Oh yes, yes, yes. What you're referring to is called Stress Incontinence. As a fellow sufferer and a group fitness instructor, I can completely relate to your experience. This past summer I was finally able to do something about it.
I began seeing a physical therapist specifically for rehabbing the pelvic floor. I called it my Pelvic Floor Personal Training sessions
. A few sessions with her, and a lot of
proper kegeling between visits, and I haven't had an episode in weeks. I can do jumping jacks, skip rope, all that good stuff. The difference now is I've learned how to activate the right muscles to prevent the leak. Kegels DO work, if you do them. A big part of the personal training was teaching me to identify which muscles to engage, and how hard to engage them. After having children, that neuromuscular connection can become disrupted, and needs to be consciously relearned. My hospital runs this program through their urogynocology clinic.
To continue with my strengthening and control of the pelvic floor, I recently signed up for a pilates course led by a physiotherapist, called Core and the Floor. We're learning how to keep the pelvic floor and core properly engaged through various movements patterns. She also gives us homework to do between each session.
There's a great book on the market called "I Laughed So Hard I Peed my Pants" . I don't have the author's name handy right now, sorry. She explains the different kinds of incontinence, and what you can do about it. She has a program called The Red Dot Program that can be very effective for some incontinence problems.
Leaking is
not a "normal" part of aging. Weak pelvic floor muscles are also related to hip and lower back pain; everything is connected. The good news is that with a conscious, vigilant effort to do some simple kegeling, you can correct it.
Good luck!