Why You Might Be Peeing Too Often — And How to Stop It

Welcome back to Nacho Fitness Coach – where expertise meets awkward bladder moments. This episode is a must-listen (or read!) if you’ve ever asked, “Why do I pee so much?” or “Why do I leak when I laugh or jump?” Hosts Sara (the expert) and Caleigh (the overwhelmed beginner) are joined by Dr. Stephanie Erbaum, a physical therapist specializing in pelvic floor health – aka, the unsung hero of not peeing your pants.

Meet the Guest: Dr. Stephanie Erbaum

• Doctor of Physical Therapy
• Certified Lymphedema Therapist
• Specializes in pelvic floor rehabilitation
• Passionate about helping people stop the "just in case" peeing cycle

💧 Let’s Talk About Pee – The Real Talk

Pelvic floor health isn’t just about incontinence after childbirth or leaking on the trampoline. Dr. Erbaum walks us through how our bladders, brains, and nerves can create some very inconvenient patterns—and how we can retrain them!

So How Often Should You Pee?

• Normal urination is every 2 to 4 hours during the day
• If you’re going every hour (hi Caleigh 👋), you might be “jicking” (just-in-case peeing) too much
• The urge to pee doesn’t always mean it’s an emergency!
• First urge = bladder is about half full
• Second urge = two-thirds full
• You have time!

💬 “Just because your bladder says ‘go’ doesn’t mean you have to go immediately!” – Dr. Stephanie

😬 Pee Anxiety is Real – But It's Fixable

Caleigh shares how she panics about peeing (especially between podcast episodes). Turns out, anxiety can make things worse.

Here's Why:

• Anxiety can increase pelvic floor tension
• Tight pelvic floor muscles are a leading cause of frequent peeing and leakage
• It’s not that your muscles are weak – they’re too tense

💡 Tight isn’t strong. Your pelvic floor needs to relax AND contract properly.

🛑 Stop “Just-in-Case” Peeing (J.I.C.ing)

Sure, peeing before a road trip makes sense—but doing it before every errand or outing? Not so much.

J.I.C. Peeing Can Lead To:

• Bladder training your body to go too often
• Increased urinary urgency
• More stress when bathrooms aren’t available (ahem, not everyone lives at Sarah’s house)

✅ Instead, only J.I.C. pee:

• Before bed
• Before long car rides or events

🚽 How to Fix the Frequent Urge to Pee

Dr. Stephanie says bladder retraining is totally possible!

What You Can Do:

• Wait longer between trips to the bathroom
• Learn to breathe properly while peeing—let your bladder do the work, not your abs
• Address tight pelvic floor muscles through guided pelvic floor therapy
• Pay attention to posture and core stability (yep, like Nick talked about last episode!)

🥤 Should You Really Be Drinking a Gallon of Water?

Hydration is important, but more isn’t always better.

Dr. Stephanie's Hydration Tips:

• 64 oz/day is a good minimum
• Ideally: Drink half your body weight in ounces (e.g., 100 oz if you weigh 200 lbs)
• Monitor your pee color: Pale yellow or nearly clear is the goal
• Watch for bladder irritants like:
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Artificial sweeteners

🎯 It’s not about cutting out everything—it’s about knowing what affects your body.

🧠 Anxiety, Posture & Your Pelvic Floor: The Surprising Connection

Did you know your breathing and posture impact your pelvic floor? Yep—especially for women.

Why?

• We’ve been told to “suck it in” our whole lives, which messes with:
• Diaphragm-pelvic floor coordination
• Proper abdominal expansion
• Natural posture and muscle tone

Result? Chronic tension and bladder control issues. But the good news? With the right techniques, you can retrain your pelvic floor for better function and fewer “uh oh” moments.



🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

• ✅ Peeing every hour isn’t normal—it’s just common (and fixable!)
• 🧘 A tense pelvic floor is usually the cause of bladder leaks—not a weak one
• 🕐 Don’t pee “just in case” unless it’s bedtime or a road trip
• 💦 Drink enough water, but not so much that you live in the bathroom
• 🍷 Cut back on caffeine and alcohol if you're having bladder issues
• 🧠 Your stress, anxiety, posture, and even breathing patterns impact pelvic health
• 👩‍⚕️ Pelvic floor physical therapy can help retrain your bladder and muscles

💬 Final Thoughts

Pelvic floor health is deeply personal—but it doesn’t have to be awkward or shameful. Whether you're leaking, going too often, or just unsure what's "normal," know this:

👉 You’re not alone. You’re not broken. And you don’t have to live like this.