When should you return to running after giving birth, and HOW should you approach returning to running?
There is MORE to returning to running than just being cleared by your provider and throwing your running shoes!
We need to remember that running is a dynamic and advanced movement!
Our babies don’t come out of the womb running! They first:
- Gain core stabilization as they learn to lift their head and roll
- Learn to get into a quadruped position
- Crawl
- Stand Up
- Balance on one leg (single-leg stability)
- Walk
- THEN run!
We ALSO may have had an altered postural tendency, stabilization strategy, and gait during pregnancy that may require some relearning as we approach running postpartum!
5 Ways to Return to Running Safely!
We CAN return to running postpartum, BUT we want to minimize issues, such as:
- Stress urinary incontinence (leaking urine when you don’t want to while exercising)
- Pelvic, low back, or lower extremity pain
What are some ways we can approach a return to running so you can RUN FASTER than pre-pregnancy??
- 4-12+ weeks postpartum:
- Focus on single-leg stabilization and strength training
- Reestablish core stabilization and myofascial sling connection
- Gradual return to impact such as hopping and plyometrics
- 12-16 weeks + postpartum:
- Gradually return to running with short running intervals and walking rest
- Continued strength training of lower AND upper body
4-12+ Weeks Postpartum: Return to Running Approach
1. Single Leg Stability and Strength Training
Before we can bound from leg to leg while running, we need to have stability and strength in that one leg!
Single leg strengthening movements and balancing movements can improve single leg stability and strength.
But we don’t necessarily want to start right away with single leg! We can incorporate,
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Hip Thrusts
- And other lower leg strengthening exercises focused on two legs working together
And then we can progress to unilateral focused leg strengthening exercises, such as:
- Staggered Stance Deadlifts
- Bulgarian Split Squats
- Step Ups
- Split Squats
Watch the video below for a breakdown of one movement we would recommend as you return to running: the Bulgarian Split Squat.
We incorporate this strength training progression in all our postnatal fitness training programs, so you can gradually return to lifting and fitness after birth!
What’s really cool is that we train in-person clients in our training facility in Aberdeen, North Carolina, so we have tested and improved all of our programs based on client feedback and training results!
2. Core and Myofascial Sling Connection
After single-leg stability and strength, we also need core stability and strength!
But, running is a dynamic movement, so we need to focus on core stabilization and strength in a dynamic with the myofascial slings!
The myofascial slings run diagonally and cross pattern from the upper to lower body, crossing the pelvic girdle. The myofascial slings support dynamic and functional movements, such as walking and running!
As you walk or run, the slings counter one another to support rotation.
- The anterior oblique sling crosses from the chest to the opposite inner thigh and supports rotation to the midline of the body on the front.
- Think shoulder to opposite knee.
- When you take a step forward, the anterior oblique sling of your forward leg and opposite shoulder is working to rotate you toward the midline.
- The posterior oblique sling crosses from the lat to the opposite glute muscle on the back side of the body.
- This sling supports extension and propulsion when you push off your foot to propel yourself forward while walking or running.
- The lateral sling supports single-leg stabilization and strength
- The deep longitudinal sling supports posterior chain stabilization (keeping us upright)
Find comfort and relief from pelvic girdle pain throughout your pregnancy and postpartum period! This program incorporates myofascial sling focused exercises to stabilize across the pelvic girdle joints.
- 3 Week Program, 9 Workouts
- On Demand Workout Videos to Follow
- Educational Videos on How to Approach Modifications
- E-Book
Our 3-week pelvic stability program includes nine on-demand full-length workout videos that focus completely on the myofascial slings! This program also includes an e-book to do workouts at your own pace.
This program is a great stand-alone program if you are having pelvic pain, or as an accessory program to your running routine to support the core strength of the myofascial slings!
The forward step down and banded row is an example of a posterior oblique sling and lateral sling core strengthening exercise!
Watch the video below for a breakdown on how to do this movement to support your workouts and return to running after birth.
3. Gradual Return to Impact: Hops and Plyometrics
And then we can gradually introduce impact before we start running again!
The demand on our bodies from impact can be overwhelming if we do too much too soon!
