Are You Leaking Pee When You Walk?
Here’s Why & What To Do About it
As you know here at Secret Whispers our content ideas come from many areas. In this instance, it was a post on our facebook page:
'I'm 62 years old and mother of 3. My issues are not too bad compared to some I have read about on here but I do need to take action. I am fine with coughing and sneezing but I leak when I walk. Does anyone else have this problem? I just got my weights and am ready to start. I did read the beginners blog and found it very helpful but any more tips would be gratefully received!'
Leaking a little pee when you walk, run, or even just move around isn’t something you have to accept as part of life. It’s a common type of urinary incontinence, but it’s not normal—and the root cause might not just be your pelvic floor. Did you know your feet play a really important role in how well your pelvic floor works?
Let’s take a look at how your feet and pelvic floor are connected—and, most importantly, what you can do to reduce or stop leaks for good. Plus how to manage those leaks while you're working on strengthening your pelvic floor,
The Surprising Link Between Your Feet and Your Pelvic Floor
Your body is one interconnected system, and your feet act as the foundation of that system. When you walk, your foot position, arch strength, and overall stability affect the way your pelvis moves. If there’s instability in your feet—like collapsed arches, tight ankles, or poor balance—it can lead to improper posture and pressure on your pelvic floor muscles and impact pelvic health
When your feet don’t provide the right support, your pelvic floor can’t engage properly. That means it may struggle to keep up when you’re in motion, leading to leaks when you least expect them.
What Happens When Your Pelvic Floor Isn’t Functioning Well?
Flat feet or collapsed arches can cause increased rotation in the thighs and hips, placing extra strain on the hip muscles. Some of these muscles have a direct connection to the pelvic floor, and when they experience excessive stress, it can lead to overactivity, gripping, tightness in the pelvic floor muscles and pelvic floor dysfunction.
On the other hand, feet with high, rigid arches have a reduced ability to spread out and absorb impact with each step. This lack of shock absorption places greater strain on the lower back and pelvis, increasing intra-abdominal pressure—especially during high-impact activities like running. Over time, this can contribute to pelvic pain and a higher risk of bladder leakage.
The spinal nerves that control our pelvic floor muscles also influence the small muscles in our feet. Because of this shared nerve supply, overstimulation can sometimes cause miscommunication between these areas, leading to increased bladder urgency or frequency.
Additionally, there is a direct fascial connection between the foot, pelvic floor, and deep core muscles. This connection can be leveraged to release tension in a tight pelvic floor or, conversely, to enhance pelvic floor activation and strength—helping with bladder leakage and prolapse management.
This is why simply doing Kegels on their own isn’t always enough. Strengthening your pelvic floor means looking at the whole picture—your posture, movement patterns, and even the way your feet function.
How to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor (and Fix Leaks)
- Check Your Foot Posture – Try standing barefoot in front of a mirror. Do your arches collapse inward? Are your toes gripping the floor? Wearing shoes with the arch support could really help your pelvic floor.
- Walk With Awareness – Pay attention to how your feet hit the ground. Aim for a strong heel-to-toe movement, and avoid shuffling or slamming your steps. There was a supoer interesting article in the Guardian a while ago about how to walk properly which means pushing off the ball of the foot. Try it, you'll walk quicker without even trying to!
- Engage Your Core, Not Just Your Pelvic Floor – A well-supported pelvic floor is part of a strong core. Try gentle core activation exercises alongside pelvic floor strengthening.
- Use Secret Whispers Kegel Weights – If your pelvic floor is weak, it needs work to strengthen the muscles. The Secret Whispers Kegel Weight Kit helps you build strength safely, just like weight training for any other muscle.By using our weights for between small amounts of time between 5 and 15 minutes a day, you can retrain your pelvic floor to stay strong—whether you’re walking, running, or going about your daily routine.
- Stretch & Strengthen Your Feet – Toe lifts, arch-strengthening exercises, and even walking barefoot on different surfaces can help improve foot stability and, in turn, your pelvic floor activation. There's some great exercises for that in this blog post.
You Don’t Have to Put Up With Leaks
If you’ve been accepting leaks and overactive bladder as part of life, it’s time to change that mindset. By strengthening both your feet and pelvic floor with pelvic floor exercises, you can regain confidence and control.
Pelvic floor physical therapists recommend the Secret Whispers Kegel Weight Kit to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles for all types of incontinence including fecal incontinence. These exercises strengthen your pelvic floor gradually and you'll start feeling the difference in just a few weeks.
👉 Want to take control of your pelvic floor? Check out Secret Whispers for practical, proven solutions and join our Facebook group of women making a difference for their health and the environment.
For more tips, check out these related blog posts:
➡️ Fancy a FREEBIE? Download our FREE guide The easy way to get a stronger pelvic floor
About the Author: Secret Whispers was founded by Julie Colan, a passionate mum and health advocate who saw the need for effective pelvic floor solutions. Now, Helen Rankin, the founder of Cheeky Wipes and Cheeky Pants—known for her award-winning work in sustainable product development—has taken the helm at Secret Whispers. Helen is committed to advancing the company’s mission, believing that women shouldn’t have to accept incontinence as a given. With the innovative Secret Whispers Kegel weights, she aims to offer every woman an effective, reusable solution for pelvic floor health. Try them and take control of your wellness journey today!