You read that right. I am not ashamed. I pee when I double under. Not so much when I am just jumping roping normally, but something about the determination and concentration and tight everything of the double under makes me pee on myself.
Not just a little bit either. I use the bathroom right before I start jumping rope, it still happens. I can use the bathroom in the middle of a workout that has double unders, it still happens.
I remember a new member a few classes out of Foundations who came to me one day. She quietly asked me after class if she could talk to me for a minute. She started with “So..when we jump rope…” I cut her off and said, “You pee when you jump rope.”
“Yes!” she replied. So, we talked about it for a bit…
I’ve had 3 kids (all by c-section), and I blame it partly on that. I am just so excited to be able to double under after many, many months of intense frustration (but THAT is a whole different article). So I wear a panty liner or a even a pad. Yes, it’s that bad.
In the research I have done on this topic (which is quite a fun one to research) it seems that it’s all about the core and the pelvic floor. Pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, aging and being overweight can all factor into those muscles weakening.
The pelvic floor is quite important and even though leaking a bit happens to a lot of us, it really may not be “OK.” The good news is that there does seem to be some things that we can do to improve those muscles and gain control of our workouts.
Kegel exercises. Yep, I am guessing most women have heard of them and probably even done them at some point in their lives. The trick here, as with everything CrossFit, is patience and consistency. Doing a few Kegels today while sitting at your desk is not enough to make you leak-free tomorrow during “Annie.” You will have to make a point to do several sets of 10 Kegels throughout the day, every day. And you need to make sure to do them right. You can google Kegels for a lot more information on everything pelvic floor and Kegel exercise related.
Now, aside from wearing Depends, and waiting patiently for your pelvic floor muscles to get stronger, when you are jumping rope (or doing any explosive, intense movement that may make you leak) you need to be conscious of your body, specifically your core and those pelvic floor muscles and the way and order that you engage them all.
Kelly Starrett has some great advice. Taken from his book, Supple Leopard (An AMAZING book with so many great ways to help your body move the way it was intended.
“Whether you’re performing double unders or jumping up and down, you want to go through the bracing sequence, keep your shoulders back, maintain abdominal tension and keep your pelvis locked in a neutral position.”
How do you keep your pelvis locked in a neutral position you ask? “…squeeze your butt to set your pelvis in a neutral position, and then get your belly tight to brace the position.”
Squeeze your butt cheeks, engage your core by pulling that belly button through your back (prepare to get sucker punched in the gut!) Practice that a lot too, that is a very good set up sequence to brace your spine for all the movements we do in CrossFit – squatting, push ups, pull ups, you name it.
Remembering to do all those things before you double under (or do other activities) takes a bit of practice and time. Keep at it, be conscious of it, and soon you will be double undering leak free!