Shirley Ballas explains why bladder leaks are still taboo and how you can improve your bladder weakness

Glamorous Strictly Come Dancing head coach Shirley Ballas wants to break the taboo surrounding bladder leaks. But she reveals that even she had doubts about speaking out.

“I wasn’t sure,” she tells Saga Magazine. “And it was my 87-year-old mother who gave me the push in the right direction and said, 'You know, we need to spread everyday messages.' She pushes me to do some things outside of my comfort zone, I'll tell you that.

“'The world isn't all glitz and glamour, Shirley,' she said, 'so let's get down to business and spread as many messages as we can.'

“She’s very good because I was embarrassed.”

64-year-old Shirley has experienced the agonizing problem of bladder leaks – after the birth of her son, during menopause and also during two divorces.

And it was her mother who came to her rescue after she had her son Mark, who is now a choreographer.

“I had to start dancing six weeks after he was born,” she said. “In a Latin dress. You have no idea. You know those little flips, you imagine those little dresses.

“And it was my mother who thought of something for me so that I wouldn't lose anything, because we didn't have any of that back then. And she’s the one who really encouraged me to do this now.”

Express the day

Shirley has teamed up with Always Discreet for a Squeeze the Day campaign to encourage all of us, no matter our age, to do pelvic floor exercises every day.

She participated in a flash mob to create a special dance routine to remind everyone to do their daily squeezes.

“I don’t want it to be a taboo subject,” says Shirley. “We're talking about periods now, we're talking about menopause, and I want people to talk about the leaks, and that's fine.”

Don't suffer from bladder weakness in silence

Research from Always Discreet reveals that one in three women have experienced bladder leakage at some point in their lives. The general practitioner and women's health expert Dr. Philippa Kaye supports Shirley in the campaign.

She said: “The fact that something is common doesn’t mean we have to put up with it, right? So bladder weakness is not a normal part of aging.

“They are a common side effect of getting older, but we can always do something about them.

“I often see people saying: I'll just drink less. But your urine becomes more and more concentrated, and that can irritate the bladder itself.”

Dr. Kaye revealed that nine out of ten women don't do pelvic floor exercises as often as they should, and many admit they're not sure how to do it. Men can do them too – they are just as beneficial for men.

“It is never too late to start because pelvic floor exercises not only treat the condition, they can also prevent the condition. It is absolutely never too late.”

Shirley about her own bladder problems

Shirley says she took measures to avoid bladder problems during Strictly.

“I avoided drinking any liquids during the day. I was always nervous and always thought Motsie would really make me laugh here.”

She wasn't the only one having trouble holding on. She revealed that co-judge Anton du Beke often runs off to pee during the two-minute break when the contestants' video footage is played.

“The men can walk because they wear flat shoes and suits,” she says. “So it’s a quick unzip and go, you know? But I can't.

“It was nerve-wracking because it lasted two and a half hours, so I didn’t drink any fluids because I didn’t want to miss out.”

How Shirley regained control of her bladder

Shirley once said she never passed a toilet without stopping by, and on the hour and a half drive to the Strictly studio her driver had to stop at every petrol station so she could use the toilet – just in case.

“It was every 15 minutes,” she explains. “It was just a feeling that I wanted to go, even if I didn't really have to. I think it’s all in training.”

Dr. Kaye added that this is a common occurrence. She said: “It's something we're taught from a young age: go to the toilet quickly before we leave the house, go to the toilet quickly before school, go to the toilet quickly just in case, and actually it’s not necessary.” .”

So Shirley began shortening her bathroom breaks – a technique called bladder training or bladder exercises.

The process involves consciously withholding your water for increasingly longer periods of time while ensuring you drink plenty of water.

Shirley says: “The more water I drink, the stronger my bladder gets. So at first I peed every 15 minutes. Now I can last an hour or more because my bladder learns to hold it.

“I was at Pride of Britain and I passed a toilet and thought should I go? But I thought, you know what? 30 minutes home, I’ll see if I can wait, and I did and came home.”

Dr. Kaye said this bladder training, along with regular pelvic floor exercises, is key to staying in control of your bladder – rather than letting it control you.

Shirley on this year's Strictly

Shirley says this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing has been her favorite so far.

“We have an all-round fantastic cast who have really embraced each other and embraced the show.”

She has four outstanding celebrity dancers so far.

“I think there's Chris McCausland, the comedian – and there's the fact that he's completely blind. So that's worth mentioning. And then we have Tasha (Ghouri); She has a cochlear implant. Wynne (Evans), he came in there and gives 100% of everything he has.

“And Pete Wicks, who seemed a bit of a joker at the beginning, and now he's really serious and realizes, 'I'm loving every minute of this and I don't want to go home'.”

She also revealed that a technical change made a big difference for her and the other judges.

“I don’t know if you noticed,” she said. “But all four judges’ microphones are up, so we’re allowed to talk among ourselves. It means it's more conversational and I think that actually makes things authentic. It's real and that's exactly what we have on the show.

“Whoever wins this series for sure will win something very special.”