25 to 45 percent of women will experience urinary incontinence throughout their lives.
It’s much more common than most people think, which can leave you feeling as if you’re going through this alone.
Yet, this couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re dealing with urinary incontinence, you’re one of many. In fact, you probably know many other women who are dealing with it too.
To better control your condition, there are a few lifestyle changes that you can make which can help lessen your symptoms. Keep reading below to get started.
1. Limit Alcohol and Caffeine
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Both alcohol and caffeine produce more urine, so cutting down on your intake can make dealing with incontinence easier.
Caffeine irritates your bladder, which can make incontinence worse. Coffee is the biggest culprit here, but fizzy drinks, green tea, and energy drinks all contain caffeine and contribute to this too.
As you drink alcohol, you’ll have less control over your bladder while also needing to urinate more often. This can make urinary incontinence much more challenging to deal with.
2. Try Pelvic Floor Exercises
Pelvic floor exercises, also known as Kegel exercises, help to strengthen the muscles that support your organs, preventing urine leakage and improving bladder control.
There are two main types of pelvic floor exercises, known as slow contractions and fast contractions. Slow contractions should always be done first.
To perform Kegel exercises, draw up the muscle surrounding your anus and urethra. When conducting slow contractions, hold the position as long as you can, and then slowly relax.
For fast contractions, hold the position for one second and then relax. Repeat the exercise ten times a day to help improve incontinence issues.
3. Retrain Your Bladder
Bladder training is essential when dealing with urinary incontinence, as there is a good chance that you got into the habit of going to the bathroom more than is actually necessary.
Start a bladder journal that you use to write down each time you urinate. If you are going once every hour, try to extend this to once every hour and a half.
Don’t use the restroom every single time you feel the urge to urinate. This will help to retrain the muscles that control your bladder so that over time it can hold more urine for a longer period of time.
4. Practice Yoga
Practicing yoga for bladder control has become more popular in recent years.
There are specific yoga classes you can take that are geared towards pelvic health, which can help strengthen your pelvic wall.
Yoga also helps alleviate anxiety and depression and can help make you more mindful. Those that have to handle incontinence often have these mental health issues, so yoga can make dealing with the symptoms more manageable.
Consider These Lifestyle Changes to Improve Urinary Incontinence
Nobody wants to deal with urinary incontinence, and trying a few of the lifestyle changes above can help alleviate your condition. Use the tips that work for you, and leave the ones that don’t.
If you need additional help or advice, consider contacting your doctor for more helpful information.
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