Postpartum Running Guide: 10 Tips for a Strong and Healthy Running Comeback
Whether you’re running in just a few months after delivery or a few years these tips will help you find your way back to a running groove.
I still remember the first steps I took into the bathroom of my hospital room after I gave birth to my oldest son via emergency cesarean section. Every step sent shooting pain through my abdomen. My core felt jelly-like and disconnected (quite literally it had been cut apart). I was already more exhausted than I’d ever felt during an ultramarathon after just a few nights feeding a newborn.
At that moment it was difficult to see how I would ever feel like myself again let alone run … but I did. And as a mom of two boys who’s currently on her second return-to-run plan (my second son was born in April), I’m here to say you can do it, too. Postpartum running is no easy task, but with the right approach, it’s something you can strive for.
Whether you’re running in just a few months after delivery or a few years (every person is different and has different variables), follow the 10 tips below (broken into three sections) to ensure that when you find your way back to a happy, healthy and strong running groove.
No matter how you ultimately deliver, simply being pregnant stretches your pelvic floor muscles to support a growing baby. And working with a physical therapist (PT) who specializes in pelvic floor is a game changer.
While some doctors recommend starting a pelvic floor program after birth, getting time with a pelvic floor PT in the months leading up to delivery is sort of like lifting weights and stretching to help stave off injury — it prepares your body for the physical demands of labor while also strengthening and activating deep core muscles and joints that progressively get strained as your belly expands and your posture and alignment change.
Unlike our larger muscle groups, understanding how to activate our pelvic floor isn’t always easy and the results aren’t always obvious at first. I remember feeling frustrated when I started pelvic floor exercises because I never could quite tell if I was doing anything right. This made it all the more important to have a solid therapist to check in with on a regular basis.
“There are a lot of pelvic health PTs that work remotely, so if you don’t have someone in your immediate area, consider telehealth sessions with a remote specialist,” says Dr. Rita Deering, a leading postpartum researcher and physical therapy professor at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
As part of your initial PT visit, you’ll likely also complete a load and impact screening to determine how your body responds to the impact associated of postpartum running. Even if you don’t fully pass this test, depending on your diagnosis, you might still be able to start running.
“It’s a risk benefit analysis,” says Deering,” and it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to successfully run without symptoms.”
Deering, along with other international researchers, developed something called the Get Active Questionnaire for Postpartum. It’s a pre-screener for physical exercise that you can download and fill out on your own at any time here.
While you don’t have to, sharing your results with your PT and doctor is a great way to work together with your care team to come up with a plan to help you to return to running postpartum that everyone feels good about.
Once you’ve completed the screener and talked with your care team, how do you know how long you should wait to start running again?
Very little research has been done on postpartum recovery and even less around postpartum running. And most postpartum running plans don’t account for the vast differences in individual pregnancy fitness and complexity.
We commonly hear that it takes about 12 weeks of postpartum recovery to return to running. But more recent research debunks this one-size-fits-all theory. According to a 2024 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, it’s recommended that you take approximately three weeks of relative rest to recover from labor, but after that? Well, it all comes down to you and your body. In fact, returning to moderate physical activity (like walking, hiking or cycling) within the 12-week timeframe is associated with better health outcomes as it increases your ability to maintain overall wellbeing — physical and mental.
All that said, Deering stresses it’s also important to remember that in some cases, there may be conditions where it’s not medically appropriate to advance to moderate activity quite this early. Always check with your doctor first.
How do you know if you can progress to more moderate exercise within 12 weeks?
Dr. Allison Molnar, a PT based in Missoula, Montana, who specializes in pregnancy and postpartum PT and also works remotely with patients across the country, says, “If you’re symptom-free with daily activities, and your energy feels solid, I encourage longer walks (30 minutes or more), then fast walking intervals combined with some low-impact exercises like body weight strength training and cycling to start.”
