How To Get Back to Jumping Postpartum
Every day in my practice I get questions from new moms hoping to get back to physical activity.
Lots of them want to run, bike, lift weights and yes, even jump rope.
The number one rule I have for new moms (ok, for ANY woman who is trying to jump/double under/etc without leaking urine) is NO LEAKING URINE. Let me explain.
When you are getting back to running or jumping after having a baby, there is a tendency to just jump right back in and not think about these movements like we would think about other movements such as weightlifting. Would you jump back into squatting 125 pounds for reps, or would you maybe start with some airsquats? When it comes to jumping, we need to start back slowly as well.
As an example, after I had my second son and was about 8 weeks postpartum I started to work on jumping again. At first I couldn’t do more than 10 double unders in a row without starting to leak ( reminder: double unders are jumping rope but letting the rope pass your feet twice with each jump.) So I did 10 double unders, then rested about 30 seconds, then I did 10 double unders, rest 30 seconds you get the idea.
The next week I could make it to 15 double unders. So I ONLY DID 15 DOUBLE UNDERS before taking a rest. If you are meticulous about making sure you stop before you start to leak urine, this will retrain your pelvic floor muscles how to double under without peeing. (just as we would retrain our bodies to squat with heavier and heavier weights)
Other tips:
When returning to jumping rope, make sure that your gaze is down towards the floor. I generally have my patients look about 6-10 feet in front of them on the floor. The tendency is to look up towards the ceiling, and what this does is put the pelvic floor and diaphragm out of alignment with each other. We call this position an “open scissor” position as the chest/diaphragm is tilted up and the pelvis and pelvic floor are tilted towards the floor. This position basically takes away the stability of the top and bottom of the barrel of our core.
Finally I always remind my patients of piston breathing. If you aren’t familiar with piston breathing, you can read more HERE. You can use this same breathing technique to aggressively breathe OUT while jumping. I recommend breathing out like this every other jump so that you’re not hyperventilating with each breath!
Happy jumping!
Want more help? Have more questions? I am here for you! Drop me a note on IG @ Drkarlie or shoot me an email at Drkarlie@karliecausey.com!
AND check out my Postpartum Restoration Plan; an expertly designed 8-week plan to restore your core, stay active, and feel confident in your new body!