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Want to know more about fitness, physical therapy, and exercise (Kegels and beyond)? Find out here.
Our expert Kendra L. Harrington (click here to read her bio) answers your questions. |
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Q:I would love to begin running at the age of 45. I have had 4 children, and now suffer from stress incontinence. I am opposed to taking medications for this issue. How do other women deal with exercise and stress incontinence? |
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A:The easiest way to deal with stress urinary incontinence during exercise is to ignore it and just use a pad on to absorb the urine. Unfortunately, however, this is merely hiding the symptoms from public view but does nothing to improve or eliminate them. As time goes by, your symptoms will likely worsen and you may develop other pelvic floor dysfunctions like pelvic organ prolapse.
The best way to control leakage symptoms, and hopefully resolve them, is through exercises targeting the strength and endurance of the pelvic floor muscles. Many women know pelvic floor muscle exercises commonly referred to as “Kegels.” Kegels are most effective when you have been examined by a health care provider, such as a specialized physical therapist, to ensure the proper contraction is occurring. There are many different techniques for performing Kegels, but two basic exercises are “slow” Kegels and “quick” Kegels.
A slow Kegel involves contracting the pelvic floor muscles in the same manner as if you were holding back gas, maintaining the contraction for 3 seconds before releasing. You eventually want to progress to a 10-second contraction, and slow Kegel exercises should be performed 3 to 6 times per day in groups of 10. “Quick” Kegels differ because you do not hold the contraction—the pelvic floor muscles are contracted and immediately released—and should be performed 5 to 10 times per day in groups of 10. Try to associate these exercises with other activities performed during the day—it’s easy to incorporate them into your daily routines.
A physical therapist who specializes in pelvic muscle dysfunction can evaluate your symptoms and muscle function and personalize a treatment program of Kegels and other exercises to help alleviate or prevent incontinence. To locate a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic muscle dysfunctions, go to the American Physical Therapy Association’s Section on Women’s Health website at www.womenshealthapta.org. Click on the “For Consumers” link and send an email to the State Representative where you live requesting the name(s) and phone number(s) of physical therapists in your region. |
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