I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Typically, this refers to being older in age and it being more difficult to learn something new. This may apply to people, but it sure doesn’t apply to our bladders. You can very well teach an old bladder a new trick, that being to prevent leaks.
As we age, the pelvic floor muscles become weaker, which increases the risk of bladder leaks. But suffering from bladder leaks doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of aging. In fact, you can train your bladder to be more effective and reduce your risk of leaks.
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The best way to train your bladder is to make it stronger through exercise. Now, this isn’t the type of exercise you do in the gym, but one you can do in the comfort of your own home.
5 Steps to Bladder Training
One way to train your bladder is to extend the amount of time in between urinations. These five steps can help you achieve this type of bladder training.
Step 1: For a couple of days, document how often you urinate or leak.
Step 2: For each day, calculate the amount of time in between urinations.
Step 3: Based on the calculations, choose an interval that you can hold your urine for.
Step 4: Always empty your bladder upon awakening. Throughout the day, continue to add 15 minutes to your intervals. Continue this routine until you feel comfortable with it.
Step 5: Once you’ve mastered your initial training, create a new regimen by adding an additional 15 minutes to each interval.
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Another form of bladder training to strengthen pelvic muscles is to stop your stream of urination while peeing. You can do this several times while you’re urinating.
That motion of stopping urination can also be done when you’re not urinating. This technique is called a Kegel and it can be done anytime and anywhere. Simply contract your pelvic floor muscles throughout the day in order to keep your muscles strong.
Also read:
- 9 yoga poses to strengthen your bladder
- Natural bladder supplements: 18 herbal remedies for overactive bladder
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
