Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

Please address the problem of leaking in post menopausal women. I would love to run to improve my bone health but… I do kegels, still leak.

My first suggestion is to see a urologist. The body is a really complicated machine and there is no way that I could tell what your particular situation is. Make sure you take your health seriously and see a physician about this situation.

Here are some articles that discuss running and incontinence:

• Overactive Bladder – Urgency/urge incontinence – The American Urogynecologic Society: A very thorough explanation of all the situations in which women may “leak.” There are suggestions here as well as therapies that are available. They mention the importance of keeping a Voiding Diary in order to assess the situation.

• Incontinence: It Doesn’t Just Happen to Your Grandmother: A less thorough article about the issues, but concentrates on exercise incontinence. A very good description of what a Kegel Exercise is.

• DEPEND – Learning Center – About Female Incontinence: More information from Depend Undergarments. No mention of Kegel Exercises or any other options, but they have a form for a Voiding Diary that you can print up and use.

Just as you mentioned Kegel Exercises are the number one recommended way to prevent incontinence in all situations, but here are some other tips that I gathered while looking:

• Do not limit the intake of fluids before or during exercise. It is more important to stay hydrated when exercising.

• Go to the bathroom right before you start exercising.

• Use a tampon when running. This was recommended on a couple of websites and some of the women suffering from this swear by this technique.

• There are some medications available that prevent bladder contractions. Contact your doctor about those options.

• Some women wear a feminine napkin when they exercise (or there are products specifically designed for small urinary leaks). Considering how sweaty a good workout can make you, a little leakage on a feminine napkin or Poise pad isn’t going to be that noticeable.

Most importantly, don’t let this problem get in the way of your physical fitness. There are hundreds of ways to get fit and healthy. You and your doctor should be able to work out a plan so you can participate in sports and be healthy. Don’t rest until you find a way to make this work. You deserve a healthy and strong body.