Active living

Bladder Friendly Tips For A Confident Day Out

Imagine you’re at the shops or seated at your child’s school concert when, without warning, a sudden and overwhelming urge to empty your bladder takes hold. Whilst urinary urgency and incontinence can sometimes follow a predictable pattern, it can just as easily arise unexpectedly, creating distress in moments that should otherwise feel routine and enjoyable.

By Sarah Percy, Women’s Health Physiotherapist & Founder, Female Physio Co.

What is urinary urgency and overactive bladder?

Urinary urgency is that sudden, compelling urge to urinate that is difficult to delay, even when your bladder isn’t full1. When this happens frequently (eight or more times during the day and two or more times at night) or is accompanied by urinary incontinence, it is referred to as overactive bladder (OAB)1,2.

The bladder is a smooth muscle organ designed to store urine and signal when it’s time to void. In OAB, the detrusor muscle (the main bladder muscle), contracts involuntarily before the bladder is full, sending urgent signals to the brain that feel impossible to ignore. Think of it as a faulty alarm system: it goes off before there’s an emergency.

It’s important to understand that urgency is not just about having a weak bladder or poor self-control. It is a physiological response that can be retrained.

Who is more at risk?

OAB is more common than people realise and it disproportionately affects women. Factors that increase your risk include:

  • Hormonal changes4: The decline in oestrogen during perimenopause and menopause causes changes to the bladder and urethral lining, increasing sensitivity and urgency.
  • Age3: As we age, we lose muscle bulk all throughout our body – including our detrusor (bladder) muscle.
  • Pelvic organ prolapse3: A change in anatomy of your bladder, bowel or uterus can lead to urgency and incontinence.
  • Neurological3: Conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease or a history of stoke can disrupt the nerve signals between the bladder and brain.
  • Lifestyle factors3: High caffeine and alcohol consumption, constipation, obesity and high impact exercise can all contribute to bladder irritability.
Urinary urgency can also be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI), so it’s important to check in with your GP before assuming it’s OAB.


Practical Tips for Managing Urinary Urgency When You’re Out

Here are some practical strategies you can implement into your daily routine.

Toilet maps
Before heading out, take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the toilet locations at your destination. Apps like Flush, Toilet Finder and the National Public Toilet Map allow you to plan your outing with bathroom locations already in mind. Knowing where your nearest option is will significantly reduce the anxiety that is directly associated with urgency.

Minimise bladder irritants
Urinary urgency can be triggered by several common dietary factors. Caffeine (found in coffee, tea and energy drinks) acts as both a diuretic and a direct bladder irritant, increasing urine production and stimulating bladder activity. Alcohol has a similar effect, functioning as both a diuretic and irritant to the bladder lining. Carbonated drinks may also provoked urgency as the bubbles can stimulate sensitive bladders. Artificial sweeteners commonly found in diet drinks and processed foods are known bladder irritants for some individuals. Additionally, acidic and spicy foods (including citrus fruits/juices, tomato-based products) can irritate the bladder and exacerbate urgency symptoms.

Space out your fluid intake
Restricting all fluid consumption is one of the most counterproductive things we do. This concentrates the urine, making it more irritating to the bladder wall and over time reduces the bladder’s filling capacity. Aim to sip water steadily throughout the day, rather than consuming large volumes at once.

Distraction techniques
Bladder retaining can be extremely effective in the treatment of OAB. This works by gradually retraining the nervous system to delay the urge to void. When you feel the urge to urinate, try this:

  • Breathe slowly and deeply. Panic amplifies the urge signal.
  • Stop what you’re doing and stay still, movement can intensity urgency.
  • Distract your brain – count backwards from a large number (eg. 120) in 7’s. Urgency is partly neurological, redirecting your attention genuinely helps.
  • Place upward pressure against your genitals – this helps reduce the intense signals from your brain to your bladder. You can do this by sitting on a rolled towel or sitting on your heel.
  • Perform 3-5 pelvic floor squeezes to help suppress the bladder contraction.
  • Once the urge subsides, walk calmly to the bathroom. Do not rush – rushing increases urgency.

Continence products
Sometimes, no matter how well you prepare, life doesn’t always follow the plan, and that’s okay. MoliCare pads are designed specifically for bladder leakage – not as a substitute for period products, which are not equipped to manage urine effectively. MoliCare offers a range of discreet, anatomically shaped options to suit different levels of leakage, so you can choose what works best for you on any given day.

Wearing protection is a pragmatic tool that supports your quality of life. It is not giving up. Many women use continence pads as a confidence bridge whilst they work on bladder retraining, and there is no shame in that.

 

When to seek professional help

Please don’t accept urinary urgency as your normal. A Women's Health Physiotherapist can assess your pelvic floor function, review your bladder habits, and create an individualised treatment plan. All of these combined can significantly reduce or even resolve your symptoms.
 

References

1. Haylen, B. T., de Ridder, D., Freeman, R. M., Swift, S. E., Berghmans, B., Lee, J., ... & International Urogynecological Association (IUGA)/International Continence Society (ICS). (2010). An International Urogynecological Association (IUGA)/International Continence Society (ICS) joint report on the terminology for female pelvic floor dysfunction. Neurourology and Urodynamics, 29(1), 4–20. 2. Abrams, P., Cardozo, L., Fall, M., Griffiths, D., Rosier, P., Ulmsten, U., Van Kerrebroeck, P. E., Victor, A., & Wein, A. (2003). The standardisation of terminology in lower urinary tract function: Report from the standardisation sub-committee of the International Continence Society. Urology, 61(1), 37–49. 3. Hutchinson, A., Nesbitt, A., Joshi, A., Clubb, A., & Perera, M. (2020). Overactive bladder syndrome: Management and treatment options. Australian Journal of General Practice, 49(9). https://doi.org/10.31128/AJGP-11-19-5142. 4. Tomaszewski, J. (2014). Postmenopausal overactive bladder. Przeglad Menopauzalny, 13(6), 313–329. https://doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.47984