Women, Take These Key Steps to Good Urological Health

Women who try to hold their pee during the day might want to rethink that strategy.

It's time to "get up and go," according to the Urology Care Foundation, which is encouraging women to be proactive about their urological health.

That, of course, means get up and go to the bathroom if you need to. But the foundation also suggests a number of activities a woman can get up and go do, to get in some self-care that can benefit their urological health.

"Our goal is to help women understand what steps they can take to improve not only their urologic health, but their overall health," Dr. Harris Nagler, president of the Urology Care Foundation --- part of the American Urological Association -- explained in a foundation news release.

Several urology-related conditions that can affect women are overactive bladder, urinary tract infections, incontinence, interstitial cystitis and bladder cancer.

There are several reasons to get up and go to the bathroom, including that holding your urine for too long can weaken your bladder muscles over time. This can lead to problems like incontinence and not being able to fully empty your bladder. The foundation suggests trying to urinate every three to four hours during the day.

The foundation also recommends getting up to get a drink of water often because becoming dehydrated can lead to concentrated urine, which can irritate your bladder.

Two more tips include getting up and going for a walk and setting aside time to relax. Physical activity can help prevent bladder problems and help maintain a healthy weight. The foundation suggests walking for 30 minutes a day. To relax, the experts recommend mindful meditation, which can reduce the frequency and urgency of overactive bladder episodes and can help calm the body and mind.