Kidney & urinary healthHome remediesLiving with chronic illness

5 all-natural ways to improve your bladder control

Smart tweaks to stop the leaks.


LearnKidneyBladder health5 all-natural ways to improve your bladder control
Do some Kegels
Try bladder training and scheduled voiding
Change your diet—and watch fluid intake
Maintain a healthy weight
Keep a bladder diary

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You're grocery shopping, distractedly pushing your full cart through aisle 5, when suddenly, you're seized by the need to use the bathroom—badly. Does this sound familiar? If it consistently happens at least eight times in 24 hours, you might have overactive bladder (OAB), a condition defined by the frequent, pressing urge to urinate, occasionally accompanied by leakage.

Unlike many other conditions, treating OAB often begins at home, with a combination of simple exercises, diet modifications, and behavioral strategies. Here's how to get started—after seeing your healthcare provider (HCP), of course.

Sources: Mayo Clinic. Overactive bladder. May 3, ... + 11
  1. Mayo Clinic. Overactive bladder. May 3, 2022.
  2. UCUrology. Female Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Symptoms, Types, and Treatment Options. July 24, 2022.
  3. Cleveland Clinic. Kegel Exercises. Last reviewed February 1, 2023.
  4. MedlinePlus. Kegel exercises – self care. Reviewed January 1, 2023.
  5. Cheryl Iglesia, MD. 5 Things I Wish All Women Knew About Pelvic Organ Prolapse. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Last reviewed December 2021.
  6. Cleveland Clinic. Overactive Bladder. Last reviewed September 13, 2022.
  7. University of California San Francisco. Bladder Training. Accessed October 5, 2023.
  8. Urology Care Foundation. Ask the Experts: If I Have Incontinence, Should I Drink Less Water to Stop Leaking? Accessed October 5, 2023.
  9. Bradley CS, Erickson BA, Messersmith EE, et al. Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN). Evidence of the Impact of Diet, Fluid Intake, Caffeine, Alcohol and Tobacco on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Systematic Review. J Urol. 2017 Nov;198(5):1010-1020.
  10. Mihalsky KP, Tran R, Moreno-Garcia F, et al. Urinary incontinence in women who have undergone bariatric surgery. Surg Endosc. 2023 Aug 16.
  11. Rogo-Gupta LJ, Yang L, Stefanick ML, et al. Low-fat dietary pattern reduces urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women: post hoc analysis of the Women's Health Initiative Diet Modification Trial. AJOG Glob Rep. 2021 Dec 10;2(1):100044.
  12. Urology Care Foundation. Overactive Bladder Patient Guide. 2021.
Written by Kristen Sturt.
Medically reviewed by Joanne Perron, MD, MPH.March, 2026
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Kristen Sturt.
Medically reviewed by Joanne Perron, MD, MPH.March, 2026
Updated onAugust, 2026
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