After warning that spin classes can lead to women’s incontinence, expert reveals the other everyday activities putting YOU at risk – including sitting for long periods and too much caffeine
- British intimacy expert Stephanie Taylor, says activities that cause incontinence
- Smoking and heavy lifting are among the causes of the bladder control issue
- But sitting for too long and drinking too much coffee also can make things worse
Incontinence is often viewed as a condition that impacts women after childbirth, or something that comes on with age, but an expert has warned that every woman is at risk, and the triggers might surprise you.
Between three and six million people in the UK live with some form of incontinence, and its most common form, known as stress incontinence, can easily be triggered by things we do every day.
In fact, it has recently come to light that several women who regularly attend spinning classes have reported unexpected leaks, due to the pressure the saddle exerts on their pelvic floor.
Now, Stephanie Taylor, the Managing Director of pelvic floor toner company Kegel8, has talked Femail through the other activities that are weakening your pelvic floor and could lead you to developing the ailment.
She revealed how innocuous things, such as sitting for too long and high impact sports like jogging can wreak havoc on your bladder habits.
And the expert added that incontinence is also one of the health issues that smokers are likely to develop over time.
However, Stephanie also gave her solutions to make sure you remain in control of your bladder.
Are your daily activities driving you one step closer to incontinence? British intimacy expert Stephanie Taylor reveals the things we do everyday than can trigger the condition such as sitting for long periods (stock image)
1. High-impact sports
Stephanie explained how high impact sports such as running, volleyball and gymnastics can affect your pelvic floor.
‘According to a recent study, nearly 30 per cent of women who engage in high-impact sports experience incontinence,’ she said.
‘These types of activities, which require the abdominal muscles to contract, put increased pressure on these muscles,’ she said.
‘Over time, the increased pressure can permanently damage the perineum (the area between the anus and the vulva) and restrict the ability to contract your pelvic floor muscles.
She added that cycling for a long time can ‘push down on the pudendal nerve, located in the perineum, resulting in numbness, increased sensitivity to pain and urge incontinence – the sudden need to urinate.’
The several forms of incontinence
According to the NHS, one in five women suffers from incontinence in the UK.
There are several forms of incontinence, with stress incontinence being the most common.
– Stress incontinence occurs when urine leaks out when your bladder is under pressure.
– Urge incontinence is defined as a sudden urge to pee
– Overflow incontinence, also known as chronic urinary retention occurs when you’re unable to fully empty your bladder, which causes frequent leaking
– Total incontinence is the most severe form of the condition and occur when bladder cannot be store in the bladder at all, causing constant leaking.
There are several things that can cause incontinence, which include:
– Pregnancy and vaginal birth
– Obesity
– A family history of incontinence
– Increasing age – although incontinence is not an inevitable part of ageing
She said that for that reason, British Cycling recommends wheel enthusiasts stand up every ten to 15 minutes to ease pressure and restore blood flow.
In order to avoid these high impact sessions from taking over your bladder, Stephanie advises to introduce some variety into your workout regime.
‘Consider adding some low-impact exercises like walking, swimming, and yoga into your routine. While you’re exercising other parts of your body, make sure you’re adding Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor,’ she said.
2. Laughing, coughing and sneezing
Incontinence can easily turn your laughing fit into a laughing stock, because it causes you to repeatedly flexes and releases your diaphragm and abdomen.
This forces the ‘fluid stored in the bladder downwards,’ Stephanie said.
‘Weak pelvic floor muscles – which can become weakened by several things – may not withstand this increased pressure, resulting in incontinence.’
Kegel exercises can also help with this issue, she said.
‘To combat this issue, remember to do your Kegel exercises regularly to tighten and strengthen those muscles and avoid any issues.’
3. Heavy lifting
Weight lifting has grown in popularity at the gym in recent years, especially among women, but lifting heavy objects can be associated with stress incontinence as well.
‘When you lift heavy objects, the abdominal muscles contract, placing pressure on the bladder,’ Stephanie said.
‘If the pelvic floor muscles are too weak to oppose this pressure from lifting heavy objects, you may experience incontinence,’ she added
The expert said that in order to limit the impact big weights can have on your pelvic floor, you should breathe from your diaphragm than the lungs during strength workouts.
‘Inhaling and exhaling using your diaphragm while lifting heavy objects, contracts those muscles and ensures your pelvic floor has the necessary support,’ she said.
4. Smoking
‘While the harms of smoking have been widely publicised, it may be a lesser-known fact that smoking can also cause stress and urge incontinence,’ Stephanie said.
‘One study found that female smokers are more likely to develop severe incontinence. One theory is that regular coughing, caused by smoking, increases pressure on the pelvic floor muscles,’ she added.
She went on to say it is also believed that nicotine passes through your kidneys and collects in the urine, which can damage the walls of your bladder.
‘The more damage to the bladder, the more difficult it is to control your bladder and prevent incontinence,’ Stephanie explained.
‘Nicotine can also irritate the bladder, giving you the urge to urinate frequently, even when your bladder isn’t full,’ the expert added.
No miracle solution here, the best way to avoid this pesky complication is to quit smoking altogether.
5. Drinking too much caffeine
Some might find it hard to imagine their lives without a morning coffee, but Stephanie revealed that too much coffee can also lead to incontinence.
‘Caffeine irritates the bladder and can make incontinence worse. One study found that women who drink three cups of coffee a day are 70 percent more likely to suffer from incontinence,’ she said.
‘Coffee has the biggest impact, so consider switching to decaffeinated coffee or cutting it out of your diet,’ she added.
Spinning classes can also trigger incontinence: here’s why
Indoor cycling has never been more popular, but research found it can wreak havoc on your pelvic floor and lead to incontinence.
While low handlebars make for a swifter ride, it can pressure your perineum – the area between the anus and the vulva) and cause decreased vaginal and labial sensation.
Cycling in this position also can lead some women to experience a pelvic tilt, which causes the muscle of their pelvic floor to tighten.
This tightness can cause the nerves and arteries to compress, which means the muscles around them will be contracted and not relaxed.
And if your pelvic floor is already weak, cycle can lead you to experience urge incontinence, or the sudden need to pee.
A study of over 300 female triathletes recently found that a third of them experienced pelvic floor disorders such as urinary incontinence, bowel incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
And if you like to hit the saddle for long sessions, beware of the toll it can take on your pudendal nerve, which is located in the perineum.
If this nerve becomes damage with too much regular cycling, it can cause numbness, increased sensitivity to pain and urge incontinence
6. Sitting down for too long
Whether it’s at home or at the office, if you use a computer to work, chances are you will be sat in front of it for most of the day.
Unfortunately, sitting down for hours on end can do more harm than good to your pelvic floor, Stephanie said.
‘That’s according to one study, which found that prolonged sitting times and lack of physical activity were associated with lower urinary tract symptoms,’ she said.
The expert added bad posture is also to blame, explaining: ‘Sitting in a straight position requires you to use your abdominal muscles. However, if you slump these muscles are relaxed.
Improving your posture will keep your muscles in check and make sure they don’t become too relaxed.
‘When sitting down, avoid slouching, keep your shoulders relaxed and rest both feet on the floor,’ Steph advised.
‘Consider practising Kegel exercises while you’re sitting down too, as these will help strengthen your pelvic floor,’ she added.
‘Ensure you take regular breaks from sitting at your desk and take some time to walk around, which is a great way to exercise your pelvic floor,’ she went on.
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