Postnatal Returning to Running Program

The earliest we recommend returning to running is from around 12 weeks postpartum, but this timeline can vary depending on your birth experience, recovery, and pelvic floor health. The most important thing is not the number of weeks, but whether your body is showing signs that it is ready.

During pregnancy and birth, your pelvic floor, abdominal wall, and connective tissues go through major changes. Even if you feel good early on, these tissues need time to heal, regain strength, and rebuild their ability to manage the impact of running. Research shows that collagen remodelling and tissue recovery continue for several months after birth, which is why gradually reintroducing impact is key to long-term strength and injury prevention (Goom et al., 2019).

Before you start running, you should be able to:

• Walk briskly for 30 minutes without symptoms such as heaviness, leaking, or pain

• Perform controlled single-leg squats, hops, and calf raises without discomfort

• Feel confident in your pelvic floor connection and deep core control

• Have been cleared by your women’s health physiotherapist

If you experience any pelvic heaviness, leaking, pain, or doming along your abdominal wall, your body is telling you it needs more time and strength work first.

Inside the Empowered Motherhood Program, we guide you through a structured Return to Running program that builds these foundations step by step - starting with pelvic floor and deep core activation, then progressing through low-impact strength and stability, before reintroducing impact safely and confidently.

Before returning to running, your body needs to show signs that your pelvic floor, core, and overall strength can safely manage the impact. This usually happens around 12 weeks postpartum, but the timeline is unique for every woman. What matters most is how your body feels and functions.

You may be ready to begin your return-to-running pathway when you can:

• Walk briskly for 30 minutes without any pain, heaviness, leaking, or dragging sensations.

• Jog on the spot for 1 minute with no symptoms.

• Hop on each leg 10 times without discomfort, loss of control, or pelvic heaviness.

• Perform 10 controlled single-leg squats without your hips or knees collapsing inward.

• Do 20 strong calf raises on each leg.

• Hold a side plank for 45 seconds and a front plank for 1 minute while maintaining good form.

• Feel confident with daily activities such as lifting your baby, pushing a pram, and climbing stairs.

If you notice any symptoms such as leaking, pelvic heaviness or pressure, pain, or abdominal bulging, your body is telling you it needs more recovery and strengthening first.

Research-based guidelines developed by Goom, Donnelly, and Brockwell (2019) highlight that these functional strength and control tests are important markers of readiness for impact. They help reduce the risk of pelvic floor dysfunction, injury, and overload when you return to running.

Within the Empowered Motherhood Program, we have a complete Return to Running program that guides you through these exact readiness tests and the strength, stability, and coordination work required to meet them. You will rebuild from foundational postnatal strength to progressive impact conditioning, with expert physio-led guidance every step of the way.

Remember, readiness is not about rushing back, it is about rebuilding confidence and strength so you can run feeling light, strong, and symptom-free.

Your pelvic floor and core are the foundation of your postnatal recovery. During pregnancy and birth, your pelvic floor muscles stretch and thin to accommodate your growing baby and to allow for delivery. Before you return to high-impact exercise such as running, they need time and structured rehabilitation to restore their strength, coordination, and ability to absorb load.

Running places up to three times your body weight in force through the pelvic floor with every stride. If these muscles are not yet strong enough to manage that load, it can lead to symptoms such as leaking, pelvic heaviness, or pain, as well as a higher risk of prolapse or injury. Research shows that women with a history of pregnancy or birth-related pelvic floor trauma are particularly vulnerable to these issues if they return to impact exercise too early (Goom et al., 2019).

Your core and pelvic floor also play a key role in spinal and pelvic stability. If they are not functioning well, your body will naturally compensate by using other muscles, which can cause back, hip, or pelvic pain. Rebuilding this foundation first allows your movement patterns to become efficient, supported, and sustainable.

At the Empowered Motherhood Program, our Return to Running program is designed to progressively rebuild your foundation before reintroducing impact. We begin with pelvic floor and deep core activation, then move into functional strength, balance, and stability training, before adding controlled impact and running drills.

By investing this time in your recovery, we don't believe you are holding yourself back; you are setting yourself up for a stronger, faster, and more confident return to running that supports your body long-term

Before returning to running, it is important to rebuild your pelvic floor strength, core control, balance, and lower body stability. These form the foundation for safely absorbing the impact that comes with running and help prevent injury or pelvic floor symptoms.

You can think of this stage as your “pre-running conditioning.” The goal is to restore strength and coordination across the muscles that support your pelvis, hips, and trunk.

Here are the key exercise types to focus on:

1. Pelvic floor and deep core activation
Begin with gentle pelvic floor lifts and releases, combined with deep abdominal breathing. This helps retrain your coordination and restore pressure control through your core system.

• Examples: Supine breathing and pelvic floor connection, heel slides, knee fall-outs, bridge with breath.

