Lots of us think that leaking urine is only an older woman’s problem. But that is simply not true. There are some healthy women who regularly leak their whole life, even as a teen. And there are some activities that will make even the fittest of women leak. In fact, it is very common for female athletes to leak urine.
We all know that exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Exercise keeps us fit, helps us to maintain an ideal weight, and positively impacts our mental health. But it is not easy to maintain an exercise routine. It takes dedication and perseverance. Leaking urine can be the factor that tips you over into not going to the gym. And leaking urine can make it really hard to figure out what to wear to the gym- you may only be comfortable in black pants and long t-shirts. And just to put this into perspective, research has shown that 20% of female athletes quit their sport because of their leaking. This information is so important because it helps normalize leaking. If good athletes leak, it makes sense that you might leak too.
What type of athletes are more likely to leak?
When asked, about a third of female athletes leak during their sport. Some types of exercise are more likely to make you leak than others. Low impact sports are less likely to make you leak. So about 5% of women will leak with walking, Pilates and rollerblading. High impact sports are more likely to make you leak. Around 80% of women will leak when they are jumping on a trampoline. The more jumping and pounding that you do in an exercise routine, the more likely you are to leak. When women involved in different sports were asked about leaking, everyone admitted to leaking except the golfers. So, athletes including basketball players, gymnasts, tennis players, hockey players, swimmers, track stars, volleyball players and softball players all commonly leak. This leaking isn’t happening in the rare player, about 1/5 volleyball players will leak.
In addition to high impact activities, weightlifting is a common cause of leaking. CrossFit, which includes high impact activities and weightlifting, often makes women leak. One study showed that more than 80% of female athletes leak during CrossFit and half of this leaking is ranked as moderate to severe.
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