Return to running postpartum

27 Jan

When can I start running again after having a baby?

Are you wanting to return to running postpartum? This is generalised advice from a pelvic health physiotherapist based off well accepted guidelines!

As a general rule we recommend waiting until you are three months postpartum to allow sufficient time for healing. Once you have hit the three month mark these are some of the key things that will be asked and assessed at a pelvic health appointment where the goal is to get you back to running.

As we are chatting we may ask you if your experiencing any of the following symptoms:

Urinary and/or faecal incontinence
Urinary and/or faecal urgency that is difficult to defer
Heaviness/pressure/bulge/dragging in the pelvic area
Pain with intercourse
Difficulty with bowel motions
Separated abdominal muscles and/or decreased abdominal strength and function
Musculoskeletal lumbopelvic pain

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms they are not immediate barriers to returning to running, but there may be some additional considerations that can be worked through your physiotherapist.

From there we may complete a pelvic floor muscle assessment. A great baseline strength of your pelvic floor muscles in standing is:

10 x fast reps
8-12 reps of 6-8 second maximum voluntary contraction
60 seconds submaximal 30-50% contraction

In order to successfully complete this assessment, the postnatal mother needs to achieve the following without pain, heaviness, dragging or incontinence:

Walking 30 minutes
Single leg balance 10 seconds
Single leg squat 10 repetitions each side
Jog on the spot 1 minute
Forward bounds 10 repetitions
Hop in place 10 repetitions each leg
Single leg ‘running man’: opposite arm and hip flexion/extension (bent knee) 10 repetitions each side

In order to ensure key muscle groups are prepared for running, each of the following movements should be performed with the number of repetitions counted to fatigue. Aim for 20 repetitions of each test.