By Lucy Glasson, Senior Physiotherapist consulting at Fitwise Physiotherapy’s East Melbourne practice
So, you have just had a baby and are about to put on your runners and hit the pavement.
Is there anything that you would like to know before you start?
Are you having issues you would like addressed but don’t know where to begin?
Returning to running is a common goal that we see among new mums at our clinic. Often, they plan on running soon after birth but don’t know how to go about it.
Returning before you are ready can sometimes lead to injury or other issues such as incontinence, so it is a good idea to seek help from a professional.
In March this year, new international guidelines were released to help support health professionals (such as physiotherapists) who work with women after having babies. The guidelines aim to provide a basis for helping women safely and confidently return to running and sport after birth.
The four main points in the guidelines are:
- Women can benefit from an individualised assessment and rehabilitation program for the pelvic floor. This program will focus on treatment and prevention of prolapse, incontinence and improving sexual function.
- Returning to running is not recommended prior to three months after delivery. This time is extended if women are experiencing pelvic floor symptoms such as incontinence.
- Body weight, breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, scar tissue and psychological status should be considered when determining readiness to run.
- If a woman doesn’t not have any pelvic floor issues three months after delivery then a graded running program can commence. It should be monitored and modified as required.
As you can see, returning to running after having a baby is a little more complicated than you might think.
Luckily, all the physios at Fitwise Physiotherapy are trained in this area and can provide expert advice as well as treatment.
We want to see all mums reach their goals, so let us know when you are planning on pulling on your running shoes and we can help you along the way.
