How Good Morning Rituals can Help Manage Incontinence

Beginning each day with a consistent morning ritual is a great way to maintain a healthy balance in your life. Once you’ve established a ritual that gets each day off to a good start, you’ll never want to break the routine.

Certain morning rituals can also help you manage bladder leakage more effectively. Here are five practices to consider making part of your morning routine.

Sleeping dehydrates our bodies which have been at rest without any intake of water for 7-8 hours. When you haven’t had enough water, your urine becomes more concentrated which can irritate the lining of the urethra and bladder. Try drinking an 8-ounce glass of water first thing every morning.

If you’re used to having a glass of orange juice as part of your morning ritual, you may want to reconsider. Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, as well as their juices can exacerbate leakage problems. Try drinking apple juice instead, which can also help reduce urine odor.

Constipation can aggravate incontinence. By adding more fiber to your diet, you can reduce constipation and ultimately incontinence. Breakfast is the perfect time for consuming more fiber-rich foods, such as cereals rich in bran or oatmeal.

Start the day right by strengthening your pelvic floor muscles. Contract the muscles you use to stop the flow of urine. Hold the contraction for three seconds then relax for three seconds. Repeat eight to ten times. It’s recommended that you perform at least three sessions of these in a day, so you’ll already have one done with two to go! [url http://www.depend.com/womens-solutions/faq#group2]Find more info on Kegels in our FAQs[/url].

Physical activity is great for both the mind and the body and morning exercise is the best way to guarantee that life’s other obligations don’t overtake your fitness commitment. When it comes to incontinence, staying active and losing weight can help. A five to ten percent weight loss can help relieve the added pressure that excess weight puts on your bladder and surrounding muscles and aid in controlling your incontinence.

When you’re creating your perfect morning ritual, here’s one habit you may want to lose—that morning cup of coffee. Many people love a hot cup of java to start their day but women with incontinence may want to avoid the beverage altogether. Caffeinated drinks like coffee and even tea can actually trigger leakage problems.

The best thing about having a morning ritual is that it represents time carved out just for you and your needs, before the rest of the world begins to put demands on you. Morning rituals also provide you with a set of automatic tasks that you don’t have to think about. Going through the motions frees up your mind to engage in some valuable introspective time. It allows you to center yourself and prepare to take on the day ahead with total confidence.