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.
