Running After Having a Baby: When and How to Start
For a lot of mums, running is the thing they miss most. It is cheap, it fits around naps, and twenty minutes on your own with your trainers on can feel like getting a bit of yourself back. But running after having a baby is high-impact exercise, and your body has been through a lot. Go back too fast and you can end up with leaking, pelvic heaviness, or a niggle that stops you for months. Go back the right way and you can be running happily and strongly for years. Here is the approach I use with mums I coach in Archway.
As always: this is general guidance, not medical advice. Get the all-clear from your GP before you start, and see a women’s health physio if you have any symptoms.
When can you start running after having a baby?
The NHS advises waiting until after your postnatal check, usually around 6 to 8 weeks after the birth, before starting high-impact exercise such as running (see the NHS page on keeping fit and healthy with a baby). Local postnatal physio advice from Whittington Health goes further, suggesting high-impact activity waits until around 3 months, because the effects of pregnancy on your joints and pelvic floor take time to settle.
UK physiotherapists have also written specific guidance on returning to running after childbirth, which the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has highlighted. The general message is the same: build a base first and come back gradually, usually no earlier than around 12 weeks, and later after a caesarean or a difficult birth.
Signs you are not ready yet
Hold off running and get a physio assessment if you have:
- Leaking urine or wind when you cough, sneeze, laugh or jump
- A feeling of heaviness, dragging or a bulge in your vagina
- Pelvic, hip, lower back or scar pain
- A noticeable gap or doming down the middle of your tummy
- Bleeding that has not settled
These are common, and they are not a reason to give up running forever. They are a reason to get proper help first.
Weeks 0 to 12: build the base
Running is just a series of single-leg hops. Before you run, your legs, hips, core and pelvic floor need to cope with that. In the first 3 months, focus on:
- Pelvic floor exercises every day: slow holds and quick squeezes. See my post on pelvic floor and exercise classes.
- Walking: build up to 30 minutes of brisk walking without symptoms. Pushing the pram up Highgate Hill counts.
- Strength, twice a week: glute bridges, squats, split squats, step-ups, calf raises and side planks on your knees. 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12.
Readiness checks before your first run
Once you are around 12 weeks and have been cleared by your GP, these simple tests are a good sign you are ready to try running. Do them without leaking, heaviness or pain:
- Walk briskly for 30 minutes.
- Balance on one leg for 10 seconds, each side.
- Do 10 single-leg squats to a chair, each side.
- Jog on the spot for 1 minute.
- Do 10 forward bounds (big steps with a little jump).
- Hop on one leg 10 times, each side.
- Do 20 single-leg calf raises and 20 single-leg bridges, each side.
If one of these causes symptoms, keep working on strength for a few more weeks and try again. If symptoms do not improve, see a women’s health physio.
An 8-week walk-run plan for running after having a baby
Three sessions a week, with a rest day in between. Repeat any week that feels hard.
| Week | Session |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5 min walk, then 1 min jog / 2 min walk x 6, 5 min walk |
| 2 | 1 min jog / 1 min 30 walk x 7 |
| 3 | 2 min jog / 1 min 30 walk x 6 |
| 4 | 3 min jog / 1 min 30 walk x 5 |
| 5 | 4 min jog / 1 min walk x 5 |
| 6 | 6 min jog / 1 min walk x 4 |
| 7 | 8 min jog / 1 min walk x 3 |
| 8 | 20 to 25 min continuous easy jog |
Run at a pace where you can still talk. Keep your two strength sessions going alongside; they are what keep your knees, hips and pelvic floor happy as mileage goes up. If you prefer an app, the NHS Couch to 5K app follows a similar walk-run approach.
Practical tips for running mums
- Feed or express first if you are breastfeeding, and wear a well-fitting, supportive sports bra.
- Empty your bladder before you set off.
- Running buggies: most manufacturers and physios suggest waiting until your baby is older and has good head control before running with a buggy, and building up your own running first. Check the buggy’s guidance.
- Flat routes first. Hills and uneven ground add load. Around Archway, flatter loops are easier to find on paths like the Parkland Walk than on the hills up to Highgate.
- Sleep counts. After a terrible night, swap the run for a walk.
For a wider look at getting active again, see my guides to returning to exercise after a baby and going back to the gym after a baby.
Where a bootcamp class fits
Strong legs and a strong core make for a happy runner. My bootcamp classes are mostly strength and conditioning, with low-impact options for every exercise, so they are a good partner to a return-to-running plan rather than a replacement for it. My SYP Built To Last functional strength class covers the single-leg strength, glute work and core control that running needs. Tell me where you are in your postnatal recovery and I will adjust everything to suit.
FAQs
How soon can I run after giving birth?
The NHS advises waiting until after your postnatal check, usually around 6 to 8 weeks, before high-impact exercise. Many physios recommend waiting until around 12 weeks and passing some simple strength and impact checks first.
Is it normal to leak when running after having a baby?
It is common, but it is not something you have to put up with. Leaking is a sign your pelvic floor needs more support, so stop running and see your GP or a women’s health physio.
Can running after pregnancy cause prolapse?
Returning to high-impact exercise too early can put extra strain on the pelvic floor. If you notice heaviness, dragging or a bulge, stop running and get checked by your GP or a physio.
When can I run after a C-section?
Usually no earlier than after a normal birth, and often later. Wait until your scar has healed, your GP has checked you and you can do the readiness tests above without pain.
Book your first class
If you want help building the strength that makes running feel easy again, come and train with me. SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes indoors in Archway N19, max 10 people, £15 a class, with every move scaled to you. Book your £15 class here or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. For a fully personal return-to-running plan, look at private personal training in Archway with SYP Fitness.
About the author
Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.
