World continence week

Get involved in world continence week.

Here are 5 healthy habits that are the key to preventing incontinence for the majority of Australians

Tip number 1
Stay active
Physical activity is beneficial for overall health - and that includes bladder and bowel function! Aim for at least 30 minutes of Physical activity per day. This doesn't have to be all at once. Activities like gardening, cleaning, playing with the grand kids, and taking the stairs all adds up.

Tip number 2
Eat well
Fiber in your diet will help improve bowel function and avoid constipation. Fiber is found in foods such as multi grain or whole grain breads, cereal products, fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts and seeds. Aim to eat two servings of fruit, five servings of vegetables and five servings of cereals and bread each day.

Tip number 3
Get enough fluids and drink well
It's important to increase fluids when you increase fibre in your diet. Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated helps maintain digestive health. Drinks that contain caffeine, cola and alcohol can irritate your bladder, so water is the best choice.
An easy way to check if you are drinking enough is to check the colour of your urine. A pale yellow colour shows your on tack. If it's darker, drink some water.

Tip number 4
Exercise your pelvic floor
Having a strong pelvic floor is your insurance against incontinence. You can train your pelvic floor anytime, anywhere, no matter what sex, gender, age or fitness level you are. Try to do your pelvic floor muscles exercises every day, three times a day. See a continence health professional to learn how.

Tip number 5
Practice good toilet habits don't get into the habit of going to the toilet 'just in case' too often, then the bladder may never fill up properly, and shrink a bit. This may give the feeling of needing to the to the toilet more frequently (urge incontinence)