Our Top Five Healthy Bladder Habits
Do you ever feel like you have a small bladder? Do you find yourself rushing to the bathroom frequently throughout the day or because you get a strong, sudden urge to pee? Do you struggle with leaking through the day?
Then you’ll want to read this blog!
Bladders can be challenging sometimes, but did you know that you can train your bladder? Yes! If you struggle with urinary urgency, frequent urination, or leakage, faulty bladder habits may be to blame.
At Awake Pelvic Health & Wellness, our pelvic floor physical therapists work with individuals everyday struggling with a variety of bladder concerns. We always start with diving into foundational bladder habits. You’d be surprised by how much these simple habits can make big changes.
Our Top 5 Health Bladder Habits
Drink enough water
Urinate every 2-4 hours
Stop peeing just in case
Don’t “push” your pee out
Reduce or limit bladder irritants
Let’s dive into each habit a bit more:
Drink enough water
Decreasing water intake is often the first thing we see when someone is experiencing urinary leakage, urgency, or frequency. But did you know that when you do not drink enough water, the urine in your bladder becomes more concentrated, and can irritate the bladder. This can make you more susceptible to strong urges and frequency. Aim to drink ½ your bodyweight in ounces of water per day.
Stop peeing “just in case”
Peeing when we do not actually have to, or frequently peeing “just in case” can actually train our bladder to have the sensation to void, even if there is little urine in the bladder. Listen to your bladder signals and reduce how much you pee “JIC” (just in case). You probably don’t actually have a small bladder, it’s likely a result of faulty bladder habits.
Urinate every 2-4 hours
“Normal” voiding is peeing every 2-4 hours. Going less than that can indicate frequency, and consistently waiting longer than 4 hours can also create poor bladder habits. We want to keep the signals between the brain and bladder healthy and refined, so listen to your body!
Don’t “push” your pee out
When you sit down on the toilet, take deep breaths and relax. Urinating should actually be a passive process - the muscle around the bladder (called the detrusor muscle) contracts while your pelvic floor muscles relax. If you feel the need to bear down on your bladder or push your urine out, then you may be experiencing tension in your pelvic floor muscles.
Reduce or limit bladder irritants
Beverages such as coffee, alcohol, orange juice, tomato juice, sparkling water, or spicy foods can be irritating on your bladder. Aim to reduce how many bladder irritants you consume during your day. One good rule of thumb is to drink an extra glass of water for every cup of coffee or serving of alcohol.
