It’s so frustrating! You’ve been doing your kegels all day, every day, but you’re still leaking when you run, jump, cough or sneeze. Don’t give up! Leaking is not a given, and it’s not a normal part of aging, either. But in order to stop it, you have to focus on more than just your pelvic floor (ie, kegels alone won’t do the trick). 

You can pee when you jump rope when you are not using your entire core system properly. Your core is a pressure system, and all parts must work together to prevent pain and leakage. While pelvic floor exercises are important, if you are still peeing when you jump, you need to optimize your breathing and your posture, too. 

Don’t worry: I’ll give you some simple tips below to help you stop peeing when you jump rope!

Jumping Rope & Peeing: Understanding The Role of Your Core

It’s important enough to reiterate: if you are still leaking when you jump rope or engage in other jumping activities, you need to start focusing on your whole core, not just your pelvic floor. Often it’s not a matter of a weak pelvic floor (or even a weak core for that matter). It’s more about how you’re using your whole core system. 

Your core is a complex, interconnecting pressure system. It has 4 main components:

• Multifidi (deep back stabilizers)

• Transverse abdominus (lower abdominals)

• Diaphragm (breathing muscle)

• Pelvic floor

As you can see, your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles are each only one component of your core. That means you can do crunch after crunch and kegel after kegel, without seeing the results you’d like. 

Moreover, when these 4 components of your core aren’t working together in a cohesive way, it can lead to:

• Low back pain
• Hip pain
• Pelvic pain, pressure, or tension
• Leaking

So, how do you stop that leaking, so that you can jump rope like a kid again without peeing? You’ve got two important tools in your tool kit. 

#1:Optimize Your Core System with Proper Breathing

Our breath is such a powerful tool, yet so many of us overlook it. So, if you are still peeing while you jump, look at how you are breathing. That’s because if you breathe incorrectly, it can throw off your whole core system, leading to leakage (even with a strong pelvic floor). 

So how to breathe correctly to prevent leakage while exercising? You want to try to avoid breathing into your chest. Instead, when you inhale, you want the breath to move the sides of your rib cage. This is your diaphragm moving down. 

And then when you breathe out, you want to pretend like you are blowing out candles or breathing through a straw. This will help activate your lower abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. 

If instead you breathe into your chest, this creates pressure in your core and on your pelvic floor that can lead to leaking. 

If accidental urination is a problem, first, look at how you’re breathing while you jump (and throughout your day). 

To find more breathing tips to help you reduce neck and back pain, sleep better and stress less (yes, please!), please see here. 

#2: Optimize Your Core System with Proper Posture

I’ve noticed that when people jump, they often tuck their hips underneath them, pull their shoulders way back, grip their abs and glutes, and then flare out their rib cage. In this posture, their core pressure system just can’t work properly. 

Instead, you want your rib cage to be over your pelvis, with your weight shifted forward. Make sure you hinge from your ankles, not for your waist, so that there’s no pressure in your back. Keep your rib cage soft, and look down at a 45 degree angle. 

I illustrate the correct posture to use when jumping rope below.

And please see this video if you would like to learn more exercises for working on your pelvic floor.  

Ultimately, if you want to stop worrying about accidents while you jump rope, start paying attention to your posture and breathing. Preventing leakage is about coordinating your posture and your breath, so that you can use your whole beautiful core system safely and effectively. 

If you’d like to learn more, check out my free 5 minute pelvic floor challenge, where I show you simple exercises that can strengthen your whole core system in just 5 minutes a day. Ready to dive even deeper? My 10 Day ReWire Pelvic Floor Program will help you feel stronger and more confidant, so you can get back to doing all the activities you love. 

Finally, if you are still struggling with peeing while you jump rope, or with any other movements, please remember that I love working 1-on-1 with clients virtually, with individualized coaching to help you heal and thrive. If you’re ready to become a movement superstar, no longer held back by pain or limitations, please get in touch.