Running again after a baby
Twelve weeks is a guide, not a finish line. What to check before your first run, and how to build up.
Pelvic physiotherapist
5 min read
You will hear that you can run again at twelve weeks. For many women that is about right. For some it is too soon, and a few are ready earlier. The calendar matters less than what your body can already do.
Before the first run
Try these at home. If you can do all of them without leaking, heaviness or pain, you are probably ready to start:
- Walk briskly for 30 minutes.
- Stand on one leg for ten seconds, each side.
- Do ten single-leg squats, each side.
- Jog on the spot for one minute.
- Hop on one leg ten times, each side.
Building up
Start with walk-run intervals: one minute of running, two of walking, for twenty minutes. Add a minute of running each week. Run on flat ground at first, and keep the pace easy enough to talk.
Signs to stop and ask
Leaking, a feeling of heaviness or dragging, or pain in the pelvis or lower back during or after a run. They are common, they are not something to push through, and they usually get better with a few weeks of targeted work. Book an intake with a pelvic physiotherapist; you can bring the baby.