2. Glute and hip strengthening
Strong glutes and hips are essential for pelvic stability and efficient running technique. Start with controlled, low-impact movements that build balance and endurance.

• Examples: Glute bridges, clams, side-lying leg lifts, monster walks with a resistance band.

3. Lower limb and calf strength
Your calves, hamstrings, and quads absorb a large proportion of the impact when you run. Building their strength and endurance protects your joints and pelvic floor.

• Examples: Calf raises, mini lunges, wall sits, body-weight squats.

4. Single-leg balance and control
Running is essentially a series of single-leg hops. Being able to stabilise on one leg without your hips or pelvis dropping is a strong sign of readiness.

• Examples: Single-leg stands, single-leg bridges, step-downs, single-leg deadlifts (body weight).

5. Low-impact cardio and gentle plyometrics
Once strength and control improve, gradually introduce light impact to train your pelvic floor and joints to manage load.

• Examples: Marching, heel raises to jog on the spot, gentle skips, and mini hops with control.

Within the Empowered Motherhood Program, you will find a complete Return to Running pathway that sequences these exercises in the safest, most progressive way; from gentle postnatal strength to dynamic, impact-ready conditioning.

When you begin running again after birth, your body is still adapting to significant physical and hormonal changes. Returning too quickly or without the right preparation can increase your risk of injury or pelvic floor symptoms. Here are the key things to avoid during this stage:

1. Starting too soon
Running before your pelvic floor and core have regained strength and coordination can lead to issues such as leaking, pelvic heaviness, or prolapse symptoms. Most women need at least 12 weeks and a structured build-up of strength before reintroducing impact.

2. Ignoring symptoms
Never push through discomfort. Stop and seek guidance from a women’s health physiotherapist if you experience pelvic heaviness or dragging, leakage, pain (in your pelvis, lower back, or abdomen), or bulging along your tummy. These are signs your body is not yet ready for high-impact movement.

3. Skipping the foundation work
It can be tempting to jump straight back into your old training routine, but rebuilding your pelvic floor, core, and glute strength first will make your return more efficient and symptom-free. Foundational exercises such as bridges, squats, calf raises, and pelvic floor activations are key stepping stones.

4. Doing high-impact or high-intensity sessions too early
Avoid jumping, sprinting, or hill running until you can complete basic readiness tests (like hopping, single-leg squats, and brisk walking) without symptoms. Gradually increase distance, pace, and frequency over several weeks.

5. Neglecting recovery and rest
Your connective tissues, joints, and muscles are still healing for many months after birth. Prioritise recovery between sessions, include rest days, and continue mobility, stretching, and breath work.

6. Wearing poor footwear or unsupported gear
Ensure you have supportive running shoes and a well-fitted sports bra that provides comfort and stability. The right gear can significantly reduce impact on your pelvic floor and joints.

The Empowered Motherhood Program is designed to guide women through every stage of recovery and strength rebuilding after birth, so they can return to running safely, confidently, and without symptoms. The program is designed by our founders, who understand both the science of recovery and the realities of motherhood.

Here’s how EMP supports you as a postnatal runner:

1. Evidence-based Return to Running Pathway
Our Return to Running program is based on the internationally recognised postnatal running guidelines (Goom, Donnelly and Brockwell, 2019). It includes a structured, step-by-step approach that helps you restore pelvic floor and core function, build strength, and progressively reintroduce impact.

2. Guided Readiness Testing
Our Return to Running assessment workout will help you to test your strength, control, and impact tolerance  so you can feel confident your body is ready before you start running.

3. Pelvic Floor and Core Rehabilitation
Every postnatal runner’s foundation begins with a strong and coordinated core. EMP includes guided pelvic floor and deep abdominal recovery sessions designed to reconnect, strengthen, and retrain your body for running impact.

4. Functional Strength and Stability Training
You will progress through targeted workouts that build strength through your glutes, hips, legs, and trunk, all of which are essential for efficient, injury-free running. These sessions are short, achievable, and easy to fit around life with a baby.

5. Gradual Impact and Running Rebuild
Our physio-led videos and coaching sessions teach you how to reintroduce impact in a safe, graded way, starting from marching and low-impact conditioning to full running drills. You will learn how to manage load, pacing, and rest to protect your pelvic floor and joints.

6. Expert Support and Education
You will have access to education from women’s health physiotherapists explaining the “why” behind every stage, from tissue recovery to breath mechanics, load management, and pelvic floor function, so you understand your body and your progress.

7. Flexibility and Real-Life Support
EMP meets you where you are. Whether you are six weeks or six months postpartum, you can start at the right level for your body and progress at your own pace, with ongoing guidance to adjust as you get stronger.

Rebuilding your running strength is not just about returning to exercise; it is about reclaiming confidence, function, and joy in movement. EMP ensures you get there safely, feeling strong, supported, and empowered at every step.