How to Return to Running Postpartum Safely and Pain-Free

How to Return to Running Postpartum Safely and Pain-Free

Exercise has countless mental and physical benefits for new mums however it’s important that the return to exercise process is guided, tailored, and graduated. In October 2019 the APA released a statement calling for ‘Women’s Health Physiotherapists to be included in the care teams for all pregnant women in Australia to reduce the risk of complications and to improve outcomes for women and their babies. Postnatally, a women’s health physio (WHP) works to go beyond the GP six-week check-up to guide women on pelvic floor health, and abdominal separation and to specifically guide the return to exercise process. This is critical in facilitating a safe return to exercise, particularly when we look at research by the APA that shows 50% of women have some degree of pelvic organ prolapse.

To get you back to exercise safely, a WHP will:

• Graduate your return. We often see postnatal women return to exercise too quickly once they’ve been given the ‘all clear’ by their GP. They often do too much too soon however the biggest key to injury prevention is load management. To graduate your return your WHP will not get you back to your prenatal level in week one, instead, they will start with short intervals with lots of rest time, and gradually decrease rest times as your capacity builds.
• Prescribe stability exercises, which are essential in keeping you injury-free. Pregnancy weight increases and shifts load in your body alters your posture and changes the biomechanics at your back and pelvis. Lumbopelvic stability is especially important when returning to running as you require hip control with every single leg movement. Exercises to train this include banded squats and toe taps, core control, and coordinating proper core/back/glute motor patterning.
• Prescribe resistance exercise. Strength training has been proven to decrease injury and improve running economy and performance. Your WHP can guide you through strength fundamentals for runners, including deadlifts, squats, and calf raises. We want to get you running and keep you running; by making sure you progressively increase your load and complement your training with stability work and strength training, you will run better, for longer, without getting injured.

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