Contents - 3 minute read:

• Inform - Is incontinence a normal sign of aging ?

• Motivate - Meet the oldest Strictly Come Dancing Contestant yet !

• Celebrate - Ballroom dancing - it has it all

Recently I developed a urinary tract infection. 🥲 This meant I had pain with peeing and needing to go more frequently than usual. By far, the most distressing symptom however was the loss of control, the urge to pee, meant I had to find the nearest rest room and fast ! This really impacted the next few days. I had to plan trips out carefully and was always cognizant of the nearest loo. It affected the clothes I planned to wear and limited my ability to socialise. Fortunately for me, this was a transient experience. With appropriate treatment, I was back to my usual routine in no time. For many people , women and men , living with some form of incontinence is part of everyday life. There is a misconception that losing the ability to control your bladder is part and parcel of aging . This should not be the case though. First lets explore more about this distressing symptom, then we will deal with how to tackle the issue head on 😄

Why altered Bladder Control

• Going to the loo is quite a complicated process, muscles in the bladder need to tighten to move urine to the urethra, the tube that urine passes through. The muscles in the urethra have to relax to allow the urine to be released. An upset in this process can cause urinary leakage

• Some incontinence issues can be short lived like my water infection , but longer lived ones can be due to a weakness of the pelvic floor or bladder muscles or overactive muscles

• Conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes or Parkinson’s Disease can affect the nerves around the bladder.

• Pelvic Organ Prolapse , where the pelvic organs (such as bladder , rectum or uterus) move , can affect the workings of the bladder

• Male incontinence can be due to an enlarged prostate, or prostatitis which is inflammation of the prostate gland

How to address your bladder issues

There are many treatments out there to help manage symptoms. The best choice of treatment is to start with the least complicated option and work from there. Your first point of call is your local GP or walk in centre. Mention to the staff there that you would like to talk to someone about incontinence and they will point you in the right direction. They will likely ascertain the probable cause of the issue and discuss with you possible treatments . Treatment can be a combination of bladder training and medical treatments such as medication or further investigations.

Physiotherapy for your bladder muscles

As we have seen , the pelvic area contains many muscles and physiotherapists are experts at getting muscles to work well as a team. Specialist pelvic health therapists are commonplace nowadays and can develop a training programme with you to do at home. To ensure that you are using the muscles correctly they may use biofeedback so you know that you are working the muscles correctly and advise you on correct toilet technique. Like with any muscle in the body, you can train it to work better and it can be life changing if like me, your life revolved around the nearest loo.

If you would like to read more , then press the link below 😃 

• Drink lots of water - Some people reduce the amount they drink but this can reduce the capacity of the bladder. Avoiding too much alcohol as this is a diuretic and makes you go to the loo more often.

• Limit caffeine as this can irritate the bladder

• Eat well to avoid constipation. - straining can weaken the pelvic floor

• Don’t hover on the toilet , this confuses the pelvic floor muscles and can stop the relaxation process to allow urination

• Choose exercises such as pilates which involves strengthening around the core and pelvic floor

Wednesday's exercises involve practising reducing your base of support and one leg standing, essential skills for balancing. Press the button and give them a try !

The UK is gearing up for the 21st Strictly Come Dancing Series with Angela Rippon, being announced as the oldest contestant to have entered the competition so far . She will be 79 during the competition. Johnny Ball was originally the oldest contestant at age 74 years so she beats him by a whole 4 years. Angela is best known as a news reader and journalist and has also starred in a series entitled , “How to Stay Young” She has been a life long dancer and advocates for dance as a complete exercise for body and mind. We will be following her progress and wish her every success for the competition

Following on from the inspiration of Angela Rippon, we celebrate ballroom dancing this week. Dancing has all the elements of well rounded exercise and more besides. It is great for the cardiovascular system (heart and lungs), allows you to practise your balance and requires strength and flexibility to pull off those moves . 😆 You can’t dance alone so it is a social activity , which lifts the mood and gets you out there in the thick of the action. Take dancing classes , drag your mate along or head to Facebook or the local paper to find a local dance event . What are you waiting for , dust off your shiny shoes and get on that dance floor 😃 

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