AIMS: The aim of the study was to analyze the influence gymnastics has on the quality of life (QOL) in women with grade 1 stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and to determine the relationship between the outcome and selected body weight indices: body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). METHODS: A randomized study of 140 women (45 to 60 years) with grade 1 SUI. The subjects were randomly assigned to a 3-month training for pelvic floor muscles and a transverse abdominal muscle (PFM+TrA, n = 70) or PFM alone (n = 70). The QOL was determined with the questionnaire International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire-Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life (ICIQ LUTS QOL), before and after the program. RESULTS: Women with BMI < 30 kg/m2 benefited more from the PFM+TrA program with respect to physical limitations and embarrassment domains, whereas patients with a gynoid body type (WHR < 0.8) benefited more in terms of physical and social limitations, SUI-evoked emotions, severity measures, and embarrassment domains. CONCLUSIONS: After the PFM+TrA training, women with WHR < 0.8 had a better QOL than those with WHR > 0.8.

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