It is not always possible to prevent urinary incontinence. However, you can reduce your risk of developing it.
Weight
Being obese increases your risk of urinary incontinence. Maintain a healthy weight by eating a balanced diet. Use the healthy weight calculator to see if you are a healthy weight for your height.
Drinking
Depending on your particular bladder problem, your GP can advise you about the amount of fluids that you should drink. This is usually around 1.2 litres (six to eight glasses) a day.
If you have urinary incontinence, cut down on alcohol and drinks that contain caffeine, such as tea, coffee and cola. These can cause your kidneys to produce more urine and irritate your bladder.
The recommended daily limits for alcohol consumption are:
- three to four units a day for men
- two to three units a day for women
A unit of alcohol is roughly half a pint of normal-strength lager, a small glass of wine or a single measure (25ml) of spirits.
If you have to urinate frequently during the night (nocturia), try drinking less in the hours before you go to bed. However, make sure you still drink enough fluids during the day.
Exercise
Keeping active is a very important part of leading a healthy lifestyle and can help prevent several serious health conditions, including urinary incontinence. Do a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week. See the Live Well topic on getting active for more information.
Being pregnant and giving birth can weaken the muscles that control the flow of urine from your bladder. If you are pregnant, strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can help prevent urinary incontinence. See the Pregnancy care planner for more information about staying active during pregnancy.
Men can also benefit from strengthening their pelvic floor muscles by doing pelvic floor exercises. Find out more about pelvic floor exercises.
