Do you have a New Year’s Resolution? Perhaps to get back in shape or lose those pesky holiday pounds? If your New Year’s Resolution involves going to the gym or attending exercise class, listen up. If you have incontinence, it can get in the way of your goals. It can keep you sidelined from activities, even just jogging with a friend.

But January is Healthy Weight Month and maintaining a healthy weight is vitally important to overall wellbeing. But you don’t want incontinence to stop you.

Here are some tips for managing incontinence while hitting the gym:

1. Manage your liquids: You may try and drink less water to help your incontinence, but that can actually hurt it. You need to be hydrated though to stay healthy, and urine that is too concentrated (read: happens when you are dehydrated) can irritate your bladder. Read up on fluid management.

2. Plan, plan, plan: This goes hand in hand with fluid management. Plan to use the restroom right before you start your workout. Taking it a step further, you should try to plan bathroom breaks every hour and a half or so during a regular day.

3. Wear black: It is the only color that will mask a leak or make it look like it blends in with sweat. The good news is that most workout bottoms come in black.

4. Consider incontinence undergarments: Either that, or bring a change of pants. You may not want to wear a bulky undergarment but there are thinner options now, and it can’t hurt to have it on as backup.

5. Try Kegels: An exercise that doesn’t even have to be done at the gym! Kegel exercises are pelvic floor muscle strengtheners or incontinence exercises. They will help you to strengthen your pelvic floor and stave off leaks.

If you are skipping workouts because you can’t jump, run, jog or move around freely without worrying about incontinence, it may be time to contact us. Or call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953.