If you’re struggling with daily or regular incontinence it will be useful to look at how you’re living your life and your current habits to see if you can spot any areas that are out of balance.
Incontinence affects 1 in 3 women, often striking during perimenopause, but practical strategies like targeted yoga and movement can help you regain control without feeling overwhelmed.
Quite often we focus just on our pelvic floor muscles, thinking that if we just strengthen them our problems will be solved.
If you’ve already tried that approach and it hasn’t worked for you then your next step is to look more holistically.
15 possible reasons for your current incontinence problem
- Being bloated
- Constipation
- Bladder habits – going to the toilet ‘just in case’
- Lack of water (being dehydrated)
- Sitting for long periods of time
- Wearing tight clothes
- Stress & tension in the body
- Poor sleep
- Hormone fluctuations (due to menstruation and/or menopause)
- Lack of regular movement
- Caffeine/acidic foods
- Jaw tension
- Posture
- Breathing patterns (shallow, chest breathing or belly breathing)
- Lack of strength & mobility
ACTION FOR YOU: Look through this list and write down any that relate to you*
*This list and the advice included in this guide is not a substitute for medical advice. It is important to rule out possible medical causes first and use this guide if you determine that there are no obvious medical reasons for your incontinence.
What next?
Now that you have a list of possible factors affecting your incontinence you can start to work through them.
You might find that one or two are easier to sort out than others. For example, if you’ve realised you don’t drink enough water you can start doing that today.
If you’re not moving much each day, start by getting out for a short walk or just a dance around your kitchen. Any movement is good movement
Priority!
If you have identified that sleep or stress (or both) could be the cause, try to make this your priority. This is one of the most common factors I see affecting the people I work with.
A really big and important factor in your pelvic floor recovery is making time for proper relaxation.
I’m not talking about sitting on the sofa with a cuppa and a biscuit, I’m talking about an organised and structured relaxation to help your nervous system.
If you are regularly busy, even if you don’t feel stressed, your body doesn’t have time to heal and repair as it needs to.
You need to allow your nervous system to calm down and move out of flight and fight state.
There are a couple of ways you can organise your relaxation time and a couple of choices for which positions to adopt.
Firstly I’d recommend using your phone to set a time for your relaxation. This helps you to really let go in the moment without worrying that you’re going to fall asleep and miss school pick up (or is that just my fear?)
I’d recommend starting with 5 minutes as a minimum and longer when you have more time.
Your choice for body positions are:
- Lying down on the floor (not bed or sofa) with a cushion under your head for support. Spread your arms and legs out away from your body.
- Legs up against the wall. Lie close to a wall or the back of a door, pop your legs up and lower yourself down. Take time to find a comfortable position for your legs and hips and use a cushion if you’d like more comfort for your head
- Seated, with your back gently resting against a wall. Sit close to a wall and let your hips connect. The wall will provide support but will allow you to maintain a healthy position for your spine.
And once you’re comfortable press ‘go’ on your timer, close your eyes and off you go.
A couple of other ways to make this work for you:
- Try listening to your inhale and exhale as a way to tune inwards and switch off from your mind stuff
- Listen to some calming music and diffuse your favourite essential oils
- Use an app with a guided meditation
It’s all too easy to by-pass this important phase of pelvic floor recovery, thinking that you just don’t have time to switch off.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE TIME! (sorry for shouting, but it really is important)
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