Rebounding and Your Pelvic Floor: Helpful or Harmful?
Something I’ve been asked a lot lately—especially as mini-trampolines make their way into home workouts and boutique fitness classes—is whether rebounding is safe or helpful for pelvic floor health.
Like most things in movement and rehab, the answer isn’t black and white.
Let’s dig in.
Load is not the enemy
Your pelvic floor needs load. Fascia and soft tissue thrive on load—it stimulates collagen and elastin production, keeping your tissues strong, responsive, and well-hydrated.
Rebounding (aka bouncing on a trampoline) delivers dynamic, elastic load through the whole body—hips, spine, core, feet—and, when done well, can actually support pelvic floor resilience.
In fact, studies show that trampolining offers greater biomechanical stimulus than running, especially when it comes to gravitational loading. So yes—it’s effective.
But effective isn’t the same as appropriate—especially if your system isn’t ready.
The problem isn’t the rebound—it’s the foundation it assumes you have
Most of the women I work with have challenges in the very systems that jumping relies on.
Here’s what shows up time and again:
Breathing mechanics that drive pressure downward (chest lifting, belly puffing, shallow inhales),
Holding the breath during effort—often unconsciously—which spikes intra-abdominal pressure,
Postural habits like glute gripping, tucked pelvis, or flared ribs that disrupt the fascial lines,
A nervous system stuck in fight or freeze, making it hard for the pelvic floor to let go and adapt.
These patterns don’t mean something is wrong with you. They’re adaptations—smart ones—but they often create a mismatch between the load applied and the system’s ability to manage it.
What actually happens when you jump?
Let’s talk anatomy.
When you jump, ground reaction forces travel from your feet, up through your legs and pelvis, and into your thoracic cavity. Your thoracic diaphragm, abdominal wall, and pelvic floor all work together like a pressure-modulating team.
When this system is working well:
The diaphragm descends,
The abdominal wall expands laterally,
The pelvic floor lengthens and rebounds,
And pressure is dispersed evenly through the canister.
But when the system is out of sync:
The diaphragm may be stuck in an elevated or rigid position,
Breath is shallow or held (think: a mini Valsalva),
Glutes and abdominals over-brace,
The pelvic floor is left to absorb force it can’t regulate.
And the outcome? Leaking. Dragging. Pressure. Or just a vague sense that something’s not quite right.
What the experts say
Diane Lee, one of the most respected voices in pelvic health, emphasises that co-activation across the whole core system—diaphragm, abdominals, pelvic floor, and glutes—is essential for managing load. When that co-ordination is missing, symptoms often appear under stress or impact.
Antony Lo (aka The Physio Detective) adds that pelvic floor control is not about squeezing harder or bracing more. Many people confuse tension for strength—holding their breath or clenching during activity, which only increases intra-abdominal pressure. And as he says, “that pressure has to go somewhere.” Usually, it’s down.
This is why those common class cues like “just wear a pad if you leak” are so unhelpful. That advice doesn’t solve anything—it simply masks dysfunction while your system quietly struggles under pressure.
So, is rebounding ever a good idea?
Yes—but not as a one-size-fits-all prescription.
If your breath is functional, your alignment supports elastic recoil, and your pelvic floor knows how to let go and respond, then rebounding can be joyful and effective.
But for most women navigating pelvic floor dysfunction, we need to rewind before we rebound.
Here’s what I recommend instead:
🔹 Start with breath
Learn 360° lateral ribcage breathing—so you create lift, not pressure.
🔹 Release before you reinforce
Let go of habitual tension—especially in the glutes, jaw, and upper abdominals.
🔹 Build postural awareness
The way you stand, sit, breathe, and move matters more than any single exercise.
🔹 Layer in load gradually
Use functional movement (like Hypopressives, resistance training, or somatic drills) to restore elasticity before adding impact.
In summary?
Rebounding isn’t inherently bad.
It’s just not neutral.
It’s load. And load, when applied to a body with poor breath patterns, postural strain, or pressure mismanagement, can amplify what’s already going on.
So if you’re leaking when you bounce? That’s your body saying, “I’m not coping right now.”
And that’s not a failure—it’s an opportunity. With the right breath, the right alignment, and a progressive plan, you can absolutely get back to jumping, running, and moving without fear or symptoms.
If you’re unsure whether your system is ready, I offer personalised Pelvic Floor Audits where I review your breath, posture and core function via video and give you targeted guidance.
Sometimes, it’s one small shift that makes all the difference.
Click here to find out more or feel free to message me with questions.
Warmly,
Abby
Pelvic Floor Specialist | Hypopressive Master Trainer
Hypopressive Scotland
