Why has no one told you this before?? Purposefully cutting back on how much water you drink not only contributes to constipation, but it will actually make your pee leaks WORSE!!
Dehydration makes pee leaks worse because it concentrates your urine, which annoys the bladder, making it more reactive, and more likely to give you “the urge”. This irritability, then causes the pelvic floor muscles to over-tighten….wasting their energy so that they can’t work with your core to keep pee in when you laugh, cough, sneeze, jump, or get ‘the urge’.
So…how much water do I need to drink?
To determine how much water you should drink each day, start by taking your body weight in pounds and divide it by two.
This resultant number is your DAILY GOAL of fluid ounces to drink.
75% of this should be non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic. Hydrated bodies make for healthy brains, happy bladders and less pain!
*Remember this is a starting point! You may need to add more base fluid ounces if you are exercising, breast feeding, or living in a hot or dry climate, where you may loose more fluid due to sweat and respiration!
Isn’t that TOO MUCH water?
In general, not a chance.
Most of us vastly under-drink fluids each day.
If you are drinking A LOT MORE than the above recommended amount, you could create an electrolyte imbalance called Hyponatremia (water poisioning), in which the electrolytes are thrown off. This is common in marathon runners who drink too much water and not enough electrolytes during their effort, but extremely uncommon in daily activities.
I’m not thirsty.
So I can’t be dehydrated, right?
WRONG! The thirst reflex is complex. If you’re chronically dehydrated, your brain will actually turn DOWN your thirst reflex. If you’re always dehydrated, your brain thinks you are lost in the desert, with no access to water, so it turns down the thirst reflex, to free up energy for you to find water.
It’s not until you drink a glass of water, that your brain realizes that you now have access to water, and HOLY GUACAMOLE, it turns up that thirst reflex, and now you realize you were thirsty.
Aren’t bodies amazing??
Consider:
Work on improving your hydration for the next week, and see how it affects your mood, energy, poop habits…and yes, it might even REDUCE some urinary urgency and frequency!!!
Great job on improving your hydration!
Also great job to you for being aware that urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence are common, but NOT NORMAL.
If you’re still leaking and or suffering from urinary urgency or frequency, find a pelvic floor PT to assess your core muscle strength and function, as well as do some bladder retraining.
If you can’t find a Pelvic Floor PT near you, you can work with Dr. Kelly online! Through 1:1 Virtual Visits or Pelvic Floored Online Programs, Dr. Kelly worked tirelessly since 2019 to improve access to world class pelvic health care to people all around the world!
Look for the Link to schedule on the main page (will be active in November, 2022) to schedule a one on one appointment.
And if the one on one visits aren’t in the cards, consider purchasing the Signature Lecture & Exercise Series, or one of our other Best Selling Online Programs!
The Signature Series is designed specifically with the person who is unable or unwilling to attend a pelvic floor physical therapy session in person.
Dr. Kelly utilized evidence-based research, as well as 16+ years of pelvic health experience as a Doctor of Physical Therapy (and one of only 72 DOUBLE Board Certified PTs in the USA), to create a practical, streamable, lessons in self assessment and exercise progressions.
Scholarships are available if you are unable to pay.
You are not alone, and not broken. Given some specific guidance, and you can get your body back.
High five to you, and thanks for being a part of the Pelvic Floored Family.
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Driggs, ID 83422
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All information, classes, and products purchased are for information only, and are not medical advice or physical therapy advice.
