LifeCare PhysioFit
20 November 2023
Urinary Incontinence
Did you know that urinary incontinence occurs twice as often in women as in men?
For many people, the experience of uncontrollably leaking urine can be embarrassing. Urinary incontinence is a loss of bladder control that is most common in older people and women who have given birth or gone through menopause.
Symptoms
Leaking urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising
Feeling sudden, uncontrollable urges to urinate
Frequent urination
Urinating during sleep
Waking up many times at night to urinate
How to Prevent Urinary Incontinence?
Kegels
- To do kegels, imagine you’re trying to stop the flow of urine.
- Tense (contract) the muscles used to stop urinating for 5 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds. (If this is too difficult, start with 3 seconds of holding and 3 seconds of relaxing.
- Increase the duration of the contractions to 10 seconds at a time.
- Each day, aim for at least 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Heel slides
- Lay down on the floor with your knees bent and your pelvis neutral.
- Inhale into the rib cage, then exhale through the mouth, let your ribs naturally compress.
- Draw your pelvic floor up, lock in your core, and slide your right heel away from you. Only go as far as you can without losing your core contraction.
- Once you’ve found the bottom position, inhale and bring your leg back to the starting position.
- Repeat. Perform 10 slides up and back, then switch to the other leg and repeat.
Pelvic floor exercises are particularly effective for incontinence. If you are unsure of the right muscles to contract, you can consult a physiotherapist so that you can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles effectively.
Remember that accurate information and consultation with a healthcare professional are crucial for understanding and managing urinary incontinence conditions.
You can schedule an appointment with LifeCare PhysioFit Centre right here.
