Obesity & LBL

Did you know that overweight women are twice more likely to experience light bladder leakage than women of normal weight? I am among 38% of women who had no idea. It does make sense though that obesity is one of the common causes due to the extra pressure placed on the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor cannot cope with the additional weight and therefore cannot control the urine leakage.

 Lights^TM by TENA have launched an educational campaign to help women understand the causes and simple lifestyle and diet changes that will help empower and improve their pelvic floor to regain control.

Here are some tips for women who may be overweight and experiencing LBL that will help combat this problem.

 Find your Pelvic Floor

The Pelvic Floor runs from your pubic bone at the front of your pelvis to the coccyx at the back. Imagine this sling of muscles is like two elevator doors. As you lift it, imagine the doors closing together and then lifting towards your head. The rest of your body should stay still.

Practice gentle lifts throughout the day
Practice lifting during the day at your desk, or at the sink while washing your hands, not just lying down at the end of the day. Work on connecting with it and then seeing if you can hold it for 5 seconds. As it is an internal exercise, no one will know you are working out.  Try and lift your pelvic floor 10 times at a red light whilst driving.

Calculating BMI
Calculate your BMI as follows: weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared
Healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25. Monitor this regularly and work on getting into the healthy BMI range.

Change your diet
Implementing a healthier and more balanced diet along with exercise will help to shed some kilos and losing weight, particularly around your waist will help to lighten the load placed on your pelvic floor. Eating a balanced diet will help to decrease the incidence of constipation which can weaken your pelvic floor.

Use the right product while dealing with the problem
Use a correct liner such as the one from the newly launched lights by TENA® range to handle the leakages while you’re dealing with the problem. The liners will keep you drier, fresher and odour free. And much less stressed.

If you would like more tips or demonstrations on how to strengthen your pelvic floor you can find lots more information on the website here.