If you feel good doing this, she says you may be ready to tackle a walk-run progression as a way to test how your body feels with increased impact. If you still feel good, her advice is to continue to follow a gradual walk-run progression that slowly integrates more running. Just know that even as you build strength and endurance, unexpected symptoms like urinary leakage may crop up (more in the next tip).
The key word here is “slowly.” Resist the urge to do too much too soon even if you feel fantastic. In addition to getting back to running, don’t underestimate the energy you’re already expending taking care of kiddos. Returning to running postpartum looks very different than running before kids.
“Our time is limited, so we have to make choices like whether we take a nap, clean our house or go for a run,” Molnar says. “Making sure you have slept and eaten enough to withstand the caloric demands of childcare (and breastfeeding if you are), as well as running are important.”
New moms often hear that urinary leakage while running is a symptom that indicates you’re not yet ready to run. Deering says that simply isn’t true.
A 2024 study found that more than 60 percent of female endurance runners have urinary incontinence while running, and that there is no significant difference between women who have been pregnant and those who haven’t. “If we’re not telling women who have never been pregnant they can’t participate in their sport due to urinary incontinence, then why are we telling postpartum women they shouldn’t be participating in sports?” Deering says.
And while your new normal every time you run certainly shouldn’t be wearing a diaper, if you can tolerate urinary leakage while running in the interim as you work on increasing pelvic strength, Deering says, “I’m not going to tell you you can’t run.”
It all comes down to what you’re comfortable with. Sure, we should work on pelvic floor strength to prevent urinary leakage, but there’s no medical reason we can’t run through it. So if you’re OK peeing while you run, I’m here to confirm that black spandex tights or shorts can be your best friend through it all (and also there is help for urinary incontinence!).
While you may already know your feet can change shape and size during pregnancy, don’t forget about your chest. If you’re breastfeeding, your breasts may have increased anywhere from one to three cup sizes (that’s a big change!) since you gave birth.
We also know from this 2024 study that a sports bra that’s too small for your chest forces you to take frequent, shallow breaths while you run, which negatively impacts your running economy and breathing mechanics. What’s more, shallow breathing not only negatively impacts your running, it can trigger stress and anxiety (which you don’t need help with as a new mom!).
As a stereotypical flat-chested runner, this change was alarming for me. None of my bras fit and I found myself unbelievably uncomfortable almost every day until I finally gave in to buying new sports bras.
Pro tip: Many local running specialty stores like Fleet Feet have outfitters trained to properly fit sports bras. Taking the extra time to chat with a specialist and try them on in person will go a long way in not just being comfortable, but breathing well, and reducing stress during your workout, too.
Just as the right bra can make a huge difference in how your body feels during a run, so can taking a few simple steps before you head out — especially if you’re breastfeeding.
This is most important if your breasts are full or if you’re running for more than an hour. I really wish someone would have told me this before my first postpartum long run. Breastfeeding, pumping or hand expressing prior to running will make you exponentially more comfortable. Depending on how far you run, you may even find yourself having to hand express mid-run (I did a few years ago when running a marathon after my first son was born).
A couple of things make all this easier: 1) a pumping sports bra like this one from Senita Athletics that’s designed specifically for pumping mothers and, 2) a hand breast pump like this one made by Haakaa. Out of all the gadgets and gizmos I have tried, this hand pump is my all-time favorite thing. It’s excellent for expressing extra milk before, during and after a run and also for general use in the middle of the night or anytime I’m away from home (it’s also much easier than dealing with washing a bunch of tiny pump parts).
If you’re anything like me, on the best of days it’s hard to even wash your hair, much less get in a few minutes of strength work. But the reality is it doesn’t take much once you build in the habit. And, lean into your PT for postpartum specific support.
“I always start with the muscles that stabilize the pelvis,” says Molnar “That usually means a lot of glute-focused work — bridges, clamshells, side-lying leg lifts and bird dogs to name a few.”
