What type of exercises may help with stress incontinence?

Pelvic floor muscle exercises, often referred to as Kegel exercises, are specifically designed to strengthen the muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and rectum. These exercises involve contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, helping to improve their strength and endurance. By doing so, they can effectively reduce symptoms of stress incontinence, which is the involuntary leakage of urine during activities that put pressure on the bladder, such as laughing, coughing, or exercising. Strengthening these muscles can enhance bladder control and reduce the likelihood of leakage during such activities, making pelvic floor muscle exercises the most suitable choice for addressing stress incontinence.

While cardiovascular exercises and Pilates can contribute to overall physical fitness and may indirectly support pelvic muscle function, they do not specifically target the pelvic floor muscles in the same way that pelvic floor exercises do. Weight lifting tends to focus on other muscle groups and might not provide the targeted benefits needed for managing stress incontinence.