How to get back into running after having a baby
1. Consider what exercise you did before and during your pregnancy
How you recovery after your pregnancy is not only dependent on what exercise you did during your pregnancy, but also what you did prior to falling pregnant. It will be easier for someone to return to running if they always ran prior to pregnancy and did some running during your pregnancy, compared to someone has never run before.
2. Make sure you do your pelvic floor exercises
Your pelvic floor is made up of muscles and ligaments that support your pelvic organs (bladder, uterus and bowel). You can have very strong pelvic floor muscles, but the ligaments will still become relaxed due to the hormones released during pregnancy. So it is important to give your body some time after pregnancy to allow the hormones to calm down and ligaments to return to pre-pregnancy tightness before you bounce up and down on them during running. A general rule for returning to running is to wait three months post birth before starting. If you always did your pelvic floor exercises and your obstetrician is happy with your pelvic floor contraction, you may want to return to running earlier. The gold standard way to know if with an internal examination to assess your pelvic floor strength. You want to be confident with performing 10 repetitions of 10 second holds in a standing position (against gravity).
A general rule for returning to running is to wait three months post birth before starting. Click To Tweet
3. Strengthen your glutes to help support your hips and pelvis
During pregnancy, our joints are able to move more easily. Some women experience lower back pain, SIJ pain or pubic symphysis pain due to this reason. When returning to running, it is important to be able to stabilise through your pelvis and hips to prevent putting extra pressure on the joints. Glut strengthening exercises will help to support you during running and help to propel you forward and put less stress through your lower limbs which means more efficient running.
4. Gradually build up your distance and speed
If you take a break from any sport, whether it is 9 weeks or 9 months, you wouldn’t go straight back into what you were doing before. Pregnancy is exactly the same. After you give birth, you are able to start walking straight away, and this is a great way to return to running. Once you feel confident in your pelvic floor to return to running, starting with some intervals of running and walking is a great way to start building up your bodies tolerance to running and cardiovascular fitness. As your fitness increases you can increase the running time and decrease the walking time until you feel as though you can keep on running.
Gradually build up your distance and speed. #performbetter @pogophysio Click To Tweet
5. Get a running assessment
If you return to running and start to experience lower back pain or something doesn’t feel right, a physiotherapist will be able to video your running style and give you tips and tricks and exercises to help your running style be as efficient as possible
6. Look out for signs of prolapse
Pregnancy and child birth increase your risk of pelvic organ prolapse. As you increase your exercise and running, keep an eye out if you start experiencing leaking (urine, faeces or wind) either during exercise or with a cough/sneeze/increased pressure or if you experience a heavy dragging sensation down through your vagina. This is a sign you have done too much and need to take it down a notch. This is when you need to focus on your pelvic floor exercises and decrease the pressure on your pelvic floor. If symptoms of leaking or heavy sensation continue, make sure you see a women’s health physiotherapist to make sure you are doing your exercises properly and so they can help give you an individualised exercise program.
Emily Georgopolous (APAM)
Physiotherapist
References
Luginbuehl, H., Baeyens, J. P., Taeymans, J., Maeder, I. M., Kuhn, A., & Radlinger, L. (2015). Pelvic floor muscle activation and strength components influencing female urinary continence and stress incontinence: a systematic review. Neurourology and urodynamics, 34(6), 498-506.
Brumitt, J. (2009). A return to running program for the postpartum client: a case report. Physiotherapy theory and practice, 25(4), 310-325.
