Healing Through Yoga: Managing Urinary Incontinence in Women
On
2024-07-28T02:21:11Z
Have you been recently diagnosed with urinary incontinence? Well, it’s relieving to know that you’re not alone. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, over 25 million adults in the United States are living with temporary or chronic incontinence. Even more reassuring is that urinary incontinence is perfectly manageable. Unlike most chronic illnesses whose treatment depends on long-term prescription of conventional medications, you can cope effectively with bladder incontinence by making certain lifestyle adjustments. This blog shall explore the role of yoga and adult diapers in managing urinary incontinence. Read on to uncover how you can synergize yoga and adult diapers to lead an enriching life despite having bladder incontinence.
Introducing Adult Diapers for Urinary Incontinence
In recent years, adult diapers have emerged as a popular solution to urinary incontinence. Also known as incontinence briefs, adult diapers resemble regular baby diapers. The primary difference is that they’re intended for older wearers, particularly seniors experiencing urinary incontinence due to age-related decline in bladder functionality.
What Constitutes Adult Diapers For Women?
Baby diapers are notably unisex. However, incontinence briefs can be gendered, depending on the intended wearer’s preferences. Adult diapers for women are distinguishable by the placement of their core absorbency layer. Unlike male diapers that have the absorbency material set to the front of the diaper, female incontinence briefs are mostly absorbent on their undersides. That ingenious design allows the diapers to flush with the female genitalia, which coincidentally sit underneath the pelvic area. You may also differentiate gendered incontinence briefs by the shape of the diaper chassis. Adult diaper manufacturers generally use waist, hip, and thigh measurements when fitting female briefs. In comparison, male diaper fittings usually take into account waist sizes. Therefore, adult diapers for women come in diverse chassis contours to fit different hip and thigh sizes. Last but not least, aesthetic considerations may come into play when designing female incontinence briefs. Adult diapers for women generally appear in fancy feminine colors and patterns.
Exploring the Role of Yoga for Incontinence Management
The efficacy of adult diapers at managing incontinence is undeniable. But did you know that you can optimize these wearables even further using complementary practices like yoga? Yoga enjoys timeless appeal among millions of wellness enthusiasts worldwide. The practice has been embedded in multiple cultures, where it’s especially prized for its stress-relieving properties. Yoga combats stress by promoting relaxation. It also encourages blood flow throughout the body. Increased blood circulation ramps up the supply of oxygen and essential nutrients to the brain, which consequently aids the brain’s signaling of certain ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters.Now, you’re probably wondering if there’s a direct relationship between mental stress and urinary incontinence. Well, it turns out there is. Studies have shown that stress and an overactive bladder share a cause-effect relationship. Anxiety can exacerbate urinary incontinence symptoms. Consequently, bladder incontinence can impact mood and self-esteem adversely, resulting in a vicious cycle of stress and incontinence.The impact of stress on urinary incontinence is mostly evidenced among women with social anxiety disorder (SAD). For such women, the mere thought of giving a public speech is enough to throw their bladder into overdrive. That underscores the significance of a yoga - adult pampers combination. But perhaps the biggest role of yoga for incontinence relates to its ability to strengthen pelvic floor muscles - the muscles that support bladder and bowels. Pelvic floor muscles are critical in preventing bladder and bowel incontinence. They also play an instrumental role in enhancing sexual performance. However, pelvic floor muscles can weaken with age. Factors like pregnancy, childbirth, obesity, prostate cancer, and chronic constipation may also diminish the performance of these essential muscles. And that’s where yoga comes in. Certain yoga asanas (poses) constitute the bedrock of Kegel exercises. Practicing these poses regularly can strengthen weakened pelvic floor muscles, mitigating the severity of urinary incontinence.
