WHAT’S GOING ON
The passageway from your bladder to the outside world is called the urethra, and at the top is a valve. This valve usually opens only when you need to go, but if it stops staying completely closed, pee escapes. “The amount is different for everyone, as is how often leaks occur,” says Dr. Shepherd.
BUT WHY?
Things like pregnancy, giving birth, ordinary aging and injury can weaken that valve tissue as well as your pelvic floor (a group of muscles that form a foundation to support organs like your bladder and your uterus). So when you engage in certain activities, such as running, strength training and sports like gymnastics and horseback riding, that exert force on the pelvis, you may have less bladder control. “Exercising, jumping, sneezing,…