GUEST BLOG: Returning to Running Post-Pregnancy—Tips From a Physical Therapist
/By Emily Dittenber PT, DPT, OCS
After having a baby, have you thought to yourself “How will I ever get back to my previous level of fitness?” Or “Where do I do even start?” when it comes to beginning exercising again?
I can help with this! So keep reading!
Your body goes through many changes during pregnancy and delivery! As your belly grows, your posture changes and results in an exaggerated curvature in the low back and forward tip of the pelvis. Your growing belly also stretches out your abdominal and pelvic musculature, resulting in poor core strength and potentially embarrassing leaks post-pregnancy. Lastly your ligaments throughout your body are extra stretchy during pregnancy and while nursing due to an increase in a hormone called Relaxin. This results in extra mobility in your joints and requires your muscles to work even harder to control movement of the joints during activity.
So after all of these changes following pregnancy, how do you get back to exercising and running?!
The key is to start slow! Running is a high impact activity so it is best to wait until 3 months post-pregnancy before running so that you can give yourself enough time to heal and get stronger!
At 6 weeks, after you have been cleared by your medical professional, you can begin exercising again. The following weeks after this are a great time for you to focus on getting your core, glute, and pelvic floor muscles stronger so that you are less prone to injury or leaks when you start running again!
Good exercises to do during this time include:
Pelvic floor exercises (Kegels)
Squats
Bridges
Side-lying leg raises
Calf raises
Walking
Once you feel that you are ready for your first post-pregnancy run, test yourself! You should be able to do the following without pain, incontinence, or heaviness in your pelvic region:
Walk for 30 minutes
Stand on one leg for 10 seconds (check both sides)
Perform 10 single leg squats on each side
Jog on the spot for 1 minute
Hop in place 10 times on each leg
When you start to gradually return to running, consider following a couch to 5k plan! And once you get started, try not to increase your distance or time by more than 10% per week to avoid over-training. Don’t forget to treat yourself to new sports bras, especially if you are nursing, to make sure that you have good support. Also, double-check that your shoes still work well for you because your feet can change significantly during pregnancy.
Seeing a physical therapist for an assessment of your posture, strength, and running form would also be helpful to ensure that your return to running is injury free! If you have questions about returning to exercise and running post-pregnancy or have been struggling with annoying aches or leaks, you should check out the free Prenatal and Postpartum Physical Therapy Seminar that Auburn PT is hosting!
Follow Dr. Emily Dittenber for more thoughts and advice on the pregnancy and post-partum journey! Instagram: @auburnpt_thrive Facebook: @auburnptthrive Email: edittenber@auburnpt.com
