Postnatal 0-5km Return to Running Program
One of the most frequent questions we get asked by postnatal women in the clinic is “when can I return to sport/running?”
And there is no black and white answer to this question.
It depends on so many things, including:
Your pre-pregnancy fitness
Your health and fitness during your pregnancy
Your delivery - how you birthed, if you needed assistance and if you sustained any injuries
How you are recovering postnatally - physically, emotionally and how much sleep are you getting
The state of your pelvic floor
The answer is never “8 weeks” or some other general time frame. When you can start running always depends on your answers to the above questions. Even if it was 18 months since you birthed your baby, we’d still be asking you the same questions! So see a women health physio for a consultation.
To help you return to running, or get a sense of how that might look, we’ve put together a 0-5km postnatal return to running program. It runs over 7-weeks, and gradually challenges you more and more each week, while being mindful of what your body has recently done.
This program uses interval running as a way of structuring your running workouts to allow higher intensity and greater aerobic improvement (larger improvements in fitness) with less time than a typical long, slow jog. You can go as slowly as you need to when jogging in this program.
This program might suit you if you were a runner prenatally. If you weren’t ever a runner, but would like to start running, then you can still use the following program but slow it down. Perform each week of sessions twice. That way it’s 0-5km in 14 weeks.
I returned to running after birthing each of my three babies, but I wasn’t in a rush to do so. After getting an anterior and posterior vaginal wall prolapse after my first baby, my priority after each birth was very much about returning to exercise SAFELY.
In the first 4 months postnatally I focused on pelvic floor strength, rebuilding my core and improving my functional strength.
Your postnatal rehabilitation is SO important (it’s never too late to do it). You can follow a similar program with our Postnatal Strong Mama Program. It is designed to help you have the best recovery possible following a vaginal birth or c-section.
As I gained strength, from about 4 months postnatally, I started swimming 1km 1-2 times per week, I was able to increase the speed and distance at which I walked and I started walking up hills more frequently, often carrying my baby.
After each birth, at around 3-4 months postpartum, I found myself feeling impatient with my postnatal rehab. I wanted to be fitter and stronger and less flabby, and I wanted it NOW!
I really had to sit with those uncomfortable feelings. It takes time to rebuild your strength. The most important thing is to be consistent, to get strong foundations first, and to then add fitness goals after.
At around 6 months postpartum I started jogging again. I began with jogging drills, see the table above for an example, and gradually increased the length and intensity of my running.
For me, it took about 12 months to recover and rebuild after each baby, working away at restrengthening pretty consistently throughout that time. 12 months is a pretty normal timeframe to expect.
So be kind to yourself. Allow yourself the time you need to rebuild your body. You will thank yourself for years to come.
