Running and Stress Incontinence

Question:
A friend of mine finds her stress incontinence aggravated by long races. What techniques do you recommend to prevent accidents?

Bernadette
Answer:

Dear Bernadette,

It sounds like your friend has weakness of her pelvic floor muscles. There are some relatively simple exercises that she can do to improve her symptoms but I would recommend that she consults a physiotherapist that specialises in Women’s Health. They will be able to assess her pelvic floor control and explain the appropriate exercises in detail.
In the meantime if she wishes to continue running she should avoid drinking large quantities of fluids prior to training but to ensure that she is always adequately hydrated for longer runs.

Yours sincerely,
Angela Benjamin MSc MCSP
Chartered Physiotherapist

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