How to Get Back to Running Safely After Having a Baby | Physio Auckland Queen Street CBD

🍼 The 4 Phases of Postpartum Return to Running

(Women’s Pelvic Health Special)

💬 Before We Begin…

For years, the advice was: “Just wait six weeks and you’re good to go.”

If you’ve recently grown, birthed, and are now keeping a small human alive, you’ll know that’s about as useful as telling someone with a fresh ACL rupture to “just walk it off.”

A brilliant new review — Return to Running for Postpartum Elite and Subelite Athletes (Woodroffe et al, 2025) — backs up what we’ve been saying for years:
There’s no one-size-fits-all. The best return-to-running plan is tailored to you — your body, your recovery, and your goals.

🏗 Phase 1 – Build the foundation

✅ Pelvic floor + core retraining
✅ Good nutrition
✅ Mental health support

Active recovery means gentle movement, breathing, posture, and pelvic floor connection.

🚴 Phase 2 – Cross-train

When you’re pain-free in everyday life, try:

• 🚶 Walking

• 🚴 Cycling

• 🏊 Swimming

• 🧘 Pilates or yoga

Anything that lifts your heart rate without heavy impact.

🏃 Phase 3 – Pre-running check

Pass these without leaking, heaviness, or pelvic pain:

• ✅ 10 single-leg calf raises (each side)

• ✅ 10 single-leg glute bridges

• ✅ 10 single-leg squats

• ✅ Brisk 30-minute walk

• ✅ Jog in place – 10 minutes

• ✅ Balance on one leg – 10 seconds

• ✅ 10 single-leg hops

📈 Phase 4 – Gradual return

Start slow. Start short.
Only progress if next-day pain is ≤3/10.

💡 Track both time + intensity with TRIMP (Training Impulse) — so you’re loading smart, not just adding minutes at random.

💡 5 Quick Tips You Can Use Today

(Yes, even if you’re not training for the Olympics.)

🚩 Listen for red flags
Heavy bleeding, worsening pelvic pain, or increased discharge? Stop and see your GP or obstetrician.

🏗 Foundation first
Strong pelvic floor + core = shock absorbers for your hips, knees, and back.

🎯 Start where you are
Your pre-baby 10 km PB isn’t your starting point. Build from now, not then.

🤱 Breastfeeding? Plan ahead
Feed or pump before you run, wear a high-support bra, and remove it soon after.

🍽 Fuel, rest, repeat
Postpartum bodies need more energy — not less. Skipping meals or sleep slows recovery and increases injury risk.

💬 We’ve covered women’s health before — including how menstrual cycles affect injury risk (especially ACL tears) and how training tweaks can boost performance + recovery.

Whether you’re:
🏃 Training for a marathon
👶 Chasing a toddler
😅 Wanting to sneeze without fear

…our Women’s Pelvic Health Physios can guide you back to movement you love — safely, confidently, and at your pace.

📅 Book your appointment here
Get back to running — without skipping the foundations.

P.S. You don’t have to be elite to deserve elite care.