let's talk about this: Only Wearing dark leggings to the Gym?

Don’t get me wrong, wearing an all black outfit to the gym is absolutely a vibe! I want to talk about if wearing darker leggings/bottoms is your ONLY option because you’re afraid of leakage… 

This post was inspired by a patient who has long since graduated from my care and wears whatever colored leggings she wants now! When her and I first met she had disclosed that urinary leakage was her main issue and she was very excited to work through it! 

After two sessions she told me how she had told all the women in her 6am workout class about her pelvic floor journey. She told me sprint/push day at the gym was known as “black leggings day” because the ladies would leak during the circuits. I was shocked at how normalized this pelvic floor dysfunction was.

This story has always haunted me. Since then, I have asked other athletic patients about this and they have all heard this before! I couldn’t believe that something that could be corrected for life was something we all just so casually accepted. 

But then again, I have heard “leakage is normal after you give birth” or “leaking is a normal part of aging” both of which couldn’t be further from the truth!

In fact, a recent meta analysis found upwards of 50% of female athletes have reported stress urinary incontinence during sport and training. Many of them admit this has affected their performance as well (Frydenberg et al., 2026).

How does this impact daily function?

Cardiovascular Considerations:

If people are afraid of working out, specifically with high impact exercise, this decreases the likelihood of engagement and with that an increased risk for problems down the road. This places them at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis with strength training, mental illness, and pelvic floor stability issues.

Social Stigma:

While urinary incontinence is tossed around in a joking manner, it can emote feelings of shame, embarrassment, disgust, and depression. Many people feel ashamed to even bring it up to a provider and those who do are not often referred correctly to pelvic floor therapy.

Takeaways

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please consider pelvic floor therapy. Your pelvic floor may have too much tension or it may not be recruiting enough during a workout. Kegels have been pushed by OBGYNs to help urinary incontinence, however there are other methods specific to your individual body like breathwork and specific corrective exercises that consider the entire muscular system to manage the problem throughout the life course.  

Urinary incontinence is not something to simply “expect” as you age. This pelvic floor dysfunction can happen at any point in life and can be helped with the right care. :)

References:

Frydenberg, J. C., Ferrar, K., Dakic, J., Rio, E., Mayes, S., & Frawley, H. (2026). Prevalence and impact of pelvic floor symptoms in performing artists and artistic athletes: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 56(8), 530–545. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2025.13452