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Written by

Hayley Kava, MPT, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

If I Leak, am I Weak?

  • Fitness, Pelvic Floor Rehab, Postpartum

This  blog post was originally published on Hayley’s blog!

If I leak, am I weak?

Did you know that over 50% of elite female athletes and elite dancers who have not given birth leak urine while training? 

  • Shouldn’t this cohort of females have the “strongest” pelvic floors?
  • Isn’t leaking urine related to a “weak” pelvic floor? 

Great questions…  

Our pelvic floor is beautifully complex and fundamental for many functions. 

It’s not only responsible for supporting our organs/abdominal contents, and occasionally babies, it is the foundation of our core system and provides postural stability and control to our bodies. 

Since it is a postural group of muscles it should naturally respond to our movements. However, like our breathing- it “should be” rhythmic and deep and complete- but we can “cheat” it. How many of you are holding your breath right now reading this? 

I was when I was writing it! Phew…drop those shoulders… exhale. 

Ok back on track here- pelvic floor weakness and leaking! 

I really hate to classify the pelvic floor as “weak” or “strong” or “tight” or “tense” but I do use these terms. 

It’s a way to simplify a complex unit of muscles. 

So here’s my gross oversimplification to help you determine if your muscles are “weak” or “tense”

Weak:

You leak with “take off” or “push off” coming out of the bottom of the squat or rising up from a chair. 

The muscles can release down- but they cannot generate the force needed to lift up and so urine is able to sneak out.

Tense:

You leak with “landing” when you come down from a jump or when your heel strikes the ground with running. Bending to pick up a toy or as you start moving down in a squat. It speaks to your ability to “shock” absorb and so if it cannot absorb the shock- it can be too much and urine can leak out

Do I know why female athletes leak with jumping (or landing), I have my thoughts on that for sure! But… as always The best way to determine what combination of tight/tense, long, or weak your pelvic floor muscles are is to get a pelvic floor PT evaluation.

If that is not accessible to you at the moment try out some of the movements I posted in my latest REEL on Instagram- they should help you learn how to take the pelvic floor through a full range of motion! 

Learn more about incontinence and leaking with Dr. Jo in our upcoming webinar!