This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
An invite to a masterclass in Burlesque dancing and to hear about bladder weakness from TENA lady popped into my inbox recently? What was I thinking when I said yes however I am always up for a bit of fun and to step (or in this case shimmy) outside my comfort zone. Not unsurprisingly it was my male friends, including my husband, who wanted to hear the full story and see the pictorial evidence! I will admit right now that my inner Burlesque was not unearthed and I have put my corsets and feather boas away but still, as I am a lady who finds it easy to laugh at herself, I will tell you about the day I had attempting to learn to Burlesque dance.
The event was held in London at the Soho Hotel and was sponsored by TENA Lady. I am one of the lucky 53% of women that does not have a bladder weakness problem but I know so many women that do so I was therefore pleased to go along to hear all about the new TENA lady products. Anything that we, on CountryWives, can do to help spread the word about a product that will make life easier for so many women. The statistic that ‘47% of women suffer from bladder weakness’ is based on the fact that everyone who answered the questionnaire was honest. There is so much embarrassment surrounding this affliction and whilst women will, nowadays, happily chat about the menopause they still won’t mention if they have a bladder weakness problem. I understand that as it such a personal thing.
So TENA Lady invited a bunch of bloggers
· Amanda Fulton (Ginger Mum)
· Clare Littler (Mumsy Midwife)
· Lynn James (Mrs Mummypenny)
· Jenny Lord (Midwife and Life)
· Emma Bradley (Emma and Three)
· Patricia Carswell (Sporty Over Forty)
And what a great crowd they were (check out their websites) to come and see the new range and maybe learn a anew skill. The reason the event included Burlesque dancing is that Tena Lady wants all women to not be restricted by what they can do i.e. to show us that all TENA lady products offer Triple Protection™ against leaks, odour and moisture for complete comfort, security and reassurance.
Our teacher
Back to the class in bump, grind, and booty shaking……….
Before I went I looked up the meaning of Burlesque on Wikipedia –
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. The word derives from the Italian burlesco, which, in turn, is derived from the Italian burla – a joke, ridicule or mockery
So I definitely got one thing right as my performance caused much laughter! Apparently the uninhibited atmosphere of burlesque establishments owed much to the free flow of alcoholic liquor and TENA lady made sure that they got that right. When the first glass of champagne was offered at 11a.m. we all delicately sipped away but once the class began we all kept sneaking off for another sip (or probably a gulp). Burlesque is meant to release your inhibitions but I needed more than one glass to do that in a London hotel on a weekday morning. However it highlighted to me how deeply introverted suffering from bladder weakness must make you and so you just would not accept such an invitation.
Now that women over 50 are learning new skills, trying out new sports, generally enjoying a more active life than the previous generation we must all want these activities to be available to all women.
Anna McCrory, Brand Manager for TENA Lady, says:
“We want to provide women with protection that offers ultimate discretion and femininity without compromising on security and comfort. The microPROTEX™ technology utilised across the new TENA Lady Discreet range allows us to do so, meaning you can get on with your day without a second thought to bladder weakness.”
This new range is 20% thinner and the new technology deeply weaves together a mix of ultra-absorbent materials to provide absorbency where it matters most. Remarkably secure, the TENA Lady Discreet range offers you a more discreet fit that follows your every move, so all you feel is comfortable and confident.
Now you may not want to release your inner Burlesque but just want to enjoy an exercise class without worrying about your bladder weakness so click onto the TENA lady website for a free sample. Click here.