Shirley Ballas has opened up about a 'taboo' subject that 'no one talks about' on Loose Women to highlight the importance of doing pelvic floor exercises.
The Strictly Come Dancing head judge spoke candidly of her own experience of bladder leaks and pelvic floor issues in menopause to try and destigmatise the condition for women.
"I feel like bladder leaks are a bit of a taboo subject that no one wants to talk about. I think it's important for women to do their pelvic floor exercises and understand it should be part of our daily routine," she said.
"Being a dancer, I do them all the time. I have learnt how to do them. But when I was giving birth and I was pregnant, particularly during menopause, I struggled with that, bladder leaks."
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 50% of postmenopausal women experience bladder leaks related to a weak pelvic floor.
While Shirley believes the issue is "extremely important", she revealed her mum warned her against speaking on the 'taboo' issue so openly on Loose Women. "I talked to my mum about it, and for my mother's generation, it is a taboo subject. She doesn't want to talk about it. In fact, when she knew I was coming this morning - I hope you're watching, mother - she was like, 'oh dear, you can't talk about that!"
Using one of the best pelvic floor trainers or practising manual kegel exercises can help strengthen the pelvic floor and prevent bladder leaks. But, as Loose Women host Christine Lampard points out, these pelvic floor issues are often misunderstood.
"What is interesting is that we see you and what you do in such a physical job, and you wouldn't have assumed this was something you were quietly having to battle behind the scenes. It's something you have to think about. It changes the way you work, potentially."
Navigating the issue is tricky, Shirley says, and she tries to avoid the problem by not drinking any fluids while travelling or at the studio - but it's not always something you can control.
"I think most women, if you sneeze, for example, if you laugh, particularly at 64 years of age, and now I'm noticing it more," she said.
"It's extremely important we talk about [it], share, and don't suffer in silence."
If you are experiencing bladder leaks or have concerns about your pelvic floor, make an appointment with your GP who will be able to offer the best advice and possible solutions.
