Can You Still Exercise With Bladder Leaks? How to Get Back to Walking, Golf, Aqua Aerobics and More

By Luciana Seara

Real Talk
May 13, 2026

Carol stopped going to aqua aerobics eight months ago. Not because she couldn't do the class — because she didn't trust what would happen during it. The thought of the changing room afterwards was enough to make her find reasons not to go.

What nobody told her is that stopping made things worse.

The Part Worth Understanding Before Anything Else

According to Continence Health Australia, over 20 percent of women have quit physical activity entirely because of bladder leaks. That's one in five women choosing to be less active — less strong, less mobile, less socially connected — to avoid a problem that exercise would actually help fix.

Regular exercise maintains healthy weight, which reduces pressure on the bladder. It strengthens the core and pelvic floor muscles that support bladder control. And it significantly improves mental health — which, as we covered in another article, is one of the most underrecognised parts of managing incontinence.

 

Stopping exercise because of bladder leaks is one of the most common decisions people make — and one of the things most likely to make the situation harder to manage over time.

 

Here's how to get back to it.

Aqua Aerobics — The One Carol Stopped, and Shouldn't Have

Here's the thing nobody told Carol — and probably nobody has told you either.

 

Aqua aerobics is one of the most pelvic-floor-friendly exercises available. According to Pelvic Floor First — an Australian continence resource — water's buoyancy reduces the downward load on the pelvic floor, meaning movements that trigger leaking on land are significantly safer in water. The resistance of water during exercise also causes the pelvic floor to activate naturally — meaning every class is quietly strengthening the muscles that matter most.

Carol wasn't avoiding exercise. She was avoiding the single best exercise she could have been doing.

 

One question people rarely ask out loud: what about leaking in the pool itself?

 

For most people with stress incontinence — leaks triggered by movement, laughing, or sudden pressure — the pool is actually protective. Water pressure around the body provides natural external support for the bladder, and the buoyancy reduces downward force. Most people find the class itself is the easy part.

 

For urgency incontinence — a sudden need that can't be held — the pool doesn't provide the same cover. In that case, knowing where the bathroom is before the class starts, and doing a practice exit once before you need to, removes most of the anxiety of not knowing.

 

The practical question: what about the changing room?

 

The changing room remains the hardest part for most people. Here's the sequence that works:

 

The changing room — before and after — is where most people's anxiety actually lives, not the pool itself. Here's the sequence that works:

  1. Wear Kovered leakproof underwear under your regular clothes to the pool
  2. Change into your swimwear just before you get in — in the change room, not at the pool's edge
  3. Your underwear goes directly into a Kovered drybag — sealed, odour-free, takes 10 seconds
  4. After the class: change back into your underwear before you leave. You're covered for the drive home

Nobody at the pool can see anything. Nobody in the change room knows what's in the drybag. The session is yours entirely.

Walking, Golf, Bowling, Gardening

These are the activities most Australian men and women in their 60s and 70s are managing — and where the right product makes the most immediate difference.

 

For light to moderate leaks: Kovered leakproof underwear worn as normal. No pad shifting mid-stride, no rustling when you move, no bulk visible under clothing. Empty your bladder before you leave, carry a spare pair in a drybag, and get on with it.

For longer days — 18 holes, an all-day garden show, a full bowling session: add Kovered leakproof trackpants over the top. The underwear manages the leak. The track pants buy you time if it reaches capacity. Nobody sees anything. You finish the round.

Gym, Yoga, Pilates, Cycling

Low-impact gym work, yoga, Pilates, and cycling are among the most bladder-friendly forms of exercise — they strengthen the core and pelvic floor without the downward impact of running or jumping.

 

For most people managing light to moderate leaks, Kovered leakproof underwear handles the session without issue.

One thing worth knowing: avoid a pad inside regular underwear for exercise. Pads designed for periods aren't built for the volume or direction of bladder leaks — they shift with movement, bunch against the skin, and can cause irritation during a longer session.

Built-in absorbency — underwear where the protection is woven into the fabric — stays exactly where it's supposed to, regardless of how much you move.

Running

Running is harder — and that's worth saying honestly.

 

The repetitive impact significantly increases pelvic floor pressure, and for people with stress incontinence, it can trigger leaking with almost every stride. If you're a runner and leaking consistently, see a pelvic floor physiotherapist before changing anything else. Running is very treatable at the source — a physio can assess your specific pattern and give you a programme designed for running, not just general pelvic floor work. Medicare rebates apply through a GP referral.

 

Managing the leak with products while you work on the cause is completely valid. And if you need to step back temporarily — walking delivers most of running's cardiovascular benefit at a fraction of the pelvic floor cost. It's not giving something up. It's protecting something worth keeping.

The One Technique Worth Adding to Everything Above

This works for every activity on this list. It costs nothing. No product, no appointment, no prescription.

It's called the knack — and the principle is simple: activate your pelvic floor before the moment of pressure, not during it. Before your golf swing. Before you stand up from the chair. Before you step down a kerb. Before you lift something from the boot of the car.

 

Think of it as a lift, not a squeeze — drawing the pelvic floor inward and upward, the same sensation as stopping the flow of urine midstream. Hold for two seconds. Release. That's it.

Done consistently, this single habit dramatically reduces leak frequency during exercise. A session with a pelvic floor physiotherapist will refine your technique and make it instinctive within weeks. One appointment — worth more than months of guessing.

Carol's Aqua Aerobics Class

She went back four weeks after trying Kovered leakproof briefs. She wore them to the pool, changed before she got in, and used a drybag in her kit bag. The class itself was exactly as she'd suspected it might be, if she'd ever given herself the chance to find out — manageable. Good, even.

 

She's been back every Tuesday since.

 

She does the knack technique during the class without thinking about it now. And the water, as it turns out, was already doing half the work — every session quietly building the strength that eight months of staying home had let go.

What to Do Today

Two things. In this order.

 

Book a GP appointment and ask for a referral to a pelvic floor physiotherapist. One session will give you more than any product can — specific technique for your specific activity, and a programme that works. Medicare rebates apply.

In the meantime — get the right gear so the activity doesn't feel like a risk while you're building the strength back.

Or call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 — free, confidential, staffed by continence nurses who advise specifically on exercise and incontinence.

What to Read Next

If getting back to exercise feels manageable but the fear of "what if?" is still there — this is the article that names that experience and what actually resolves it.

Is the Fear of Leaking Worse Than the Leak Itself? The Mental Load Nobody Talks About →

 

And if you're recovering from prostate surgery and wondering when it's safe to get back to exercise:

How Long Does Incontinence Last After Prostate Surgery? 7 Things Every Australian Man Should Know →

About the author

Luciana is a carer and the founder of Kovered. She started the brand because dignity shouldn't depend on what products are available at the chemist. She writes the Real Talk blog because most of what exists online about incontinence is either clinical, sanitised, or written by people who've never had to help someone they love through it.

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A Note Before You Go

Names and scenarios in this article are fictitious, created to reflect real situations many Australians find themselves in. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or financial advice. Funding amounts, eligibility criteria, and scheme conditions were accurate at the time of publishing — these change regularly and Kovered does not update articles to reflect new information. Always check current details directly with the relevant authority before making decisions. Kovered does not guarantee eligibility for any funding scheme. External links to research and third-party sources are provided for reference only — Kovered has no affiliation with any cited organisation or study, and research findings may be subject to updates or further review. Kovered is designed by a carer, for carers. Because dignity shouldn't be something you lose.