IS THE TRAMPOLINE PARK YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE?
My kids were dying to go to a trampoline park and as the words came out of my mouth “Sure…we can do that” I wanted to reel them back in.
Not only is the trampoline park full of germy kids but the question came to mind “Is my pelvic floor conditioned enough to bounce around for the 90-minute jump fest?” I mean, my gal pal had just reported to me that she had to sport a heavy-duty pad and a tampon because she was nervous she would leak right through her pants.
I was about to find out how conditioned the ol’ pelvic floor really was!
Stress Incontinence
Stress Incontinence is a THING, especially in women who have had babies. Research shows that 30% of women experience stress incontinence after having babies (I feel this percentage is higher but who asked me?!).
Stress incontinence is common but NOT NORMAL! Let me say that again for the gals in the back, STRESS INCONTINENCE IS COMMON BUT NOT NORMAL.
What is Stress Incontinence
There are different forms of incontinence but stress incontinence is the most prevalent in postpartum moms. Stress incontinence occurs when there is an increased “stress” or pressure down on your bladder and the surrounding supporting structures cannot meet the demand so you leak urine. Some “stressors” could be coughing, laughing, sneezing, running, or lifting something heavy.
How to improve Stress Incontinence
Know your Pelvic Floor
I know it seems a little silly, but we need to know the functioning status of our pelvic floor. Are you able to have a strong contraction of your pelvic floor but also a nice, full relaxation of your pelvic floor? What is the endurance of your pelvic floor? Can you hold a good contraction for 10 seconds? Can you perform 10 quick contract/relax (fully)? To learn more about how to test your pelvic floor, check out my FREE E-book here.
Strengthen the Glutes
Have you ever heard of the mom butt? You know, the flat toosh that doesn’t seem to fill out your jeans? The Glutes and the pelvic floor are so closely related and can get a little catty. I often find that if you strengthen your glutes, you often have improvements in your symptoms. Check out my blog post on Mom Bums here!
Focus on your Breathing
I use to think that focusing on your breath was for the yogi’s but I was wrong! Do you remember the whole pressure thing down on the bladder? Well breathing can help 1) contract your pelvic floor (your pelvic floor actually contracts on an exhale!) and 2) control some of that pressure.
TIP-Don’t hold your breath. Hop on over to my e-book for more details on how your breath and pelvic floor work together!
Bonus- Alignment
I don’t want you to go down the “perfect posture” rabbit hole because there isn’t a perfect posture. I always tell people, your perfect posture is your next posture so just move your body!
With that said, if you leak during running or jumping, look to see if changing your posture will change up your leaking. If you are all hunched over like an old lady, this is going to put more pressure down on the abdomen and bladder. So try and stay upright with ribs stacked over your pelvis.
Friends, if the trampoline park is your worst nightmare or you have to don a Depends diaper to attend, I want to support you! You don’t have to go through life worrying about what color of pants you need to wear in case you sneeze and pee a little. I have been there and it isn’t fun. If you are having problems, you can check out my resources linked above, hop on over to our Facebook group Mighty as a Mother, or email me at info@tarynkilty.com.
Taryn
PS…We had a great time at the trampoline park with no leaking….WIN!
