Are Your "Normal" Bladder Habits Actually Signs of Dysfunction?
Bladder Health Mini Series
Part One:
Part Two:
Part Three: Why You Feel Like You Always Have to Pee (Even With an Empty Bladder)
Part Four: How to Stop Recurrent UTIs From Coming Back
Part Five: How to Pee Correctly (Yes, There's a Right Way!)
Rushing to locate the nearest bathroom everywhere you go. Crossing your legs every time you sneeze. Avoiding jump squats in your favorite fitness class. If any of this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Many women, especially after pregnancy, deal with these bladder issues daily. They're often dismissed as "just part of being a mom" or "normal signs of aging."
Let me be clear: these symptoms might be common, but they're not normal. They're actually signs of pelvic floor dysfunction. The good news? You don't have to live with them forever.
As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I see women every day who've spent years managing these symptoms instead of addressing the root cause. They modify their lives around their bladder - planning outings based on bathroom access, giving up activities they love, or wearing pads just to exercise.
In this post, I'm breaking down three of the most common bladder issues I see in my practice - leaking, urgency, and recurring UTIs. More importantly, I'm explaining why they happen and what they're telling you about your core and pelvic floor muscle function.
Leaking when you run, jump or sneeze? Here’s what’s causing your incontinence.
First, let's talk about what incontinence looks like in real life. You might be dealing with incontinence issues if:
You leak during high-impact movements like running, box jumps, burpees, or jumping rope. This often shows up as spotting in your underwear or visible dampness in your leggings.
You automatically cross your legs or clench your muscles when you feel a sneeze or cough coming on. Maybe you've mastered the subtle "squeeze and cross" move during a laughing fit.
You've started wearing panty liners or pads to your workout classes "just in case." Your gym bag might have an emergency stash of backup underwear.
You skip certain exercises in class or modify without your trainer asking. Those jump squats? You automatically step them out instead.
Many women just accept leaking as their "new normal" after having kids. Your doctor might have even told you it's just part of motherhood. But here's what's actually happening: your core muscles aren't functioning as a coordinated unit. This isn't about having a "weak" pelvic floor that needs more Kegels (read more on why Kegels may actually be doing more harm than good!). Instead, it's about how your core muscles work together to support your bladder with every breath and movement.
One of the very important roles of your pelvic floor muscles is to properly manage increased pressure in your abdomen. When you cough, sneeze, laugh, run, jump, or exercise, the pressure in your abdomen increases and your core muscles should absorb this pressure so that your organs and spine stay supported through this loading. If your core muscles are dysfunctional and not performing their job of managing pressure increases, then the load goes through your organs, specifically your bladder, and leaking can be the result. This type of leaking is called stress incontinence - it's when you leak with an activity that increases pressure in your abdomen.
If this sounds like you, don't worry. I can teach you a simple protocol that retrains your core muscles to properly manage increases in pressure, so that you can exercise leak-free and stay dry through coughing, laughing and sneezing.
Why You're Always Racing to the Bathroom (No, it’s not just a small bladder!)
You might be dealing with bladder urgency and frequency issues if your daily life looks like this:
You've mentally bookmarked every bathroom in your usual spots. The coffee shop near school pickup? Bathroom's in the back left. The grocery store? Right next to produce.
You automatically use the bathroom before leaving anywhere, even if you don't really need to go. "Just in case" bathroom trips have become your pre-departure ritual.
When you feel the urge to go, it's an emergency situation. There's no "holding it" for a few minutes - when your bladder says go, you go. You might find yourself cutting short phone calls, leaving shopping carts in aisles, or rushing out of meetings to make it to the bathroom in time.
Once you get the urge, the sensation quickly increases in intensity, and sometimes you don't make it to the bathroom in time and you pee your pants on the way there.
Many women believe these bathroom habits are normal. Or they've been told they simply have a "small bladder." But frequent urgency isn't about bladder size - it's about the health of your pelvic floor muscles.
See, your pelvic floor muscles have nerve endings in them called "mechanoreceptors". The job of these nerves are to sense a mechanical load. When working properly, and your bladder is full, these nerves sense the increased weight of the full bladder, and give you the sensation of urgency. Once you get the urge to go, your pelvic floor muscles automatically engage around the urethra so that you can make it to the bathroom in time.
When your pelvic floor muscles are not healthy and too tight, they deprive blood flow to these "mechanoreceptors", which can then make you feel like you have to pee even when your bladder is not full. Pelvic floor muscles that are too tight are not able to properly engage around the urethra and leaking can result. This type of leaking is called urge incontinence - it's when you leak with urgency on the way to the bathroom.
If this sounds like you, know that you don't have to live like this! There is a simple protocol that can calm your bladder and heal your pelvic floor muscles so that you can control your bladder, and not have your bladder control you.
Why Your UTIs Keep Coming Back
Living with recurring UTIs can feel like a never-ending cycle. You might be stuck in this pattern if:
You're getting UTIs several times a year, maybe even monthly. You recognize that familiar burning sensation and immediately know what's coming.
You experience UTI symptoms, but tests come back negative. That burning sensation, pressure, and urgency are all there, but the lab results show no infection. Your doctor might have told you it's just in your head, but these symptoms feel very real.
You're taking antibiotics preventively after intercourse or you're on a long-term, low-dose antibiotic prescription. Maybe you've started keeping antibiotics on hand "just in case."
You constantly feel like you need to urinate, even right after going to the bathroom. There's always a sensation of pressure or incomplete emptying. You might find yourself going back to the bathroom multiple times in a row, trying to feel relief.
While UTIs are common, chronic recurrent infections aren't normal. It is also not normal to feel like you have a UTI when tests come back negative. This cycle often points to underlying pelvic floor dysfunction that's creating an environment where bacteria can thrive. When your pelvic floor muscles are not healthy and too tight, this can deprive necessary blood and lymph flow to your bladder and urethra, making you more prone to infections you would normally be able to fight off if your pelvic floor muscles were healthy.
Pelvic floor muscle dysfunction can also make you feel like you have a UTI, when in fact you don't. Tight pelvic floor muscles can lead to the sensation of urgency, pressure and burning. So whether you feel like you have a UTI, but tests come back negative, or you do indeed have UTIs that keep coming back-addressing the root cause and improving the health of your pelvic floor muscles, can clear up that vicious cycle for good.
Living with these bladder issues isn't your new normal.
While symptoms like leaking, urgency, frequency, and UTIs are common, they're actually clear signals that your core and pelvic floor muscles aren't functioning optimally. The good news? When you restore proper core muscle function, these issues resolve naturally.
Think of your core as a coordinated system. When all parts - your diaphragm, deep abdominals, and pelvic floor - work together, they create the support your bladder needs to be healthy. They bring blood and lymph flow to your bladder to fight infection, they signal bladder urgency properly, they get you to the bathroom on time, and they prevent leaking. This happens automatically, with every breath you take.
Ready to stop planning your life around bathroom breaks and get back to the activities you love? The Core Recovery Method® teaches you how to restore healthy pelvic floor and core muscle function, and reclaim your body and life- without endless Kegels or complicated exercises. This proven online program guides you through the exact process I use with my private clients in person to resolve bladder issues for good.
The Core Recovery Method® is perfect for busy moms who want straightforward, effective solutions they can implement in just 30 minutes a day. You'll learn:
- How to retrain your core muscles to support your bladder automatically
- Simple breathing techniques that strengthen your pelvic floor like nothing else
- Specific exercises to quickly and effectively resolve your bladder symptoms, designed to fit into your busy schedule
