Whether you deal with the occasional leak or lose full control of your bladder, stress urinary incontinence is a downer that can keep you from truly living life and doing all of the things you want to do. Because the very definition of SUI indicates pressure exerted on the bladder during moments of physical activity, this kind of leaking is generally brought on by sneezing, coughing, exercising, and even laughing. (And imagine a world where you need to hold in your laughter?!)

While the only true way to treat SUI is by strengthening your pelvic floor (more on that in a sec), there are a few ways to minimize your risk of leaking as you embark on a dryness regimen with INNOVO. Follow these simple lifestyle habits below as you work through your journey.

Take Care With Coffee

Not so fun fact: Caffeine irritates your bladder. And if you’re already dealing with SUI, bladder irritation can just make leaks worse. Try to limit your coffee habit where you can. Reach for herbal tea, a CBD gummy or even decaf during that late afternoon slump! The same goes for other caffeinated beverages like green tea, soda, and energy drinks. Better-for-your-bladder options include herbal tea, water, and seltzer.

Say See-Ya To Spicy

Just like caffeine, spicy and acidic foods can also irritate the bladder. Translation: Skip the spicy salsa on taco night and reach for some guac instead (we like ours extra).

On that note, some research has found that vitamin D deficiencies can cause leakage issues. Get your fix by throwing some salmon on the grill for an easy weeknight meal (we love it with pesto!). Need some breakfast inspo? Scrambled eggs do the trick. Heck, you can even use the need to up your vitamin D intake as an excuse to indulge in a creamy wedge of brie as cheese is another D-plus.

Ommm Your Way to Dryness

Make yoga (or pilates!) your new go-to. High impact workouts can put extra pressure on the bladder, causing pee to slip out. Jogging? Not a great idea if you want to prevent leakage. Same goes for jumping rope and cardio dance. Instead, it’s all about strengthening exercises that are low impact.

Watch the Alcohol

A dirty martini at the end of a long day. Margaritas with the girls to celebrate a birthday. A glass of cabernet while enjoying dinner. Sometimes a good drink hits just right—and we don’t want to deprive you of that. But consider sticking to just one drink. See, alcohol is a diuretic—and will make you have to pee more.

Water Is Not Your Enemy

Common sense may have you thinking that limiting your fluids will keep you from leaking. Wrong! Drinking less water can actually reduce your bladder’s capacity and make incontinence worse. But that doesn’t mean you want to go crazy with fluids. The recommended 6-8 glasses of water per day will do just fine.

Clench Before You Lift

Finally, a legit excuse to ask that nice man next to you to lift your suitcase into the overhead bin. See, when you lift heavy things, it puts strain on your pelvic floor muscles. And part of why SUI occurs is because your pelvic floor muscles are weak. If you do have to lift something relatively heavy—like your toddler or that case of grapefruit seltzer—tighten your pelvic floor muscles before you pick it up. (Not sure how to locate those muscles? Imagine you are sitting on a blueberry and lifting it until you feel your muscles rise. There, you found them!)

Why Choose INNOVO?

As for long term treatment, dealing with SUI requires strengthening your pelvic floor muscles through Kegel exercises. Manual Kegels work well enough—though many women do them incorrectly. That’s part of what makes INNOVO so great. It offers a safe, convenient, non-invasive solution that treats SUI. Use INNOVO for just 30 minutes a day, five days a week over 12 weeks as a proven way to treat bladder weakness. You may even see results in as little as 4 weeks!