Hey there! In this week’s newsletter, we are breaking down leaking with exercise and how to actually overcome it.

Leaking pee with running, jumping, sneezing, or lifting is often labeled as a normal part of motherhood. Something you just have to deal with after having kids. While it is common, it is NOT something you have to accept.

There is a lot we can do to prevent it, improve it, and in many cases, completely stop it.

If you want the full deep dive, you can read our full blog here.​

But let’s walk through some of the biggest factors contributing to leaking and what you can start addressing right now.

1) Pelvic floor coordination (not just strength)

Leaking is not always a strength issue. This is why doing more Kegels or trying to squeeze your pelvic floor the entire time you run often does not fix the problem.

Your pelvic floor needs to:

• Contract
• Relax
• Respond quickly to impact

If your pelvic floor is “stuck” in one position, either overly tight or not able to generate tension when needed, it will struggle to adapt to the demands of running.

We also have to consider how well your pelvic floor is working with the rest of your deep core system. Your diaphragm, core, and pelvic floor all need to coordinate together to manage pressure effectively. If that system is off, pressure can push down into the pelvic floor instead of being managed well throughout the body.

👉 You can follow along with this workout to start improving pelvic floor coordination

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Blog: Pelvic Floor Training Reimagined: How to Release and Strengthen Every Part of Your Pelvic Floor​

2) Your hips might not be doing their job

Your pelvic floor should not be doing everything on its own. Your hips play a huge role in absorbing force and stabilizing your pelvis with every step. If your hips are not strong or well-balanced, your pelvic floor often has to compensate.

We want strength in all directions:

• Hip extension
• Hip flexion
• Abduction
• Adduction
• Internal rotation
• External rotation
• Pelvic internal and external rotation

This is why just doing squats or lunges is not enough. You need a well-rounded strength program that builds capacity across all of these movement patterns so your pelvic floor can focus on responding to pressure, not trying to stabilize everything.

👉 You can see examples of all of these in this hip strengthening workout

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Blog: Hip Strength Guide: 8 Movements That Matter​

3) Your running form matters more than you think

Even if your pelvic floor and hips are strong, your running mechanics can still contribute to leaking.

A few common things we see:

• Running with your ribs flared forward, which increases pressure into the front of the pelvic floor
• Limited rotation through the rib cage, which reduces natural pelvic movement and pelvic floor responsiveness
• Short, bouncy strides that increase vertical pressure with each step

Instead, think about:

• Keeping your shoulders stacked more over your toes
• Letting your rib cage stay more neutral instead of flared up
• Allowing natural arm swing from hip to opposite shoulder to encourage rotation
• Increasing cadence slightly to reduce excessive bouncing
• Using walk-run intervals if needed to better manage fatigue and pressure

👉 You can learn more and see these tips in action in our latest YouTube video

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Ready for a plan that actually works?

If you are early postpartum or rebuilding your foundation, our Postpartum Return to Fitness Program will guide you step by step through with lifetime access:

• Core and pelvic floor coordination
• Strength progressions that support healing
• A gradual return to impact activities like running

​👉 Start rebuilding your strength with our Postpartum Fitness Programs​

If you are further postpartum (6-9 months +) and ready to feel strong, athletic, and capable again, our Beyond Postpartum Strength Program gives you with a free 7-day trial:

• Structured strength training cycles
• Gym and low equipment options
• Running add-on programs so you can build strength and endurance together

​👉 Join Beyond Postpartum Strength and start training with us​

Stay Strong in Pregnancy and Motherhood!

MamasteFit is one of the only fitness training facilities in the country that exclusively works with in-person prenatal and postnatal fitness clients—and also provides hands-on birth support. Our prenatal and postpartum fitness programs aren’t random “safe” modifications pulled from the internet; they’re designed specifically for this stage of life, tested and refined with our in-person clients, and approved by our in-house pelvic floor physical therapists.

Our prenatal programs were created to keep you strong and pain-free throughout pregnancy with specialty exercises to help you prepare for birth with pelvic opening, pelvic floor, and birth prep movements.

Our postpartum programs were carefully designed with our in-person fitness clients and pelvic floor PTs to ensure there is a smooth transition from rehab and recovery to fitness. Many PTs recommend our programs for both pregnancy and postpartum because of how seamless they integrate with someone's 1-1 PT!

And if you are beyond the first 6–9 months postpartum and ready to continue strength training with us, check out our Beyond Postpartum Strength Program!​

This is the strength programming I personally use to feel strong in motherhood while continuing to support my pelvic floor and core.

The program moves through 6–8 week cycles with new workouts each phase. Every cycle focuses on a different training goal, including strength endurance, maximal strength, power, and stability so you can continue progressing long after the postpartum phase.