Tips for Exercising While Dealing With Incontinence

According to a 2014 study by the Canadian Continence Foundation, 3.5 million Canadians were dealing with incontinence daily. That figure does not include individuals who experience temporary incontinence due to injury or short-term medical issues. Many of those people find themselves refraining from activities they once enjoyed. That includes exercising regularly. If you are living with incontinence and want to get back into the habit of working out, here are some tips that will help.

Eliminate Caffeine From Your Diet

One of the things that you may not know about caffeine is that it is a diuretic. In your current condition, the potential for leakage is likely what makes you hesitate to exercise. Eliminating anything that could increase the possibility of an accident while you are out is a good idea. Stay away from anything with caffeine as an ingredient. That includes many types of teas, coffee, and different kinds of soda. Check any packaged foods before you buy them to determine if caffeine is an ingredient. While dumping the caffeine is no guarantee of preventing leakage during exercise, it will minimize the possibility.

Reduce Your Consumption of Spicy Foods

The foods you eat can also bring on leakage in varying degrees. Many doctors recommend focusing more on bland foods with a reasonable level of nutrition and staying away from spicy dishes. Doing so can minimize the frequency and severity of the leakage. As you experience fewer episodes, the idea of working out will seem less intimidating.

Do Kegels

Kegels are exercises designed to strengthen the muscles used to control urine flow. Your doctor has likely recommended that you perform kegel exercises at least two or three times a week already.

When you do a kegel, it involves contracting the muscles used to stop the flow of urine. Hold the contraction for a few seconds and then relax. Repeat the process at least ten times per session. Since you can do kegels without anyone knowing, it’s easy to perform the exercise while you watch television or read.

The kegels will not make an immediate change. What they will do is strengthen the muscles over a period of a few months. At that point, you will feel more in control even when you are working out.

Using the Right Products

Keep a supply of continence products on hand at all times. The incontinence pants of today are less bulky than those offered a few years ago. If you choose to wear loose clothing while you work out, no one will know the difference.
Along with being less noticeable, the incontinence underwear is also better at absorbing and preventing leakage from escaping. That means you have more time after an event to get to a private place, clean up, and don a fresh pair of underwear. The chances of your outer clothing being stained are minimal.

Living with incontinence does not mean you have to stop exercising. Make the necessary dietary changes, invest in the right combination of products, and talk with your doctor about what sort of exercises are best for you for now. As time goes on, your confidence will return and working out will once again be something you look forward to doing several times a week.