A lot of people worry about how they will exercise when they suffer from incontinence. After all, running, jumping and bouncing can cause urine to leak. And people worry about attending exercise classes or the gym if they will constantly need to rush off to the toilet all the time. After all, they might release urine which will be embarrassing in front of strangers.
Therefore, they might not exercise as much as they should. But then if you start putting on weight, it can contribute to the incontinence and make it even worse. It is therefore so important that you do exercise even with incontinence. That way, you can stay healthy even with the condition.
Here is how to manage exercise with incontinence.
Wear Some Form Of Incontinence Pad Or Pants
With the worry of urine leaking at any time, it can prevent people from going out to the gym or a class to exercise. They don’t want to end up embarrassed in front of a whole group of people. However, when you do go to exercise, you should look into getting a product such as incontinence pants from HARTMANN Direct. That way, you can put the pants on underneath your gym wear, and nobody will know you are wearing them.
If you do leak, the pants will hold the urine and you can just dispose of them after exercising. They are discreet so you won’t have to worry about people seeing you with them on. And you can also get incontinence pads which you can place in your pants and then remove after use. You will then be able to exercise without the fear of being left embarrassed after your workout.
Be Careful With Food And Drink Before Exercising
You should be careful about what you consume when exercising if you suffer from incontinence. You don’t want to irritate your bladder if you are planning to workout. You will then be at higher risk of leaking or having an accident when making your way to the toilet. For one thing, you need to ensure you just drink water before exercising. Caffeine and fizzy drinks will irritate your bladder and lead to potential leaks.
As WebMD discusses, high-acid foods and drinks such as cranberry or orange juice are also a no-no just before exercising. They can trigger your incontinence issue and will cause you to have an uncomfortable experience. And avoid all types of spicy food before exercising. Just stick to plain and healthy food such as fruit and vegetables to help you have a better workout.
Do Find The Right Exercise Programme
You need to choose the right exercises for you if you suffer from incontinence. After all, bouncing on a trampoline or running down a track could cause further damage to your bladder. These high-impact sports put huge pressure on your bladder and could potentially lead to a leak which will be embarrassing for you. Therefore, you should opt for low-impact exercises that put less pressure on the bladder.
As this article from Health24 suggests, opt for yoga, swimming and cycling which all work the upper part of the body. That way, you can exercise without having to worry about your bladder. And if you need guidance on finding the right exercise programme for you, it’s worth working with a personal trainer. They can work out a programme which will ensure you don’t have to worry about your bladder while exercising.
Start Working Out In Your Own Home
If you want to continue exercising while suffering from incontinence, you should begin working out in your own home. You will feel a lot more comfortable exercising knowing that your bathroom quarters are within a safe distance. You can exercise and then stop as necessary to go to the toilet. Starting with small exercises at home will build up your strength. You will be able to see how much you can do before retreating to the bathroom. It also gives you a chance to work on strengthening those important pelvic floor muscles.
Building those muscles with pelvic floor exercises will ensure you can hold in your urine better. And over time, you will find it easier to hold in urine for longer without having to rush to the bathroom. After doing exercises at home, you will soon feel more confident going out to a gym or an exercise class. Just remember to start slowly with a half hour session and then you can extend the time you stay as you build your confidence.
*collaborative post
