Return to Running Postpartum: when is it the right time?

Returning to running after giving birth can be very exciting for many women, offering a sense of freedom, both mentally and physically, along with great fitness benefits.

It is important to remember that running is a high-impact activity that places significant demands on your body – which has just experienced substantial changes and stretching of the muscles, ligaments and fascia. To be prepared for running postpartum, it's essential to allow your body sufficient time to heal and regain strength after childbirth.

Before we move onto return to running, let’s talk about the few ways your body may have changed during pregnancy.

1.        Abdominal wall

• To allow for the growth of your baby, stretching of the linea alba (connective tissue of your abdominal muscles) and separation of your abdominal muscles occurs.

• It is important to rehab your core and abdominal separation to be strong and withhold the great pressures of running to prevent injuries to other areas of your body such as your lower back, hips and knees.

2.        Pelvic Girdle

• Throughout your pregnancy, the pelvic bones widen to create space for your baby, this creates a biomechanical change affecting your lower back, hips, pubic bone and most importantly your glutes. This change effects your pelvic girdles support and stability which can increase your risk of injury.

• Focus on building strength, stability and support around your pelvis with strengthening exercises targeted at your glutes, core and pelvic floor.

3.        Ligaments and general musculoskeletal

• During pregnancy, due to the hormonal changes in particular oestrogen - ligaments all over your body become more flexible and mobile. In the postpartum period it may take 3-4months for the hormones to balance again.

• If your period is yet to return and you are breastfeeding – your body can be in a low oestrogen state where connective tissue, ligaments and soft tissue can be more mobile and increase the risk of injury.

4.        Pelvic Floor

• Whether you’ve had a vaginal or caesarean birth – your pelvic floor may have weakened during your pregnancy, carrying the additional weight of your baby, placenta, fluids, and possible adipose tissue. This may have caused you to experience common symptoms such as bladder leakage, bladder urgency, flatal incontinence, vaginal heaviness or pelvic pain.

• It is essential to ensure you have a well-functioning pelvic floor prior to returning to running to reduce the risk of developing pelvic floor dysfunction such as symptomatic prolapse, bladder leakage, bladder/bowel urgency and pelvic injuries.

NOW – let’s talk about how we can get you ready to run!!

Our first and number 1 recommendation is to attend a postpartum pelvic floor assessment at 4-6 weeks post vaginal and caesarean birth. We encourage you to present sooner if you have specific concerns surrounding your recovery or have sustained a 3rd or 4th degree perineal injury. In this appointment, we will assess your abdominal separation and pelvic floor anatomy & function. Based on our findings, we can provide rehabilitation guidance and appropriate exercise clearance.

With all the changes during pregnancy that we have discussed, we recommend getting started by following low-impact exercises targeted at rehabbing your abdominal wall, pelvic girdle and pelvic floor to prepare your body to be “run ready”.

As you progress along with your rehab, we aim to get you ready for low-impact cardio such as cycling, x-trainer by week 8-12 and prepare for high-impact cardio leading up to 12-16-weeks (the most exciting part!).

Around the 12-week mark, we offer a return to running assessment where we assess your pelvic floor anatomy & function, complete strength testing and run you through the “return to running checklist” to ensure we can safely facilitate your return to running!

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Rachel has development a postpartum running guide, ‘Your First 5km Postpartum’ which guides you through a safe return to running plan. You can read more about this program by clicking HERE.