Return To Running Post Partum

READY (Pregnancy-Early Post Partum)

The focus at this stage will be on education around maintaining exercise during pregnancy, and what to expect in the transition to training post-partum.

Maintain regular exercise as appropriate and as guided by your primary carer through your pregnancy. 

Discuss your ‘post-partum return to exercise’ goals with your physiotherapist.

Assessment by a Women’s Health Physiotherapist prior to your discharge from hospital after you deliver your baby.

Resume pelvic floor exercises.

Start gentle walking.

REVIEW (Early Post Partum)

The focus at this stage is to review your needs, both from a musculoskeletal and pelvic health perspective, and establish an appropriate plan.

Continue gentle walking. Build up gradually. 

Continue pelvic floor exercises. 

Start body weight exercises as guided by your Physiotherapist (**this may not be appropriate depending on your delivery).

Have your 6-week check up with your primary carer.

Have a 6-week appointment with a Women’s Health Physiotherapist.

No adverse signs or symptoms **please see note below.

RESTORE 

The focus at this stage will be on restoring strength and control while monitoring your progress.

Power walking. 

Initiate a low-impact gym-based strength and conditioning program.

• This will gradually progress as your strength improves.
• Retrain muscle function in those muscle groups affected by pregnancy.
• Retrain movement patterns.

Progression of pelvic floor and/or core strengthening program by your physiotherapist. 

Review and discharged from your Women’s Health physiotherapist.

No adverse signs or symptoms **please see note below.

RECONDITION

At this stage, we will focus on sport specific training. An example would be introducing plyometrics for those women who want to return to running. 

Start a run-walk running program. This will be progressed to continuous running as appropriate.

Progression of strength and conditioning program.

• This will be more sport specific.
• This will include plyometric exercises and more dynamic movement.

No adverse signs or symptoms **please see note below

RETURN 

The goal at this stage is to be appropriately conditioned for a return to your normal running capacity. This might be a 15minute run, three days a week, it might be a marathon. 

Return to full running load!

No adverse signs or symptoms **please see note below

PLEASE NOTE…

An adverse sign or symptom would be any indication of musculoskeletal, pelvic floor or abdominal dysfunction. 

Some signs and symptoms include;

– Persistent pain, particularly if it is aggravated by activity.

– Leaking urine or an increased urgency to urinate.

– Inability to control bowel movements or an increased urgency.

– A heaviness/pressure/bulge/dragging in pelvic floor area.

– Pain with intercourse.

– Separated abdominal muscles and/or decreased abdominal strength and function. This may include ‘doming’ of the tummy.

– Lower back or pelvic pain.

– Ongoing or increased blood loss, particularly if this is past 8 weeks postpartum. If you do have any significant changes to your blood loss (ie. increased volume, change in colour/smell), make sure you get in touch with your primary carer.  

**This list is not extensive, so there may be other things you are experiencing that are worth mentioning to your primary carer or Physiotherapist.