You leak when you jump
You jump on the trampoline with the kids, go for a run or do jumps at the gym. And a few drops come out. It has a name, and you can do something about it.
It is called stress urinary incontinence
When you jump, run, cough or lift, the pressure in your abdomen rises. That pressure pushes down on the bladder. A strong pelvic floor tightens at the same moment and keeps the urethra closed.
If the muscle is weak, or doesn't react quickly enough, you leak. This is called stress urinary incontinence. Many people who exercise a lot recognise it, including young women who have never given birth.
Two other kinds of leakage
Urge incontinence is when you get a sudden, strong need to pee and don't make it in time. Mixed incontinence is when you have both. It helps to know which kind you have, as the advice partly differs.
What you can do starting today
- Squeeze before the load. Tighten your pelvic floor just before you jump, lift or cough. It can become a habit.
- Breathe out as you lift and don't hold your breath.
- Land softly when you jump and build up running gradually, especially after a break.
- Don't keep going to the toilet just in case. The bladder gets used to being emptied early.
- Drink as usual. Too little fluid makes concentrated urine that can irritate the bladder.
- Train your pelvic floor for a few minutes every day.
Why Kegel exercises are not always enough
Many people know they should do Kegel exercises but find it hard to get right. It is easy to tighten the stomach, buttocks or thighs instead. And it is easy to forget the exercises when everyday life takes over.
That doesn't mean you are doing it wrong. The pelvic floor is a muscle you can't see, and it can be hard to feel. A physiotherapist who specialises in the pelvic floor can show you how.
Train sitting down, fully clothed
In INSCULPT Chair the pelvic floor is trained while you sit. An electromagnetic field activates the muscles with around 12,000 contractions during a session of about 30 minutes. You don't need to do anything more than sit correctly.
It feels like tingling and strong contractions. The intensity is increased step by step, and you can go straight back to work or training afterwards. The chair has its own programme for leakage, with settings for stress, urge and mixed incontinence.
A course is usually 10 treatments, 2 times a week. Keep doing your Kegel exercises at home in the meantime, so the two complement each other.
When to seek care
Bladder leakage is common but should be taken seriously. Talk to your doctor, a midwife or a physiotherapist if you leak a lot, if the symptoms are new or if you also have pain or heaviness.
If it stings when you pee and you need to go often, it may be a urinary tract infection. Seek care, and wait with treatment in the chair until the infection has cleared. Always seek care if you have blood in your urine.
Book a session and feel it for yourself
Find a clinic near you in Sweden or Norway with INSCULPT Chair. You book directly with the clinic and they set the price.