Once moms have those basics down, Molnar suggests exercises that support the high impact of running.
“Because you’re landing with forces up to seven times your body weight on one leg at a time, we have to train the body to manage that load with good control,” she says. With less stabilized joints post delivery combined with other hormonal shifts, this is even more important.
Whether you choose to run with a stroller or have no choice but to bring the kiddos along, getting yourself out the door on a run along with your little one(s) can be an excellent way for everyone to reset in fresh air. Plus, if you start running with your kids early, as they grow, you may find they look forward to quiet time in the stroller with Mom.
For my first son, stroller running is a chance to look around and watch for big rigs and dump trucks before drifting off to sleep. For my sister’s kids (who are now mostly too big for stroller riding), it was a way to share in running accomplishments. (She currently holds the Guinness World Record for pushing a triple stroller in a marathon!)
If you do find yourself running with the stroller (as many moms will at some point), just be mindful that it often changes your running biomechanics, given the different position of your arms and the need to push the weight in front of you. Pay attention to your posture and how you feel before and after.
Also, if you don’t want to run with the stroller and have a partner, friend or family member willing to watch your little one while you get in much-needed alone or friend time, I recommend that, too. There’s nothing quite like going for a run to make you feel like your old, independent self (if only for an hour).
Sleek, aerodynamic design with decent shock absorption for running and walking on everything from pavement to loose gravel and somewhat rocky doubletrack. Also comes in a double and has an excellent rain cover. Drawbacks: Shocks aren’t quite as solid as the BOB and the seat is relatively shallow.
Classic running stroller that’s well suited for all terrain thanks to high-performance, mountain bike-like shocks. The deep bucket seat and oversized shade make it an excellent choice for running with kids from infant age to older toddler (check out the Duallie if you have two kiddos). Drawbacks: It’s harder to open and close than the Thule (for me) and the Thule handlebar break is easier to use.
If you’re looking for a multisport option that works for running, biking and skiing, this is a solid choice. Plus, instead of attaching a carseat, it utilizes an infant sling for young babies, making it more accessible for use when your kids are very young. The sit-in design is safe, cozy and excellent for use in all weather. Plus, it has more accessible storage than both other options. Drawbacks: If you get a double, the seats are closer together than a standard jogging stroller and, for running, the views are quite as great for kids since they sit low to the ground and further back.
For moms going from one to two littles especially, I recommend this.
I remember it being fairly easy to get out the door during naps after my first son was born, but now that I have a wild toddler roaring around the house and a newborn that refuses to take a bottle from Dad, it’s 1,000 times harder. While I’m still mostly walking, hiking and cycling, I’ve found a plan (and a coach) to be crucial for me.
It provides accountability and easy-to-follow guidelines to ensure I get my butt out the door. But, I’m also realistic. Having kids at home means sometimes best laid plans just don’t happen. So make a plan and also plan for that plan to go completely out the window if your little humans have other plans!
And finally, the most important tip of all isn’t about training schedules or pelvic health—it’s about giving yourself grace. Parenting little kids is wonderful … and also chaotic, exhausting and stressful in different ways as they transition from baby to toddler and beyond.
Running is an excellent way to carve out time for yourself and work toward personal athletic goals. As you do, though, be gentle on yourself, because running also creates stress (as a goal-driven ultrarunner I understand first hand just how hard this is). And the key to a successful, happy and fulfilling return to running is, above all, stress management.
Tune into your body on a regular basis so you can easily intuit when you’re overdoing it and when you have room for more. It’ll take practice, but you can do it. And, if you’re anything like me, your time running will be the recharge you need to really thrive in the joyful chaos having a family brings.
Contributing writer Ashley Arnold is the director of brand at Fleet Feet and an ultrarunner who lives in Missoula, Montana, with her husband and two young children. She tells stories through video, words and photos, and is most at home running trails, adventuring in wild places with her family and sipping coffee while eating cake.