How Do I Stop Leaking During Exercise?

March 16, 2023
Kinetik Chain Denver Physical Therapy

Have you ever felt embarrassed or frustrated because of urinary incontinence during exercise?

You’re not alone.

Many moms who have been very active in their younger years struggle with leaking, especially during workouts.

It can be a real challenge to keep up with your regular fitness routine when you are worried about leaking and the fear of it being noticed by others.

And we understand that exercise is more than just a hobby for you – it’s part of your identity, and being in great shape is something you take pride in, and you don’t want to lose this just because you became a mom!

But there is hope!

With the right strategies and tools, it is possible to treat your urinary incontinence and enjoy living an active lifestyle without worrying about leaking, constantly looking for the nearest restroom, and missing out on the rush you get during a tough workout.

In this blog post, you can discover how to stop leaking during exercise so that you can feel confident and enjoy all the physical activities that you love doing!

Before We Get Started… If you haven’t already, download our free report – 7 Ways To Improve Your Incontinence Starting Today – You can get instant access by clicking and entering your details here > Send Me The Free Incontinence Report <

How Can I Stop Leaking During Exercise?

Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and other organs, but during pregnancy and after childbirth, they can be weakened. This can lead to incontinence and leaking urine when you exert force, such as doing a box jump or performing a heavy squat.

However, urinary incontinence isn’t a part of being a mom, and focusing on strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can stop this leaking, and allow you to work out again without fear, embarrassment, or paranoia over people staring.

Kegel exercises can help, however we appreciate you may have tried them before and been left frustrated that they didn’t solve the problem. Often, people do kegel exercises wrong, or aren’t working the right muscles for their specific and unique problem.

Everyone is different, so that’s why it’s important to get the right advice from a physical therapist who’s trained in pelvic floor health, and worked with hundreds of moms just like you.

As well as strengthening your pelvic floor muscles, look to strengthen your core muscles, hips, thighs, and glutes which all play a part in keeping your bladder functioning properly.

Avoid High Impact Exercises While You Fix Your Incontinence

We appreciate that you love to work out hard and take pride in being a strong, fit woman, and the last thing we want to do is take you away from that.

But, while you work on fixing your incontinence, and strengthening your pelvic floor muscles, being selective with your exercises can mean you can still push yourself in the gym without worrying about leaking.

Trying to hit a new 5 rep max on your deadlift, burpees, and anything else that you know triggers your stress incontinence could be avoided for a short while, and instead focus on exercises that don’t create such pressure on your bladder.

You can still work out lots, keep in great shape, and feel confident when you look in the mirror without doing exercises that almost always make you leak, and mean you have to run off to the bathroom or cut your workout short.

Take It Easy With The Caffeine

Coffee, Red Bulls and caffeine supplements can all irritate the bladder, and while they might give you a buzz and energy before your workout, they can also increase the chance you will leak when exercising.

It is important to stay hydrated, but avoiding caffeinated drinks is a smart move if you struggle with urinary incontinence.

So, when you pack your gym bag for your next session – leave the energy drink – and in time, you can also leave the spare gym clothes in case you leak too!

Empty Your Bladder

This may sound obvious, but for some moms who have non-stop days, it can be easy to rush straight into your workout in the short bit of free time that you have. But before you start your workout, empty your bladder. This can reduce the chance of any leaks, and if you do, it reduces how much so it may be unnoticeable.

Doing this can also provide a little bit of reassurance, and build your confidence back up if you are very self-conscious about leaking when you’re at the gym or at a fitness class.

Retrain Your Bladder

If you are like most people, you probably enjoy working out at a certain time of day, or you have a block of free time when you typically work out during your week. If so, try to go to the bathroom and empty your bladder fully before you work out.

This helps you to gradually regain control and feel more at ease knowing you can hold back urine when necessary.

Visit A Women’s Health Specialist

At Kinetic Chain Denver, our team regularly works with moms who struggle with various forms of incontinence, whether that’s after a child, as they age, or after an operation.

Whatever the cause of your incontinence, our team has a variety of natural ways to treat incontinence quickly, and get you back to working out without wearing pads or having to wear colors that hide little leaks!

We understand that you may be a little apprehensive after being let down by your doctor, trying and failing with kegel exercises at home, and being told (repeatedly!) that it’s just a part of being a mom!

So, to help you decide whether we are a good fit for you, and to help you understand the best treatment options available, we would invite you to arrange one of our Free Discovery Visits where you can speak to the team 1-1.

Arrange Your Free Discovery Visit and find out how to cure your incontinence fast, and naturally!

We always have the option to arrange a Free Telephone Consultation where you can speak to our friendly, expert team without having to travel, or taking too much time out of your hectic schedule!

Whichever option you choose – visiting our clinic, or over the telephone – the most important thing is to do something now, and don’t let your incontinence wreck your passion for working out.