Older women suffering from urinary incontinence can benefit from frequent, low-impact exercises like yoga, stretching, and strengthening, according to a new study led by Stanford Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco. The research aims to develop low-risk, low-cost treatments for this common health issue among aging women.
After 12 weeks of low-impact yoga, participants experienced about 65% fewer incontinence episodes. Similarly, those in a control group doing stretching and strengthening exercises saw comparable results. The benefits were found to be similar to those of incontinence medications.
Leslee Subak, MD, senior author and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford Medicine, highlighted that the yoga used in the study is accessible to most people, with modifications for varying physical abilities. Conducted partly during the COVID-19 pandemic, many participants received instruction through online sessions.
Urinary incontinence, affecting over half of middle-aged women and up to 80% of 80-year-olds, can lead to social isolation and physical issues like bone fractures. Subak emphasized the importance of addressing incontinence, which often goes untreated due to stigma. She encourages women to consider physical activity like yoga or low-impact exercise as effective treatments, noting that exercise is low-risk and beneficial for overall well-being.
The study compared two 12-week programs: 121 women participated in a yoga program targeting pelvic floor strengthening, while 119 followed a general stretching and strengthening routine. Both groups experienced significant reductions in incontinence episodes, with improvements of around 60%.
Subak advises that women interested in these approaches can search for low-impact Iyengar yoga or similar classes, either in-person or online. She notes that yoga and physical activity offer meaningful benefits for incontinence and overall health.