We'd like to think all of our female athletes and clients would never have to read any further than the heading above, but did you know that up to six million women will suffer with bladder issues at some point in their lives?

The percentage rises in women over 40, but if your pelvic floor is weak, any increase in pressure, such as coughing, or exercise, can overcome the muscles in that area and lead to leakages.

Childbirth, ageing and the menopause all contribute to the pelvic floor weakening.

However, more than half of all cases of stress incontinence can be improved by strengthening those muscles, but you need to follow a training plan, just as you already do with your running, cycling or swimming!

Self-help exercises you can do yourself are simple and very often effective, but you need to do them regularly, ideally five lots of five minutes a day completing the following routine:

• Standing, sitting or lying down, alternate squeezing the muscles you use to stop yourself passing urine quickly five times, followed by five sets of longer squeezes of five seconds each, for five minutes, building up to ten seconds once it becomes easier.
• While you're working hard to strengthen your pelvic floor, try to ensure you empty your bladder before exercising, and you can even practice the squeezing while running!

If you have tried all of the above and are still struggling, give us a call at the clinic, as our physiotherapy team are trained in a wide range of women's health issues, and can help ensure you are completing the exercises correctly, as well as looking at the issues you're encountering in a holistic way to rule out other causes.

The link below gives an interesting insight into how physiotherapists are working hard to ensure all angles are covered in investigating the causes of bladder issues, and doing all they can to treat the problem before surgery is even considered as an option.


http://www.csp.org.uk/…/art…/clinical-update-continence-care