When Do I Need To Stop Running During Pregnancy?
Women’s participation in running has grown by 25-30% since 1986. According to the International Institute for Race Medicine, 2018 was the first year that women outnumbered men in race registrations. This means millions of women in the United States (and world wide) are running competitively and recreationally. First of all - high five!
As participation in running and sports grows amongst women and pregnant people, our knowledge around how to support pregnant people participating in sports grows, too. One thing has become clear: moderate intensity exercise is excellent for the health of pregnant people and developing babies. Running is no exception.
In this video, we dive into general pregnancy recommendations for pregnant people, running specific recommendations during pregnancy, common symptoms that prevent pregnant people from continuing to run and simple modifications you can try on your own. If you like videos - here you go! If you prefer to read instead, read on.
General Exercise Recommendations During Pregnancy
Let’s start by talking general exercise recommendations during pregnancy. During the first trimester, it’s typically safe to continue doing whatever you were doing prior to pregnancy, modifying based on energy levels, first trimester sickness and guidance provided by your medical team and the needs of your pregnancy. During the second and third trimester, folks typically need to modify activities due to physical changes in their body. Moderate intensity exercise is recommended throughout pregnancy, which means that you can talk while you’re exercising but that you can’t sing yourself a song, much to the dismay of those who love to belt out Hamilton on their runs. It’s not recommended to take up a new form of exercise during pregnancy, so if you weren’t running before, it’s not recommended to begin while you’re pregnant. If you experience any bleeding, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, or headaches you should stop what you’re doing and contact your provider. And lastly, certain conditions will preclude someone from exercise during pregnancy. These conditions include but are not limited to preexisting heart and lung disease, cerclage, placenta previa after 26 weeks and preeclampsia. Here’s a great FAQ page by the American College of Gynecology covering even more basics of exercise during pregnancy.
Running Specific Recommendations During Pregnancy
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk running specific timelines and guidelines. During the first trimester of pregnancy, the most common reason for people to avoid running is feeling sick or having low energy. For folks who don’t experience any of those common first trimester symptoms, many feel comfortable continuing to run. With that said, relaxin peaks in the first trimester and with that peak along with early postural changes can come pelvic pain and discomfort. It’s important to listen to your body, even in the early days, when choosing your exercise of choice. Running during pregnancy is not a no pain, no gain situation. During the second and third trimester, those who continue to feel comfortable running often find that they need to modify their distance, speed and cadence based on their changing endurance.
There’s no magic week that dictates when a pregnant person should stop running. Some people opt to hold off of running as early as the first trimester while others run up until their due date! If running continues to feel good and you enjoy it, there is no timeline where you need to stop during pregnancy, barring symptoms and medical complications.
In fact, running as well as most forms of moderate intensity exercise have a number of health benefits for pregnant people and the developing baby. These benefits include reducing the risk of c-section, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, constipation and back pain.
With that said, there are a number of common reasons someone should modify their runs or opt for low impact exercise, particularly if experiencing a number of common pregnancy symptoms, including:
heaviness in the pelvis, particularly if it’s aggravated by running
urinary leakage
pubic symphysis pain
sacroiliac joint pain
abdominal or round ligament pain
If you do experience any of the aforementioned symptoms, some modifications you can consider include:
shortening your stride
running up hill and walking down hill
wearing a *loose* belly band
warming up your core, glutes and pelvic floor prior to running
seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist
And if none of those help, switching to a low impact alternative like indoor cycling or the elliptical can be a great way to keep up cardiovascular endurance without aggravating underlying symptoms.
At Lady Bird Physical Therapy, we’re passionate about keeping you active throughout pregnancy and postpartum recovery. We’re here to support you and your pelvic health through all stages of your reproductive journey. If you’re experiencing any of these common pelvic floor symptoms while exercising before, during or following pregnancy, give us a call at 512-766-2649 or message us here to set up an appointment with one of our amazing pelvic floor PTs!
This post was written by Dr. Rebecca Maidansky, PT, DPT, owner and founder of Lady Bird Physical Therapy. Rebecca is a pelvic floor physical therapist in Austin, TX and founded Lady Bird Physical Therapy in 2019. She is the creator of Birth Preparation and Postpartum Planning, Baby Steps Fitness and the head writer and editor of The Pelvic Press.
Rebecca is a passionate writer and vocal advocate for pelvic health and the importance of improving access to perinatal care. She believes strongly that many common pregnancy pains and postpartum symptoms can be eased or even prevented with basic education and care.
She created this blog to help all birthing people manage common pregnancy pains, prepare for birth and recover postpartum.