Ep 6: The one with the Pee
@aj.afterbabyfit @sweatandshineon
Alex Megan & Sandy Seitz
#cupee #cupod
Challenge: tag us and use #cupee with an activity you are doing, have done or want to do that could make you pee your pants!
Let’s start by admitting we both have peed our pants as adult grown women. Today we are talking about incontinence and particularly about exercise.
It is a common running joke in fitness classes when a teacher gives modifications so you don’t pee your pants. Add it to the list of things that as a postpartum woman it’s mentioned but not really talked about. Seems you are expected to live with it now.
Exercise incontinence happens to athletes not just postpartum women. Analogy of a soda can, you have a top, bottom and around. When you pee it’s because the pressure in the can is not optimal. The core is usually just considered the front abdominals or middle section but it’s a balance between your breathing, core and pelvic floor that create proper pressure.
When we hold our breath we are pushing our diaphragm down and pressure increases so if you hold your breath you are forcing all the pressure downwards and you experience leaking. Whether you are an athlete or not, you may hold your breath or breathe with a backwards pattern that causes unnecessary pressure.
So important to go see a pelvic floor physical therapist to have the knowledge of your own pelvic floor. Not everyone should do what is generally recommended like trying to do a kegel when you pee. If you are still leaking it may not be just because of your pelvic. Just doing your kegels is not the answer.
Pelvic Floor / Women’s Health PT can be so impactful - knowledge is power. Each person is a bit different and doing one of our recovery programs may be good before, during or after PT. The beauty of an on demand program is that you can watch it in bits and go back to any part that you need. It’s like any injury that needs recovery, but because it’s a vagina it doesn’t get treated the same. The pelvic floor muscles are lengthening during delivery and sometimes they go back on their own. If you over stretched any other muscle the same way, you would do rehab.
Mind body connection can be missing, particularly after a c-section birth and it’s important to acknowledge and rebuild that connection. With peeing and postpartum there can be so much shame so we want to put it out there and talk about it, building awareness.
Alex shares some mommy hacks using the breathe to help avoid peeing your pants during a workout. For example, jumping or box jumps. Doing a forceful exhale (should hear the breathe)
as you begin the jump will tense up your core and pelvic floor and protect you from leaking on impact. Exhale through the impact as well. For power lifters and heavy squatters, avoid the valsalva maneuver, don’t let your abdominal muscles take over.
If you need help, reach out to us and we can provide resources and guide you on the best path.
Disclaimer: This podcast is opinion and should not be considered medical advice.
