Returning to Running After Childbirth

Other contributing factors may include:

• Pelvic floor symptoms
• Breastfeeding (Effects on Hormonal Status and Tissue Composition)
• Recovery: Sleep and Fatigue
• Mental Health
• Energy Balance & Risk of Developing REDs: In short, energy intake is too low to meet energy needs
• Social Support

What do the experts recommend?

As part of an international survey of experts from various healthcare professions, the following recommendations were made:

HOW is more important than WHEN: Above all, how you begin your training is crucial. The pace of your training progression is more closely linked to the risk of injury than the starting point itself.

Allow for sufficient recovery time: Adequate rest between training sessions is part of a safe return-to-run process.

Pelvic Floor Exercises During Pregnancy: This can make the subsequent return-to-run process easier. This underscores the importance of multidisciplinary care surrounding childbirth.

Before and during the return-to-run process, the body should be conditioned through strength training be prepared. The focus should be on Core muscles, muscles surrounding the hips, and lower extremities and training of the pelvic floor .

Related Preparation for impact load, for example by practicing jumps.

How do I know when I’m ready?

Various assessments should be conducted before beginning a running program in a physical therapy setting. These include, for example, testing strength and impact load.

Questionnaires can also be used to examine additional contributing factors.

So, where do we start?

A structured plan with a gradual increase in exertion helps prevent overexertion and the onset of symptoms.

Some helpful building blocks for this might include:

• Walk-Run Intervals
• alternative forms of endurance exercise, such as swimming or cycling, to train the cardiovascular system
• Running Form Training: Can help minimize the risk of overuse or injury and make your running form more efficient.
• Gradual Increase in Training Volume

Monitoring Symptoms: If symptoms such as pain, urinary leakage, a sensation of a foreign object, or a general feeling of illness occur during or after exercise, these should be discussed with a physical therapist or gynecologist and should not be considered “normal.”

YOU decide!

When a woman is ready depends not only on physical factors, but also on her mental readiness and her own well-being. While there are clear guidelines and warning signs to go by, no woman should feel pressured—even within these guidelines—to start sooner than she feels is right for her.

Physical therapists and other healthcare professionals can guide the process, recognize warning signs that someone is starting to run too soon, and address any concerns.