Prevent Leaking While Running
Four helpful tips to manage exercise induced urinary incontinence
Dr. Ariel Edwards, PT, DPT, CSCS
Summer is starting, and people are running! As a pelvic floor physical therapist, one symptom I commonly hear about during this time of the year is leaking while exercising. Urinary incontinence is a symptom of both a weak and/or tight pelvic floor - yes, your pelvic floor can be both tight and weak at the same time! Although this is a common symptom, it does not mean that it is normal, or that you have to live with it! FIXXED Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is designed to educate and alleviate pelvic floor symptoms that most people think they just have to deal with!
If you are experiencing leaking while running, check out these four helpful tips to manage urinary incontinence:
Tip 1: Warm Up Properly
A proper warm-up increases blood flow to the entire system, to ensure that the pelvic floor isn’t going haywire. The pelvic floor is just like any muscle group, it needs to be warmed up prior to activity! Two great exercises to activate the pelvic floor are clamshells and hip internal rotations! For an extra challenge, add a resistance band!
Tip 2: Think Nose Over Toes
Nose over toes helps to engage your core and pelvic floor muscles while running. When your pelvis is in too much of an anterior pelvic tilt, this can cause strain on the pelvic floor and increase leakage. Nose over toes help increase core activation while eliminating potential urinary incontinence!
Tip 3: Manage Your Breath
While running, make sure you are not holding your breath! Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, coordinating your breath with your strides. Practice engaging the pelvic floor and core while exhaling. Proper breathing helps to reduce pressure on your pelvic floor and reduce leakage!
Tip 4: See a Pelvic Floor PT
Although common, leakage is not normal, and you don’t have to live with it! A pelvic floor physical therapist can provide personalized exercises and techniques to strengthen your pelvic floor, helping manage leaks!
FIXXED Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy’s primary goal is to educate you on your condition and give you all the tools you need to be successful!
Our Approach
Manual Therapy - At FIXXED, we use soft tissue mobilization, trigger point release, dry needling, scar massage, and myofascial release!
Therapeutic Exercise - Used to target core muscle strengthening, increasing range of motion and flexibility, and improving postural awareness!
Neuromuscular Re-education - Improve functional movement patterns, retrain muscles, and get you back to doing the things you love to do!
For many years, pelvic floor health has taken a back seat in the fitness & wellness industry. We want to help shed light on this important topic and the impact it has on your overall health and well being. To get started on your pelvic floor physical therapy journey, click HERE to set up a discovery call with one of our FIXXED pelvic floor specialists!
FIXXED is a first of its kind recovery studio offering bodywork techniques to help you move and feel your best. We offer quick and effective hands-on services in a one on one setting performed by a licensed physical therapist or athletic trainer. We believe that recovery should be fast, convenient, and accessible for everyone which is exemplified in both our locations located in Haverhill, MA & Wakefield, MA. Click HERE to book a free discovery call with FIXXED!
