Pissing Your Pants? New Study Shows This Bad Exercise Is Just As Good As Meds
Urinary incontinence can affect different aspects of your life, but it is more common as you get older. Now, new research has found that the condition can be controlled by doing regular yoga classes.
That’s the main point of the study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. The study’s researchers note that this can be done by anyone, making the treatment of urinary incontinence easier.
But why can yoga help with urinary incontinence, and should you start doing it now? Here is the price.
Meet the experts: Alison Huang, MD, professor of Medicine, Urology, and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco. Ashley Rawlins, PT, DPT, pelvic floor physical therapist at Origin. G. Thomas Ruiz, MD, is the lead ob-gyn at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.
What did the study find?
For the study, researchers had people go through one of two 12-week exercise programs. In the other program, 121 women with urinary incontinence made up the regular group. of yoga. In another period, 119 women with urinary tract infections did a physical condition group (this was designed to be a control group).
Women in the yoga group learned 16 hatha yoga poses designed to strengthen the pelvic floor, completing two 90-minute sessions per week. They are also required to practice yoga at least one hour a week outside of class. Women in the control group, meanwhile, did two 90-minute sessions a week of random stretching and strengthening exercises. They were also asked to exercise for an extra hour a week.
The researchers found that after 12 weeks, people in the yoga program had 65 percent fewer episodes of incontinence. But the women in the control group had the same benefit, and the researchers noted that these results were equivalent to taking medication for the condition.
Can yoga cure urinary incontinence?
Maybe. However, researchers have also found that doing an exercise program also lowers urinary incontinence rates.
For many women, especially older women, the problem of urinating is not due to a problem with the bladder or urine. “Instead, various changes in women’s overall physical and mental functioning can lead to or worsen bladder control problems,” study lead author Alison Huang, MD, professor of Medicine , Urology, and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco, he says. Women’s Health. Those reasons can include weakness of the pelvic floor that supports the bladder, decreased overall physical condition, and stress and anxiety.
“There is good reason to think that pelvic floor yoga, which can address all of these factors at once, can help women with urinary problems – that is, if yoga is taught and done the right way,” Huang says.
It’s a good idea to consider yoga if you’re struggling with incontinence, says Ashley Rawlins, PT, DPT, a pelvic floor physical therapist at Origin. “Yoga is very beneficial for pelvic health because it promotes pelvic floor muscle strength, flexibility, alignment and body awareness, all of which are important for pelvic floor strength,” she says. support bladder function,” he says.
Yoga is also a safe and accessible form of exercise, she points out. Also, it is a low-impact option that allows you to build strength and flexibility in the pelvic floor without the added challenge of impact, as is the case with other forms of exercise such as walking, running or HIIT.
Should I start doing yoga for urinary incontinence?
Huang says doing any low-impact exercise can help. “Some people may feel that the study provides good evidence to recommend this type of yoga for women with urinary problems,” she says. “Some people might argue that many of the benefits of yoga for incontinence can be shared with other forms of low-impact, muscle-strengthening exercise.”
But practicing yoga won’t hurt. G. Thomas Ruiz, MD, lead ob-gyn at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, says: “There are definitely specific yoga exercises that pelvic floor doctors teach patients that are helpful. ” I would never discourage a patient from wanting to try this.
However, it’s also recommended that you try to maintain a healthy weight, do everything you can to avoid constipation, and do pelvic floor exercises like kegels, according to National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). In extreme cases, taking medication, getting Botox injections, and even surgery can help, according to the NIDDK. Pelvic floor physical therapy can also help strengthen the muscles involved in bladder control, Rawlins says.
If you have problems with urinary incontinence, Huang recommends taking a closer look at the medications they use for other health problems, or asking your doctor about them. “Some of these may be contributing to or worsening bladder problems,” says Huang.
He also suggests limiting the amount of coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages you have, as these can make you need to urinate more.
Finally, if you’re struggling with urinary incontinence, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. They can talk to you about treatment options or refer you to a specialist who can help.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general health, sexual and relationship health, and lifestyle, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. He has a master’s degree from American University, lives on the beach, and hopes to own a tea truck and a taco truck one day.
#Pissing #Pants #Study #Shows #Bad #Exercise #Good #Meds