When Can You Start Jogging After Giving Birth?
It is important to note that the information in this blog is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute specific medical or rehabilitation advice for your situation. Consulting a healthcare professional who specializes in pregnancy, postpartum and pelvic health for an assessment and treatment strategy specific to you is recommended prior to beginning any physical activity program after pregnancy.
A lot of women wonder: when can you start jogging after giving birth? The answer (as you might have guessed!) isn’t the same for everybody. Fortunately, there are guidelines that can help you answer this question.
This blog will review a few of these guidelines, such as:
Explaining what red and yellow flags are
Learning how to evaluate your strength as it specifically relates to running
Learning how to screen your body’s ability to manage load and impact
Red and Yellow Flags
Otherwise called contraindications and precautions, red and yellow flags are signs or symptoms you may be experiencing that could indicate your body isn’t ready to begin jogging postpartum. Screening yourself for red and yellow flags is the first step to take, prior to load and impact screens or strength screens.
A red flag (contraindication) is a sign or symptom that means you should NOT begin jogging (or other fitness programs) yet. The presence of a red flag means you should see a healthcare professional that specializes in pregnancy, postpartum and pelvic health prior to beginning postpartum jogging.
A yellow flag (precaution) is a sign or symptom that means you can likely begin jogging, but you should proceed with caution AND also be seen by a healthcare. If the symptoms(s) persist or worsen, you should consider putting jogging on hold until you have seen a healthcare professional.
Examples of Red Flags
Sensations of vaginal pain or pressure
Leaking (urine or fecal)
Urgency (urinary or fecal)
Vaginal bleeding not related to the menstrual cycle
Lumbar or pelvic pain
Incisions (vaginal or abdominal) that are not yet closed
Severe abdominal coning or doming
Severe muscle and/or joint pain
Examples of Yellow Flags
RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)
A non-functional diastasis recti - coning or doming of the abdomen that you are unable to manage with breathing and exercise strategies.
Lochia (normal vaginal discharge which is present after giving birth)
First 12 weeks after giving birth: it is generally not recommended to begin jogging during this time, however this is different for every person.
Strength Screening
If you don’t have any of the signs or symptoms listed in the red or yellow flag lists above, then you are likely safe to complete the strength screens. A wonderful resource on returning to running postnatal (postpartum) was published in 2019, by Goom et al. (1). Included in this resource (which I highly recommend you read if you’re going to be running after pregnancy) is a suggested strength screen (page 17). These are movements that can easily be done at home, and the authors suggest that somebody should be able to complete 20 repetitions of each of the following four exercises to ensure key muscles groups are prepared for running:
Single leg calf raise
Single leg bridge
Single leg sit to stand
Side lying abduction
Load and Impact Screening
After completing the red and yellow flag screens, and the strength screens with no concerns, you are likely safe to complete the running screens. A screen is an activity you complete while paying attention to your body and noticing if any yellow or red flags develop. An example of a screen for running would be walking. Can you walk for 30 minutes without developing low back or pelvic pain, or leaking urine?
Goom et al. have also provided a load and impact management assessment/screen (page 16) in the resource mentioned above. These movements are also easy to complete at home, and involve a list of 7 tasks which must be completed without pain, heaviness, dragging or incontinence (leaking).
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
Begin Jogging With Intervals
If you have made it to this point with no concerns, ie. no red or yellow flags, and are able to complete the strength screen as well as the load and impact management assessment, then it is very likely that you are able to safely begin jogging!
Whether you are a seasoned runner, or you have never jogged before, I always suggest beginning with intervals. This means you run and walk, instead of only running. An example would be jogging 30 seconds, then walking for 30 seconds, repeating for 5 to 10 minutes.
Why are intervals recommended no matter your previous running experience? Your body will have changed during pregnancy, you may be getting less sleep than you were used to getting, your strength and mobility may have changed, and you don’t want to cause an injury by doing too much too soon. I know it’s tempting to want to take off and run as much as you used to prior to pregnancy, but your body may simply not be ready for that amount of load and impact yet.
During this initial jog, you are keeping the red and yellow flags in mind and monitoring your body to see how it feels. If something doesn’t feel right, stop jogging, rescreen as outlined above, and see a healthcare provider if you are able to.
Next Steps
Depending how your screening went, you will either be tying your laces to go for your first interval jog, working on strength, and/or seeing a healthcare provider. If you are looking for more information on the topics in this blog, please feel free to check out my postpartum running guides. I offer a postpartum strength, mobility and running schedule guide, a postpartum core and pelvic floor guide, and a combination of those two - The First 5K Postpartum. This guide includes general postpartum information, as well as the 8 week strength and mobility guides, and three separate 5K 8 week running guides.
Wishing you a happy running journey!
Mom on the Run
References:
https://absolute.physio/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/returning-to-running-postnatal-guidelines.pdf