It’s a funny thing, growing older. Let’s face it, we still feel the same inside, but we get a shock when we stare in the mirror and a stranger stares back, we start sounding like our parents and admiring comfortable shoes…we’re all in denial. Unfortunately, our bodies fight us all the way. There’s no denying some goblin sneaked in, in the night and smeared orange peel over my arms and legs ladies, and if I catch him, he’s done for.

Of course, not all the ravages of time are immediately obvious, and not all are restricted to our retirement years either. Three children have taken their toll on my body, and only when I thought I’d join them on the trampoline and be a ‘fun mum’ did I get the shock of my life…

Women are amazing, they’re strong, resilient and they support each other in times of crisis. They also don’t tell one another about the bad bits…until they happen. Periods, childbirth, pelvic floor weakness. Our nether regions have a life of their own, and we just hang on for the ride, and cross our fingers (and legs) we’ll make it through. I watched one of my favourite tv shows ‘Call The Midwife’ return to our screens, and marvelled at the advances made in medicine since those early years, but when the storyline covered a ‘keep fit class’ I was amazed at how some things haven’t changed, one iota.

One mature woman, less able to do the arm and leg extensions, had a go, and ended up running to the loo in horror as she completely wet herself.

It turned out to be a prolapse, but it occurred to me that this kind of thing still happens in exercise classes the world over. ( I know this, because so many exercise instructors stock our product for exactly that reason) We’re told to do our pelvic floor exercises when we leave the maternity unit, but we’re busy, tired and real life takes over. Only when we join a gym, take up running or zumba, or do what I did and hit the trampoline, do we pay the price and realise our pelvic floor isn’t up to much.

This is one of the reasons we started DiaryDoll, pretty pants with a secret waterproof panel, for life’s little leaks. Annabel Croft and I have been friends for years and have four teenage daughters between us, and listening to their fears and concerns about period leaks during school, sleepovers and sport, made us realise that there was nothing to help when normal sanitary protection just isn’t enough. Three years later, we have now moved into the world of the sensitive bladder, and it’s been an eye opener, I can tell you!

One in every four women suffer at some point in their lives, and not all of them are over 40. I was invited to go onto ITV’s This Morning to discuss this very topic, and quickly realised all they wanted, was for me to ‘admit’ to my ‘problem’ and hold me up as a sacrificial lamb, a case study. They had no interest in discussing my business or the fact that so many women of all ages find our product life-changing . I felt duped and horrified that they would stitch me up in this way, and yes, I was embarrassed. It made me feel for our customers, a taste of my own medicine, so to speak, but most importantly, all the more determined to do our best to help and inform them that there is help and advice available, and for many, it is completely fixable.

So I’m delighted to have found Julie and the team from ‘Move It Or Lose It’ , like minded people who understand there’s nothing sexy about getting back in the saddle in our advancing years. She’s on a mission to transform the health and wellbeing of our customers, and I support her all the way!

Go to www.diarydoll.com