Peeing when jumping, jump rope or double unders: why, and what helps
Jumping creates the fastest pressure spikes of any everyday exercise, so leaking is common even in women who've never been pregnant. Reflex timing and strength are both trainable.
Updated ·Written by the Dr. Kegel editorial team · clinical review pending
Short answer
Very common — but not something you have to accept. Jumping creates the fastest, highest pressure spikes of any everyday exercise, and even young athletes who've never been pregnant leak on trampolines and jump ropes. It usually means your pelvic floor's reflex timing and strength haven't caught up with the impact. Both are trainable.
of elite female trampolinists (mean age 15, none had given birth) reported leaking urine — but only during trampoline training
Why jumping is the hardest test for your pelvic floor
When you land a jump, pressure inside your belly shoots up in a fraction of a second. Your pelvic floor must already be tight — ahead of the landing — to keep the urethra closed. With jumping, three things make that especially hard:
- Speed. The pressure spike is faster than with running or lifting, so a slightly late reflex means a leak.
- Repetition. Double unders and trampoline bouncing string dozens of spikes together with almost no rest, so the muscles tire quickly.
- Bracing. Many athletes hold their breath and brace hard to stay stiff, which pushes pressure down onto the pelvic floor.
That’s why women who never leak when they run can leak within seconds of starting double unders.
Jumping jacks are a gentler version of the same problem: lower jumps, but often done fast and in long sets at the start of a class, before the pelvic floor is warmed up. Jump rope sits in between — single unders are lower than double unders, but the rhythm is relentless.
How common is leaking with jumping?
Very. A Swedish study of elite trampolinists — teenagers who had never been pregnant — found 80% leaked urine, but only during trampoline training (Eliasson et al.). Their leaking started after a couple of years of training, a sign that repeated high impact alone can overwhelm a healthy pelvic floor.
In CrossFit, a US study of physically active women found the exercises most often linked to leaking were double unders (47.7%), jumping rope (41.3%) and box jumps (28.4%) (Yang et al.). Vaginal birth made leaking during exercise more likely, but women who had never given birth leaked too. The women’s own go-to strategies were emptying the bladder before training, wearing dark pants, and doing kegels during workouts.
Commonly trainable: a few drops during long sets of double unders, rebounding or trampolining, especially when tired.
Get assessed: heaviness or a bulge after jumping, leaking with walking or daily life, bowel leaking, pain, or new leaking after a baby before you’ve built up to impact.
Train the pelvic floor for impact
Jumping needs more than slow kegels. It needs speed, reflex timing and endurance — and a pelvic floor that can relax between efforts.
Step 1 — Check your base. Use the pelvic floor strength self-test. You want strong 10-second holds and at least 10 quick, full-range flicks before chasing big jump volumes. If you can’t fully let go after a squeeze, start with the tight or weak? check — a braced, tired pelvic floor leaks too.
Step 2 — Speed drills (daily, 3 minutes):
- 3 sets of 10 quick flicks, fully relaxing between each
- “Knack” practice: a fast lift timed with a cough, then with a small bounce on your toes
Step 3 — Build impact in stages (2–3 times a week). Stay at each level until you can do it without leaking, then move on:
- Calf raises, then fast calf raises
- Small bounces on two feet, soft landings
- Single-leg hops in place
- Single unders with a rope — short sets
- Box step-ups, then low box jumps
- Double unders in short sets (5–10), then longer
- Trampoline: short bouts, then longer
Step 4 — Change the breathing pattern. Instead of holding your breath, try a gentle exhale through the jump set. Hard breath-holding pushes pressure down.
Workout tweaks while you train
- Break double unders into shorter sets with rest, or swap for single unders until you’re ready.
- Swap jumping jacks for step-jacks (tap one foot out at a time) in warm-ups until small bounces feel secure.
- Do jumping early in a session, before your pelvic floor is tired from heavy lifting.
- Pee once before class — not repeatedly.
- Ask a pelvic floor physical therapist about a vaginal support device for high-impact sessions.
After having a baby
The postnatal return-to-running guideline by Goom, Donnelly and Brockwell advises no running before about 12 weeks, and jumping asks even more of the pelvic floor than running does. Work through returning to running first, then add the jump stages above. If you’re still in the first year, see the postpartum guide.
Plan for your week
Daily speed drills, two impact-progression sessions, and jump work early in any workout. Retest every two weeks. See also leaking during heavy lifting.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I pee when I do double unders?
Double unders mean fast, repeated jumps with a stiff, braced body — the pressure in your belly spikes on every landing and there's almost no time to recover between jumps. In a study of CrossFit women, double unders were the exercise most often linked to leaking (47.7%), ahead of jumping rope and box jumps.
Is it normal to pee on a trampoline?
It's very common. In one study, 80% of elite teenage trampolinists who had never been pregnant leaked during training. Trampolining is an extreme test for the pelvic floor. Common doesn't mean you can't improve it, though — reflex and strength training help many women jump with fewer leaks.
Can I jump again after having a baby?
Yes, but build up to it. The postnatal return-to-running guideline advises no running before about 12 weeks after birth, and jumping is a bigger load than running. Get running and hopping comfortable first, then add small jumps, then double unders and box jumps.
Do CrossFit women who haven't had babies leak too?
Yes. The CrossFit study found leaking in women who had never been pregnant as well — though vaginal birth made it more likely. The trampoline study was entirely young women who had never given birth. High-impact training asks a lot of any pelvic floor.
Sources
- Prevalence of stress incontinence in nulliparous elite trampolinists — Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2002
- The effect of high impact crossfit exercises on stress urinary incontinence in physically active women — Neurourology and Urodynamics, 2019
- Returning to running postnatal – guidelines for medical, health and fitness professionals (Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell) — Independent clinical guideline, 2019
- Pelvic floor disorders stop women exercising: a survey of 4556 symptomatic women — Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2021
This page is general education about exercise, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Talk to a clinician about symptoms that are new, severe or getting worse.