The No-Pressure Pee Principle: Why Power Peeing is a Bathroom Blunder
Don't know what Power Peeing is? Well you are about to find out. Discover why forcing your flow is a no-go.
Hey everyone! This is the first in a mini-series about pelvic health, and in this first one, I am diving a bit deeper into a topic that everyone should know but has never heard of: the art of peeing. Is there an art to peeing? Why yes, Virginia, there is.
*The “Why yes Virginia, there is” comes from a classic Christmas movie called MIricle on 34th Street, and I just realized I have never watched it with my kids, so thanks, guys for having me write this post and realize what we need to watch during our next family movie night!
Now onto the reason power peeing is a bathroom blunder.
If you are anything like me, you sometimes are dealing with a few different things at a time, and peeing seems like it could be something you definitely need to do, but it is also something you can make go faster. Oddly, I think a few extra seconds of peeing will make or break my schedule, but there you have it. I have been guilty of power peeing. Power peeing is when you decide to push like you would with a bowel movement to get that pee out faster. I am not talking about if you feel like you can’t empty your bladder, so you push harder to force out more pee. That is a different medical issue and that should be discussed with a urologist. I am talking about pushing out your pee so you can finish in the bathroom faster.
What is the Big Deal with How You Pee
Here is the problem with power peeing. This extra pushing creates a lot of tension in our pelvic floor muscles. Think of it like forcing a stream of water through a narrow hose. This tension can weaken the pelvic walls over time because they can’t relax enough to contract forcefully to keep your pee in when you want it to stay in, and they also can’t get stronger if they are stuck in a tight position. This can be hard to picture, so here is an example we might all be able to relate to.
Have you ever gotten a muscle cramp in your calf? Growing up, we always called it a ‘charley horse.’ Basically, it is a strong contraction or a ton of tension in your calf that causes your foot and toes to point. What if I asked you to run when you got a charley horse? Could you do it? No, because your muscle is stuck in a tight position and won’t relax enough to put your heel down like you need to run.
Likewise, if I asked you to point your foot harder, you would have difficulty doing it because most of the muscle is already contracted/tight and stiff. Sure, you can point your toe or foot more, but it won’t move that much further, and it won’t move further very fast. It might take a full second or two to get it as far as you can get it.
This is why your pelvic floor can be tight and still not be able to help you from peeing yourself a bit when you sneeze, cough, or jump. Our muscles need to relax and be able to contract, not just maintain a tight position where it is hard to contract more or relax at all.
Worst of all, this tight position does not help maintain the strength or endurance of the pelvic floor muscles, just like a cramp of a different muscle doesn’t help that muscle to be strong or have good endurance.
Continued power peeing will lead to progressive weakness of the pelvic floor, which can mean eventual prolapse of the bladder or rectum into the vagina walls. It's not an ideal result, but I will cover exercises to help with this in the following articles in this series. Sure, there are costly and invasive surgeries to address prolapse. Still, ultimately, it is a muscle issue, so in the following article, I will address getting those pelvic floor muscles pumped up like the early 1980s version of Arnold Schwarzenegger and as relaxed as a yogi in Shavasana (corpse pose at the end of the class).
So, what's the takeaway? Rushing through your bathroom breaks, especially with a bit of straining and pushing, isn’t great, and you probably can take those extra few seconds to “let it flow.” Start with taking those few extra seconds to release the tension and take a few breaths to exit the bathroom; you will be a calmer woman than when you entered. 🚽💪🌷
DIG Deeper
Get Determined: Write a note to yourself that you will aim to stop power peeing and that when you notice you are power peeing, you will calm the f$@! down because you can take a few extra seconds for yourself.
Get Inspired: You know what you can succeed at as a personal goal between now and the end of the year? You can stop power peeing. It will be an easy personal win for you.
Get Going: Write a note on the bathroom mirror at home that you will take two deep breaths instead of power peeing. Seriously write it down because you are 43% more likely to follow through if you write it down.