Bathroom health seems to be a topic that many people shy away from. Maybe it feels too personal or just gross to talk about, but whatever the reason, disregarding a whole area of your bodily system is never good!
One physical therapist is looking to dispel those stigmas and get people talking about bad bathroom habits. In this case, the act of peeing in the shower.
Do you, don't you, should you, should you not. It's a behavior that many people seem to engage with for whatever reason, with even more people unlikely to admit it as they worry it'd be considered unsanitary.
Turns out that peeing in the shower does have its issues, but it's nothing to do with germs or hygiene.
She says there are two areas of focus in this scenario: the "overall bladder fitness" area and the "pelvic floor" area.
And the key to keeping both in tip-top shape is not letting anything gain control over either other than yourself.
"If you pee in the shower, or turn on the faucet or shower and then sit on the toilet, you're creating an association in your brain between the sound of running water and having to pee."
So, there's some truth to it when movies show a person dancing and squirming to the sound of running water.
"You guys know the whole Pavlov's dog experiment, right?" she begins. "He rings the bell every time he puts for out for the dog so eventually the dog starts to associate the bell with food and he starts to slobber, even if there's no food there."
As she explains, this association can cause later problems: "Combo that with pelvic floor dysfunction, either now or down the line, and that's gonna potentially lead to some leak issues when you hear running water outside of the shower."
Yeah, awkward.
"Unfortunately, those of us that were assigned female at birth and have that anatomy, we're not designed to pee standing up," she explains. "Your pelvic floor isn't going to be relaxing properly, meaning that we're not going to be emptying our bladder super well."
"Try and pee before you even turn on the shower or water and if you get the urge while you're in the shower, try to ignore it," she urges, a true advocate for better urinary health.
What did people think of her informative video?
"I'm just trying to save water it's not that deep," one comment insists, not sold on what she was explaining.
Another comment said they suffer from a similar effect: "I'm an ocean girl and I've peed while swimming my entire childhood and now I feel the urge every time I touch water. I can't get rid of it."
Dr. Jeffery-Thomas's page is full of educational videos regarding pelvic floor health and how you can make sure everything stays running properly. Whether it be not peeing in the shower, how to train one's bladder, or why to never pee "just in case", she's dedicated to the betterment of everyone's pelvic health.
What do you think? Are you on board with her advice, or will you still let it flow if you want to? Let us know in the comments!
