Get Back to Running After Pregnancy: What to Consider Before Lacing Up Your Shoes

Are you itching to get back to running after pregnancy? Running releases endorphins and helps you stay healthy, so it’s no wonder many people prefer to include running into their exercise routine. But before you go lacing up those running shoes again, consider a few things about your postpartum body.

You are very aware that your body changed dramatically to house a growing baby. After pregnancy, your focus should be on maintaining a healthy body and mind. Running might be exactly what you want to do in order to fulfill that. At Pillar Physio – Georgetown, Texas, we want to help women get back to running after pregnancy the right way.

5 Things to Consider Before Hitting the Trails

You might not realize that getting back to running after pregnancy requires some prep work. It’s all about listening to your body and giving yourself grace. Discover the top five things you should think about before you start running again.

Pelvic Floor

Your pelvic floor has gone to the extreme to birth your baby safely. From stretching and expanding, your pelvic floor had to become flexible for your baby to fit through the birth canal. This takes time to get back to its pre-pregnancy state.

Consider what your pelvic floor has gone through during pregnancy and how you can promote a healthy recovery. Typically, it isn’t recommended to begin running again until a few months after birth. The pelvic floor can take many months to heal, sometimes even a full year.

However, each woman is different. What’s important is to give your body time to heal instead of forcing it to engage in activities that will cause further strain.

Diastasis Recti

Diastasis recti is also known as ab separation. Your growing uterus in pregnancy pushes up against your abdominal wall, which causes a separation. The degree of separation will vary from woman to woman. However, if you do not focus on healing your diastasis recti, running can actually make this worse.

Take time to get assessed for diastasis recti before you get back to running after pregnancy. Your abdominals are important for stability, which is a big component of what your body needs for running. Running with diastasis recti can cause discomfort and could prolong your overall healing.

Prolapse

Prolapse can happen when the muscles in the pelvic floor weaken and the organs drop down. This can affect the bladder, rectum, and uterus. For many reasons, it’s important to treat prolapse first to get back to running after pregnancy.

Prolapse can be uncomfortable to experience. In addition, the stress that running adds to the body can exacerbate the prolapse. This could mean a longer road to healing, which will prolong your goal of running for exercise.

Pain

Pain is another thing to consider when you want to get back to running after pregnancy. It’s never a good thing to experience pain while you are exercising. The pain is a sign that something isn’t right in your body.

After pregnancy, many women experience pelvic, hip, and/or back pain. These trouble areas can become worse if you start running without getting checked out first. Doing anything while experiencing pain isn’t fun. Don’t let your pain keep you from getting back into running.

Leakage

Leakage is commonly experienced after pregnancy. This could be leakage from your bladder or rectum. Many women experience incontinence due to weakened muscles in the pelvic floor after pregnancy. This leakage can be embarrassing to experience and therefore, many women find that they don’t want to be in public for fear of leaking.

Don’t let leakage prevent you from living your life, especially if you want to get back to running after pregnancy. There are ways to help improve leakage so that you don’t have to worry about embarrassment anymore.

How to Safely Return Back to Running After Pregnancy

Use the following tips to get back to running after pregnancy. The key is safety while you are healing.

Pelvic Floor Therapy

A pelvic floor therapist is the number one way you can safely return to running postpartum. This therapist will assess you and create a plan that is specific to your body, needs, and goals. A pelvic floor therapist can help you heal better using a whole-body approach, which can be found at Pillar Physio – Georgetown, Texas.

Start Small

It will take time to get back to running after pregnancy. It’s recommended to start small and work your way up. Run short distances to begin with, and then slowly increase the distance you go between walking and running. Your body will take time to build endurance again after pregnancy.

Keep a Journal

A journal is helpful to keep a record of your running progress. Log each day that you run and keep detailed notes about how you feel afterward. If you begin to experience pain or discomfort after you run, make a note so that you can discuss this with your pelvic floor therapist.

Don’t Let Your Running Routine Get Interrupted

Having a baby changes your life in more ways than you can imagine. Your pelvic floor is no exception. It’s important to take time to heal properly after birth so that you can experience life without pain and discomfort from your pelvic floor.

Get back to running after pregnancy by seeing a pelvic floor therapist first. Ensure your body is ready for running and that you can do so safely. Schedule your assessment today with one of our dedicated pelvic floor therapists. At Pillar Physio, we are on a mission to help as many women return to running free of pelvic floor dysfunctions.