How to return to running safely after having a baby

Did you know that the pelvic floor muscles cope with forces from 1.5 – 3 x your body weight whilst running? For an average 70kg woman that is 105 – 210kg worth of force going through your pelvic floor.

Here is a guide to help guide you back to running safely, whether you’ve JUST had your baby or you’re a few years down the track.

1. Wait until at least 3-6 months postpartum

No matter what type of birth you’ve had, you should always wait a minimum of 3 months prior to returning to running. It’s recommended for all mothers (especially for those wishing to return to running) to see a pelvic health physio after 6 weeks postnatal for an assessment.

For both caesarean and vaginal births, you have had a baby sitting on your pelvic floor muscles for the better part of 9 months, and that takes a toll on the muscles.

For vaginal deliveries, the pelvic floor has stretched over 250% of it’s size in order to facilitate birth. For caesarean deliveries, in order to birth your baby your obstetrician has cut through 9 layers of tissue!! This requires some serious respect and healing time. Whilst the “outside bits” might be feeling good by 6 weeks, we know that tissue healing time takes a minimum of 3 months to fully heal on the inside.

2. Wait until your symptoms have resolved

If you have any of the following symptoms, it’s not advisable to return to running until they have resolved:

Urine leakage in general, or whilst running
Poo leakage in general, or whilst running
Pressure/bulge/dragging in the vagina in general, or whilst running
Ongoing vaginal bleeding that’s NOT related to menstrual cycle that worsens with running or high impact activities
Pelvic pain (hips, coccyx, pubic bone) prior to or during running.

If you are experiencing any of the following, it’s recommended to see a pelvic health physio for an assessment.

3. Have a strong pelvic floor

As a minimum it’s ideal to be able to do the following pelvic floor squeezes prior to returning to running:

10 x fast squeezes
8-12 x 6-8s strong holds in a row
60s long hold at 30-50% pressure

Not sure how to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles? Read my guide here.

4. Have adequate general muscle strength

Returning to running is about more than just having a strong pelvic floor. It’s really important to have strong core and leg muscles to ensure you reduce your risk of injury.

At a minimum, it’s recommended to be able to complete the following with good technique (without any pain, leakage, heaviness/dragging or back pain):

Walking 30min
Single leg balance 10s each side
Single leg squat 10 x each side
Jog on the spot 1 min
Forward bounds x 10
Hop in place x 10 each side
Single leg running man x 10 each side
Single leg calf raise x 20 each side
Single leg bridge x 20 each side
Single leg sit to stand x 20 each side
Side lying abduction x 20 each side

5. Final things to think about

Abdominal separation

If you have noticed a bulge or a gap between your ab muscles, this is a sign you could have separation. Ab separation can be made worse by higher impact activities, as these increase intra-abdominal pressure (aka your core needs to work harder in high impact exercise), so it’s important for these to be assessed by a physio postpartum.

Scar tissue

It’s a good idea to have your scar assessed prior to return to running as well. Sometimes caesarean scars can become tight and cause discomfort when you return to running. A physio can help you with this.

Choice of bra

Making sure you have a good bra is a really important step to consider. Did you know that an ill fitting bra can not only cause damage to your breast tissue, but also to your knee joints through inadequate shock absorption? Visit www.bra.edu.au for a free tool to check what sort of bra you should be wearing whilst running.