Ways we can introduce impact:
- Ball taps (see video below for a breakdown)
- Adjust the speed
- Adjust the high of the hops
- Jumping planks
- Plyometrics
- Impact ideas:
- Small hops from foot to foot
- Small hops spreading the feet out sideways and back in
- Both feet jumping at the same time
We incorporate a gradual return to impact in all our postnatal fitness programs! We start with some ball taps, and then slowly incorporate more and more jumping and plyometrics to prep us for running!
12-16+ Weeks Postpartum
1. Gradual Return to Running: Intervals!
Now, this is the hard part of the return to running, especially if running is a part of your identity: THE WAIT to start running again. It is so tempting to just throw on our sneakers and run out the door when we get our clearance to exercise at 6 weeks postpartum.
BUT returning to running TOO early can contribute towards more issues such as stress urinary incontinence, injuries to the lower extremities, and pain in the pelvis, low back, or lower body!
When we return to running, we can gradually increase time while running in a way that does not overstrain or overwhelm the capabilities of your healing pelvic floor.
Remember it can take 9-10+ months BEFORE you feel like yourself again!
With my last postpartum in 2020, I felt that I wasn’t quite ready for running and high impact until closer to 6-7 months postpartum. When I tried to run or do a lot of jumping, I felt a lot of pelvic heaviness and strain.
Return to running after giving birth so that you run faster and feel stronger than before! This program progresses through rehabilitation training, single leg stabilization, and a progression back towards repetitive, high impact movements.
- 16-Week Program, 64 Training Days
- 10-Week Program, 40 Training Days
- Lifetime Access of E-Course
- Teambuildr App Access
Our recommendation as you hit the 12-16 week mark AND you have done the prerequisites during the first 2-3 months postpartum, is to focus on timed running intervals with walking rest.
Example:
- 10x 30 seconds of easy running with 1 minute of easy walking in between
Over time, you could gradually increase the length of the timed running intervals as you decrease the walking rest interval.
Ways to know it could be time to increase the running interval:
- No pelvic heaviness or issues, such as leaking while running
- No pelvic fatigue after your run
- No pelvic, lower back, or lower leg pain
We incorporate strength training WITH a plan on how to gradually increase running in our 16-week postpartum return to running program.
I developed this program after the birth of my first baby to help me return to running, a sport I loved prior to pregnancy. This is the program I personally used to return to doing 5ks and races after birth!
2. Continue to strength train: Upper AND Lower Body!
As you slowly integrate running into your workout routine, it is also important to continue strength training!
Now, strength training doesn’t need to take 2 hours a day or take over your running workouts. But it can be helpful to incorporate strength training, for BOTH the upper and lower body, to prevent injury while returning to running.
When I was a collegiate runner with high volume mileage, I found myself needing to redshirt or take a season off due to chronic injuries that could have been prevented with more strength training!
After I joined the Army, and began to strength train multiple times a week (in addition to running 40-50 miles a week), I found that I was no longer experiencing injuries and running just as fast!
You don’t need to be lifting super heavy weights, or even use a barbell at all, as you return to running postpartum!
You can do movements like the reverse lunge row while holding a dumbbell (or your baby) and still reap the benefits of a full-body workout to support your running.
Watch the video below for a breakdown of the reverse lunge row, and easy strength training exercise to incorporate into your workout routine!
Return to Running Postpartum: Slow and Patient!
As you return to running postpartum, it is easy to do TOO MUCH too soon, which could lead to more issues!
You may find that if you resume running at 4 or 6 weeks postpartum, before addressing the prerequisites such as single leg stability and core strengthening, you have more injuries, and pain, and you may even decide to stop running altogether!
It is hard to be patient, but it is SO worth it to be patient with our postpartum recovery. If you are patient with the process, you will find that you feel stronger, lift heavier, and run faster than you ever did before!
Recover After Birth: Postpartum Courses
References:
- Christopher, Cook, C. E., & Snodgrass, S. J. (2021). What are the biopsychosocial risk factors associated with pain in postpartum runners? Development of a clinical decision tool. PloS One, 16(8), e0255383–e0255383. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255383
- Moore, James, M. L., Brockwell, E., Perkins, J., Jones, A. L., & Donnelly, G. M. (2021). Multidisciplinary, biopsychosocial factors contributing to return to running and running related stress urinary incontinence in postpartum women. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(22), 1286–1292. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-104168