3 Tips for Postpartum Running
YOU ARE PREGNANT & YOU DREAM OF FLOATING ON THE TRAILS AFTER YOUR BABY is born!
But you are feeling clueless about when to get started and how to figure it all out.
🧩 You’ve spend time researching the best strollers
🧩 Pinterest boarding your ideal nursery
And at the same time, you are worried about losing yourself & you already feel burnout
💭 You wonder “Why don’t women talk about these things?”
If that sounds familiar, you aren’t alone!
And you aren’t doing anything wrong.
No one knows what they are doing when you have your first kid because you have never done it before!
We live in a go-go-go world that says—
Ignore this chapter of motherhood because its back to business as usual in 6 weeks
Self care is putting lotion on your belly to hide stretch marks and avoid any evidence of ever having a child
The truth is–
Caring for your mental, physical, & emotional health are some of the BEST things you can do for yourself during pregnancy and postpartum
You and I both know that doing everything on your own is a beautiful recipe for burnout.
And we know you don’t want that!
THERE IS WISDOM IN PLANNING!
BUILD YOUR VILLAGE!
Parenthood was never meant to be alone.
During pregnancy, build your team!
Kindly communicate with your partner ahead of time your needs and wants. They might think you’ve got everything covered, but remind them, you need help— you’ve never done this before.
Plan for help with meals, laundry, cleaning to help take the load off as you recover and get to know your baby.
Prioritizing easy meals with high nutritional value (quality protein, healthy fats, plus colorful fruits and veggies) to maximize your recovery from the inside out.
Don’t forget you are human- quality sleep and nutrition are key for physical and mental healing in all stages of life🔑
During pregnancy,
Get connected to providers who understand your running goals. Lack of support for guidance of running in pregnancy and postpartum are factor influencing a womens postpartum readiness to run. (James et al 2022)
2. DON’T FORGET YOUR BASICS— RUNNING IS A DYNAMIC SPORT 👟
Did you know?
35% of postpartum runners report body pain (Christopher 2020)
Back pain is the top compliant in 90% of people with postpartum running pain
7% of women continue to report chronic pain after a baby
More than 50% of women report urine leakage with running postpartum
PRO TIP- Get connected a professional for pelvic floor physical therapy who is knowledgable about running during pregnancy can help save you time figuring things out postpartum!
Efficient running requires —
Balance
Coordination
Pelvic floor & abdominal muscle control
Leg strength & power
Flexibility
Endurance & mental capacity
Understanding how to best prepare your body and prioritizing rebuilding your foundation and athletic conditioning will save you mental anguish and time wasted in frustration unintentionally skipping steps after your baby is born.
3. REMEMBER ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY!
The training you did —
Before your pregnancy & during your pregnancy,
History of a previous running related injury,
How your birth went and what pelvic floor injuries occurred,
How much quality of sleep you are getting & your transition into motherhood
And how consistent you are with the basics All influences how your body reacts to your running postpartum.
Patience and consistency are key for making progress towards and building your postpartum foundation.
Do you want a personalized return to sport plan, plus accountability and support to help you confidently reach your postpartum running & fitness goals and be empowered in your body?
I got you! Book your strategy call today, let’s chat about your goals and your next steps!