumour)
Neurological disorders
From what I've seen and read, it seems to be one of those 'topics' that just gets brushed over & accepted 🤷♀️. However, we really need to be preventing these causes.
FACT: 1 in 2 women will experience a pelvic organ prolapse after a vaginal birth.
If Urine leaks when you exert pressure on your bladder by coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising or lifting something heavy, then it's time to start strengthening your pelvic floor muscles. Some of you will have heard of 'kegal' exercises, which involve gently engaging, controlling and holding the layer of muscles that support the pelvic organs and span the bottom of the pelvis. Here are some top tips:
DO NOT:
👉 contract and release the muscles as quick & as hard as you can
👉 Stop your wee mid-flow
(These actions can do more damage than good) DO:
👉 Take time out to focus & concentrate on the kegal exercises
👉 Slowly draw your pelvic floor muscles up and hold them for a max of 10 seconds
👉 Control the release back down to relaxation
👉 Think about your pelvic floor muscles when exercising (secure them, don't over squeeze, but recognise that they are there)
If you're hoping to have control over these muscles as you get older, both Male and Female, you need to be adding Pelvic Floor exercises to your routine (it eventually becomes a habit & feels natural to engage your Pelvic Floor muscles in certain circumstances, as and when you need to support yourself (exercise, sneezing, running down the stairs etc.)
In Pilates the Pelvic Floor muscles play a huge part in each exercise, because of course they are part of your core. We also cover how you should be engaging and controlling the muscle group, to ensure you do not damage the muscles or over squeeze them.
Think about the above advice - whether you're experiencing incontinence or not... you will hopefully prevent or protect yourself in the future and especially as you age :)