Running after pregnancy: when you're ready and how to start

For many women, running is more than exercise. It's headspace, routine, a piece of who they were before the baby arrived. Wanting it back is completely understandable. This guide explains when running usually becomes a sensible option after birth, the simple tests that show whether your body is ready, the signs that say "not yet", and how to make your first runs gentle enough that you can keep going.

When can I start running after having a baby?

The most widely used guidance comes from three UK physiotherapists, Tom Goom, Gráinne Donnelly and Emma Brockwell. Their 2019 guideline recommends a low-impact programme for the first three months, followed by a return to running between three and six months after birth at the earliest. It states that running is not advisable before three months, or later than that if there are any symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction before or after trying.^[1]

In 2024, an international group of clinicians and exercise professionals published a consensus statement. They agreed that after a minimum of three weeks of rest and recovery, an individual timeline and a gradual return to running can be considered, provided there is screening for medical and psychological concerns, current physical capacity and previous training history.^[2]

These two views fit together better than they might seem. The newer consensus doesn't say "run at three weeks"; it says the right moment depends on the person and should be decided with an assessment. If you have a pelvic health physiotherapist guiding you, follow their plan. Without that, Eggsports uses 12 weeks as the minimum, and keeps running and jumping out of plans until you've had two weeks without pelvic floor symptoms.

Why does running need so much preparation after birth?

The guideline points to research showing that running at a moderate pace produces ground reaction forces of between 1.6 and 2.5 times body weight, and that high-impact activity causes sudden rises in pressure inside the abdomen. It also cites a systematic review in which high-impact exercise was linked with a 4.59-fold higher risk of pelvic floor dysfunction than low-impact exercise.^[1]

Recovery of the pelvic floor takes time. The guideline notes that recovery of the levator ani muscle and its connective tissue and nerves is generally greatest by four to six months after birth.^[1] Meanwhile, symptoms are common: about one in three women have urinary leaking after childbirth.^[5] In a survey of 507 women who were running after having a baby, musculoskeletal pain, stress urinary incontinence and abdominal separation were all common.^[4]

None of this means running is risky for you. It means a little preparation now makes running more comfortable for years to come.

How do I know if I'm ready to run?

To pass the load and impact assessment, the guideline says you should be able to do all of the following without pain, heaviness, dragging or incontinence:^[1]

The guideline also suggests strength tests, aiming for 20 repetitions of each: single-leg calf raises, single-leg bridges, single-leg sit-to-stand and side-lying leg lifts. It's clear that weakness in these tests is not a barrier to running. It simply shows where to direct your strength work.^[1]

Our return-to-running checklist takes you through each test and tells you what to build first if something doesn't feel right yet. The guideline itself is written for professionals, and its authors intend it to help women recognise signs worth checking with a specialist, rather than to replace an assessment.^[1]

What are the signs I'm not ready to run yet?

According to the guideline, running isn't advisable if any of these are present before you start or appear when you try:^[1]

• Leaking urine or stool
• Pressure, a bulge or a dragging feeling in the vagina
• Ongoing or new vaginal bleeding during or after exercise that isn't related to your period, which is a reason to contact your care provider
• Pain, such as pelvic pain

The guideline also lists factors that call for a more careful, graded return: being less than three months after birth, hypermobility, breastfeeding, existing pelvic floor or lumbopelvic problems, obesity, a caesarean or perineal scarring, low energy availability, and psychological factors that might make running feel like a coping strategy pushed too hard.^[1] Having one of these doesn't rule running out. It means going a little slower and getting support where it helps.

If you're leaking, NICE recommends a supervised pelvic floor training programme of at least three months for stress or mixed urinary incontinence.^[6] Our pelvic floor exercise timer can help you keep up the practice between appointments.

How should I start running again?

The guideline suggests starting with around one to two minutes of running at an easy pace. It recommends building volume, meaning time or distance, before intensity, and notes that while a common rule is to increase weekly running by no more than about 10%, a bigger relative jump can be fine when the absolute increase is small, such as going from one minute to two. Walk breaks help, and a couch-to-5K plan works well. One example starts with three runs in the first week, each a brisk five-minute walk followed by alternating one minute of running and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes.^[1]

The 2024 consensus on designing return-to-running programmes agreed on similar principles: a period of relative rest, gradual increases in duration and intensity, a walk-run start and strength training alongside. It also recommends adjusting training for musculoskeletal or pelvic symptoms, sleep, mental health, breastfeeding and energy levels.^[3]

A few practical points:

• Feed first. If you're breastfeeding, feeding or expressing before you run is more comfortable, and drinking enough beforehand helps. Aerobic exercise doesn't affect milk supply or your baby's growth.^[7]
• Wear support. A well-fitted, supportive sports bra and good shoes matter. Your shoe size may have changed during pregnancy.^[1]
• Listen afterwards. The guideline describes mild discomfort of up to about 3 out of 10 that settles quickly, with no pain the next day, as often acceptable. Heaviness, dragging, leaking or moderate to severe pain suggest you've done too much.^[1]
• Hold off on the buggy. Wait until your baby is six to nine months old and use a buggy designed for running.^[1]

The road back to running is rarely straight, and that's fine. Before you lace up, read about pelvic floor recovery and diastasis recti, and if you're short on sleep, see exercise and sleep deprivation. For the full timeline, return to our complete guide to exercise after birth.