Millions of women are being forced off sports fields and out of gyms and fitness classes by bladder leaks, our new research has revealed, with the average age for quitting sport due to the issue now just 37 years old.
Now, in an effort to keep more women doing the sports and exercise they love for longer and offer solutions for , we’ve teamed up with broadcaster and women’s health advocate Em Clarkson and Sale Sharks and Scotland Women’s player and physio Molly Wright.
Alarming research
Our research revealed that seven in 10 women have given up sports and fitness training before the age of 40 because of bladder leaks. 67% of women said they were driven to quit by feelings of embarrassment (67%), self-consciousness (58%) and shame (36%).
Our new research also suggests that the issue is impacting women of all ages with nearly a third (29%) of Gen Z women having experienced bladder leaks and the issues having effected half (50%) of millennials.
Of those impacted, almost two-thirds (65%) of Gen Z women who experience bladder leaks say it has caused them to give up or cut back on sport, while nearly one in five (18%) have quit altogether.
For the majority that have given up, a whopping 83% believe simple changes such as completing regular Kegel exercises, would have helped keep them in sport and exercise for longer.
The Abandoned Kit
To highlight the dropout rate, we installed 10 suspended rugby shirts between the posts at Sale FC’s stadium, home of Sale Sharks Women, with seven left blank to represent players who have left sport due to bladder leaks, bringing the issue starkly to life on the pitch.
Together with Em Clarkson and Molly Wright, we’ve curated a content series that will challenge the stigma around and encourage more open discussion around women’s health in sport.
The content will be hosted on our Instagram broadcast channel and will feature tips from Clarkson and Wright, as well as an array of educational resources that are aimed at helping women stay active, strong and leak-free.
Em Clarkson, who recently shared her own recovery and return to exercise following the birth of her second daughter, said: "When I talked about the issues I was having with my own pelvic floor health, and the steps I was taking to rehabilitate it, I was so struck by how many people asked me questions about the issue and what could be done for them. It made me realise that this is simply not something we are speaking about nearly enough, which is leaving women suffering in silence for such a long time.
“There are so many barriers that face women in sport, whatever that sport is. It's such a frustration that this often-preventable one is such a common one. We know that people suffer and then leave sport or stop doing the fitness classes they enjoy. We want to support those people, give them the right information so that they don't have to experience bladder leaks.”
Join our community of women on Instagram
Sport and exercise plays a vital role in our lives, boosting physical health, confidence and wellbeing, and every woman should feel able to stay in the game for as long as she wants. At TENA, we recognise that bladder leaks affect every woman differently, which means there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. That’s why we’re here to support women throughout their pelvic health journey with a range of solutions.
We’ve launched an Instagram Broadcast channel to help more women manage leaks with confidence and stay in the sports they love for longer. Join for tips, advice and exclusive content from Em Clarkson, Molly Wright and more.
To sign up for the TENA women’s broadcast channel, visit @tenawomenuk on Instagram.
This summer, the world has watched women push the limits of sport.
Yet in gyms, on pitches and across courts nationwide, too many women are quietly walking away, not from a lack of motivation or injury, but because of bladder weakness in women.
Why #EverySqueezeCounts Matters
The facts are alarming: 1 in 3 women in the UK experience bladder leaks, and it’s one of the leading reasons women abandon sport altogether.
In fact, our new research revealed one in three women who experience bladder leaks have given up the sports they love entirely due to incontinence issues and a weak pelvic floor, while more than two thirds (69%) give up before the age of 40.
At TENA, we believe it’s time to change the game. Female pelvic health, and in particular Kegel exercises for bladder control, are proven to make a difference. Yet awareness and support for women’s pelvic health in gyms and sporting environments remain shockingly low.
TENA’s Call to Keep Women in Sport
We’re calling on gyms and sports clubs to keep women in the game by making pelvic floor exercises a priority.
In our open letter, we’ve called on sports clubs and gyms across the UK to make a major change in their venues by introducing pelvic floor education and Kegel training. Our aim is to help more women continue to do the physical activity they love and stay active with bladder leaks.
Bladder weakness is one of the leading reasons women abandon sports, despite being entirely avoidable with the correct incontinence products for women and training. Awareness and support for female pelvic health in gyms and sporting environments remains shockingly low. It’s time for this to change across the UK.
What We’re Asking Gyms to Do
We’re publicly calling for gyms, sporting bodies and organisations to make a number of changes including:
- Integrating pelvic floor education and Kegel training into their gyms and class programmes
- Stocking incontinence products for women that support bladder leak symptoms in all bathrooms
- Empowering trainers and coaches with resources and knowledge to support female members
- Creating an environment where women can feel confident and continue playing the sports they love without fear or embarrassment
- The request for change comes as 50% of women who experience bladder leaks reveal they wish they could get back into sport.
We’re calling on gyms to better educate their PTs, coaches and members on the importance of bladder health. Simple steps such as adding Kegel exercises into warm-ups, posters on how to train your pelvic floor, and stocking bladder leak support products in bathrooms will help give women the confidence to stay in sport.
#EverySqueezeCounts Resources & Support
To help support our mission to make pelvic health a priority, as part of #EverySqueezeCounts, we’ve created a resource pack designed specifically for PTs and gyms, including exercises, guides and helpful tips for supporting those living with urinary incontinence.
Join us in changing the game for women’s health. Share your support today with #EverySqueezeCounts
