What results can I expect and when?
👩⚕️ Research studies suggest that overall, between 67 and 75% of women with Mixed Incontinence will reduce or stop leak symptoms with pelvic floor muscle training.
While you may notice some results within weeks, for others it can take between 3 and 6 months of regular, consistent training. Keep at it!! Consistency is key!
What factors may influence my individual results?
Training frequency: regular training (sticking to your 10-minute session, 5 times a week) is linked with faster improvements. Keep training sessions short and sweet and respect rest time! Overdoing it won't make you progress any faster, and could actually slow down your progress.
Kegel quality: making sure you are correctly engaging your pelvic floor muscles is key. Don't hesitate to practice with the kegel coach (linked) and pay attention to contraction quality during games.
Physical activity: high-intensity exercise like running and jumping can make you more prone to leaks; but being sedentary is not helpful, either. Moderate-intensity, low-impact activity (like walking) can also help to improve stress incontinence symptoms.
Breaking old habits and creating new mental associations: do you get a sudden urge to pee as soon as you put your key in the door? Do you use the toilet every hour, even without an urge to pee, "just in case"? If you repeat these behaviors often enough, your brain may start to associate these moments with having to pee, even if you don't really have to go. Try breaking the cycle by changing your routine: for example; by adding a distracting task (such as mental math) while you get your keys out to open your door, or by gradually spacing out planned trips to the bathroom.
Other factors: Factors like age, menopause, and higher body mass index (BMI) increase the likelihood of leaks. Depending on your individual characteristics, it may take longer for you to see results. In about 25%-30% of cases, leaks can be due to factors other than a weak pelvic floor. If you have been training regularly, have seen improvements in your strength and endurance, and have seen no improvement in leak symptoms, you can use your training data as valuable information to share with your medical professional.