Did you find this page helpful?
YesNo
Helpline 0800 650 659 continence nz

CrossFit - Do You Pee During Workouts?

Updated:  See the blog post below the video.

Rory McKernan posed the question to women at the Central East Regional, "Do you pee during your workouts?" Here's what he found out.

 

CrossFit gets it wrong - the truth about peeing during workouts

Posted by Melissa Davidson on 26 June 2013

I couple of days ago I came across this appalling video from the CrossFit Games titled 'Do you Pee During Workouts?'.

A video so full of misinformation and poor advice that I simply had to comment.

According to CrossFit and the gynaecologist interviewed, it's okay, even normal, to pee during your workouts. The video makes a joke of the situation and almost suggests this is something to be proud of!

What are we actually talking about here? Stress incontinence. A medical condition that is completely treatable and often preventable.

It’s time to set the record straight.

The truth about peeing during workouts

  1. Peeing during workouts is not normal. Yes incontinence is common (affects an estimated 1.1 million NZers) but this doesn't make it normal. (The definition of normal being 'the usual, average, or typical state or condition.')
  2. It is possible to exercise (even at a high intensity) without wetting your pants
  3. There is no need to just put up with urine leakage or accept it as 'normal'. It is a medical condition that can (and should) be treated.

Let me put it to you this way...

Would you think it's normal for your knee to collapse while you're out running or during CrossFit? Would this be a funny video to make - people proudly showing off their knee injuries?

I think not!

We need to be treating incontinence with the seriousness it deserves. Just as we wouldn't put up with an injured knee, we don't need to put up with incontinence.

A pelvic floor physio can help you treat and often completely resolve incontinence. In fact studies show physio in the form of pelvic floor muscle training can have up to an 80% cure rate of stress incontinence. (1)

Seek help

If you are worried about urine leakage during workouts then please seek help. Your GP can give you advice on treatment options or you can directly access a pelvic floor physio who can help assess and treat your urinary incontinence. You can find a physio here.

Please don't put up with leakage or neglect this vital part of yourself. Seek help now!

Related links

References

1. Physiotherapy for female stress urinary incontinence: a multicentre observational study. 2005, Australia and New Zealand of Obstetrics and Gynecology: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15904449

Melissa Davidson is Managing Director and Principal Physiotherapist at Remarkable Physios. Her special interests are in manipulation, acupuncture, cosmetic acupuncture, women's and men's health, breathing, work-site assessments, manual handling courses and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). Melissa is currently enrolled at The University of Melbourne completing her Masters in Research (Women's Health). In her spare time she enjoys a variety of sports including running her black Labrador and mountain biking.

To see the original article: click here >>