www.incontinentsupport.org

Just a question, has incontinence stopped you guys from doing sports?

I have a bit of a story to share regarding this. Twice a week, I take a Martial Arts class. On these days, I typically wear an underwear and guard combo as I don't want anyone to see any heavier protection than that. I typically wear rather white, see-through pants when I do this class. This backfired against me today because the guard failed me (as they are typical to do), and I wound up leaving class early because of a large wet spot on my pants. (If you want your sparring partner to take you seriously, best not to have a wet patch!) I'm not exactly sure how to solve this, as the white pants are part of the uniform for the class, but obviously I can't leak or have a large surge during class if the guards fall out of place or else it would be incredibly noticeable. However, any incontinence products heavier than that would be incredibly noticeable!

Do any of you guys do sports? How does having incontinence factor in to your participation in these sports? Do you have a "workout diaper" so to speak? I've found them to be incredibly difficult to use while working out.

Thanks for any responses.

I don't do any sports, but I would think a good quality pull-on and plastic pants would work fine and would not have any bulk. I would give that combination a try and see how it goes.
Just my thoughts. Good luck.

You might try a pair of sports compression shorts over heavier protection. Good luck.

Matt,
Use a heavy diaper, like a night time style. Then apply extra tape to the side for the extra movement, this will help keep your diaper in place. Wear compression short over the top to aid in hiding it. The shorts will also help support it if you fill it up. This will take care of the kicks, but if you grapple no guarantees. Best of luck Mike

Matthew,

I used to do martial arts before my incontinence so I sympathize with your situation.

Do you have to wear a cup for your martial arts class?

A quality pull-up or a cloth pull-up should meet your needs and still be reasonably discreet. A pull-up has the advantage of not having tapes that could pop loose and will not make any noise. Wear a pair of sports compression pants on top and you not only are secure, but no one could possibly guess what you are wearing.

If you wear a taped diaper, definitely reinforce the tapes with duct tape.

--John

I do not wear a cup, though I probably should. I've seen to many other guys get kicked in the nuts, mostly on accident. What would you consider to be a quality pull-up, cloth or non-cloth? I mostly just have the real-fits.



That's my big problem. On my friday classes, we have been doing things like Judo, Jujitsu, and Muy Thai stuff that is very grapple heavy. I'm pretty afraid of the obvious crinkle sound and the thought that someone may wind up feeling it and thinking "what the hell?!" Its NOT something I want to happen!

I think compression shorts over some kind of protection may be the best bet. I may do this when I start working out at the gym again instead of my nightly runs. Despite incontinence, I REALLY do not want this to stop me from being physically active or practicing martial arts, so I thank you guys for sharing your experience. I also noticed that when wearing heavier protection during practice at home my kicks lose a lot of height, so I need to figure that out too.

Again, Thank you for your advice!

Matthew,

If the Real-fits work for you, definitely use them.

Re pull-ups, I think the two best are the Abena Abriflex and the Tranquility Overnight. I prefer the Abena but also like the Tranquility. The Abena holds 37 ounces and the Tranquility 34. For a martial arts class either of these should more than suffice, with a safe margin. The Abena fits a little looser than the Tranquility, in the same size. The Tranquility is slightly less bulky than the Abena and will be the more discreet. Both are completely silent.

Good luck!

--John

Matthew,
JD is a wealth of knowledge, and if it was for my injuries I would still be in arts that for sure. Don't give up, just adjust your protection. With all the concentrating going on in class I don't think a little crinkle will bother anyone. Best of luck !!

Matthew, this is tricky. I am an active guy and a pull-up guy so I have a ton of experience with this problem. For starters, I would probably recommend opting for thicker pants. Any diaper that would be remotely effective would definitely be visible through "rather white, see-through pants." If it's part of the uniform, mention to your instructor that you would like to wear something heavier because of medical reasons, and see if he/she has a recommendation. Martial arts catalogs ought to have more than one option. When I used to do martial arts, the uniforms were thick, white cotton, designed to resist tearing during sparring.

I agree that the Real Fits are a good option for this. They allow for a broad range of movements because all the padding is relatively high in the crotch area. I would offer a gentle disagreement with those who counsel maximizing absorbency. I think you will want to change way before you hit anything like 37 ounces of saturation. Wet diapers tend to bulge between your legs, and then they cause chafing. I have worn the Real Fits on long walks, and they are pretty good. I would recommend wearing a pair of standard, white briefs over your diaper. That will help hold it in place.

Noe

Thank you. I should look to get thicker pants, that may be a great idea!

I don't really like the real fits as the fit is awkward for me. The smalls are too small and the larges are too large, if that makes sense. To me, its not as comfortable, which is why I switched to tape-on disposable diapers as they are more modular with fit and far more comfortable. I haven't really tried other pull ons as...and this is a rather weird complaint, the frilly bits on the top are incredibly unappealing to me. I don't like the look of it at all. I will try out the Abena and Tranquility pull ups though, or at least try and get samples if I can. If I can find a good solution I'd be able to be more active with a bit of confidence.

In regards to maximum protection, I kind of agree with you, but I'm not experienced enough to know what benefits wearing maximum protection would provide in regards to movement and motion. I would also worry about chaffing too! White briefs over the diaper sound great because I wouldn't have to buy anything new.

Its a bit sad to see that this condition stops a lot of people from being physically active. Its one of the greater stress relievers I feel!