Synergizing Yoga and Adult Diapers
Both yoga and adult diapers play a critical role in managing urinary incontinence for women. The good news is that you can use them concurrently. While wearing ABDL diapers provides leak-proof protection, yoga addresses urinary incontinence proactively by strengthening pelvic floor muscles. To make the most of yoga for incontinence, insist on professionally approved asanas for kegel exercises. Fortunately, there are several yoga poses for a strong pelvic floor. One of the easiest to perform is Child's Pose (Balasana). To perform Balasana:
Kneel on the floor and sit on your knees.
Gently lean forward until your forehead touches the floor, while keeping your buttocks rested on your heels.
Move your arms next to your legs, with your palms facing up.
Inhale and exhale for about eight breaths and repeat as required.
As for incontinence briefs, the key focus is usually the diaper’s size and comfort levels. Start by measuring your waist, hip, and thigh size. Then, pick a brief that’s closest to those measurements but on the higher side.Absorbency capacity is another critical factor when shopping for incontinence briefs. Insist on super absorbent adult diapers, preferably those based on NASA's Maximum Absorbency Garments (MAGs) principle.If you’re struggling to find a diaper whose absorbency capacity matches your incontinence level, you may consider booster pads. Designed to be worn underneath regular incontinence briefs, booster pads enhance absorbency by soaking up urinary discharge before letting it flow through to the adult diaper. They guarantee long-term dryness, making them effective for long-haul flights and overnight use.Speaking of overnight incontinence protection, you may also invest in bed pads.Unlike diaper pads that protect your clothing from urinary leakage, bed pads offer protection to your bedding during inadvertent bladder discharge at night. Simply spread the pad on top of your mattress to cushion other bedding underneath it. You could also slip a bed pad between the mattress and upper sheet to prevent skin irritation due to contact with the chemicals in the pad. This way, only the top sheet gets soiled when bladder movement occurs overnight.
Final Word
Yoga and adult diapers are a magic pair for women living with urinary incontinence. However, managing an overactive bladder successfully with yoga and incontinence briefs depends on both the chosen asana and adult diaper. Remember to exercise due diligence when selecting proper yoga poses and adult diapers, depending on the severity of your incontinence condition.
In recent years, adult diapers have emerged as a popular solution to urinary incontinence.
Also known as incontinence briefs, adult diapers resemble regular baby diapers. The primary difference is that they’re intended for older wearers, particularly seniors experiencing urinary incontinence due to age-related decline in bladder functionality.
The efficacy of adult diapers at managing incontinence is undeniable. But did you know that you can optimize these wearables even further using complementary practices like yoga?
Yoga enjoys timeless appeal among millions of wellness enthusiasts worldwide. The practice has been embedded in multiple cultures, where it’s especially prized for its stress-relieving properties.
Yoga combats stress by promoting relaxation. It also encourages blood flow throughout the body. Increased blood circulation ramps up the supply of oxygen and essential nutrients to the brain, which consequently aids the brain’s signaling of certain ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters.
Now, you’re probably wondering if there’s a direct relationship between mental stress and urinary incontinence. Well, it turns out there is.
Studies have shown that stress and an overactive bladder share a cause-effect relationship. Anxiety can exacerbate urinary incontinence symptoms. Consequently, bladder incontinence can impact mood and self-esteem adversely, resulting in a vicious cycle of stress and incontinence.
The impact of stress on urinary incontinence is mostly evidenced among women with social anxiety disorder (SAD). For such women, the mere thought of giving a public speech is enough to throw their bladder into overdrive. That underscores the significance of a yoga - adult pampers combination.
But perhaps the biggest role of yoga for incontinence relates to its ability to strengthen pelvic floor muscles - the muscles that support bladder and bowels. Pelvic floor muscles are critical in preventing bladder and bowel incontinence. They also play an instrumental role in enhancing sexual performance.
However, pelvic floor muscles can weaken with age. Factors like pregnancy, childbirth, obesity, prostate cancer, and chronic constipation may also diminish the performance of these essential muscles. And that’s where yoga comes in.
Certain yoga asanas (poses) constitute the bedrock of Kegel exercises. Practicing these poses regularly can strengthen weakened pelvic floor muscles, mitigating the severity of urinary incontinence.
