A wee bit worried about incontinence?
Unruly urine can leak during activities that increase abdominal pressure, like coughing, laughing, sneezing or jumping, or while rushing to the bathroom. Unfortunately, the likelihood of losing bladder control increases with age.
“Incontinence is common as women get older due to hormonal influences, loss of pelvic floor, core and hip strength, poor posture and mobility and a lack of vulvar and vaginal tissue quality,” Dr. Melissa Waldron, a women’s pelvic health specialist, told The Post.
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and tissues that form a hammock-like support system at the base of the pelvis, holding up important organs like the bladder, bowel and uterus.
Waldron explained that poor postural stability and decreased mobility, two hallmarks of aging, can increase pressure on the pelvic floor, leading to a higher likelihood of incontinence.
Kegels, a pelvic floor exercise that includes contracting and relaxing the muscles that control bladder, bowel and sexual function, are a typical prescription for incontinence.
But most women are not properly performing the squeeze and release, according to Waldron.
“I often hear my patients tell me they do their Kegels when they’re driving, but are surprised by how challenging it can be to coordinate once taught correctly!” she said.
Waldron uses the analogy of an elevator to help women excel at these exercises.
“Start by breathing in — allow your rib cage to expand 360 degrees and your abdomen to relax,” she shared. “As you exhale, try to imagine your labia drawing closed like an elevator door and lift the elevator up to the second floor — you should notice your pelvic floor contracts and lifts, as do your abdominals.”
And, finally, make sure to fully relax between each contraction.
Waldron notes that while Kegels can be effective in combating incontinence, it’s imperative to see a pelvic floor specialist to diagnose and treat individual imbalances.
Experts maintain that Kegels can, in fact, make pelvic floor dysfunction worse if the issue is muscle tightness or poor coordination rather than weakness.
In this case, repeatedly contracting already tense muscles can increase pain, urgency and pressure instead of relieving it.
According to Waldron, aging well and treating incontinence require a whole-body approach.
“Your pelvic floor doesn’t work in isolation and must be coordinated with your postural system, breathing mechanics and core and hip muscles for optimal function,” she said.
“To help reduce the risk of incontinence, I recommend a mix of pelvic floor, core and hip strengthening, breathing exercises and hip and spinal mobility.”
For women, particularly women going through or on the other side of menopause, Waldron recommends supporting the pelvic floor with three or four strength training sessions a week at moderate to heavy resistance, gradually increasing the amount of weight over time.
“Muscles and bones need to be challenged in order to change,” she said.
Waldron previously shared her tips for preventing dryness down there and other side effects of menopause.
