Running during Pregnancy
Running During Pregnancy:
How Your Body Changes and What Every Pregnant Runner Needs to Know
If you are a pregnant runner wondering how to keep having fun with running so that you get the stress relief you desperately need and you want to know how or when to prepare for setting up your postpartum running for success, this blog will tell you what you need to know.
Pregnancy Changes Your Whole Body—And That's Exactly Why Your Running Plan Should Change Too
You don't stop being an athlete just because you're pregnant.
If running has always been your stress relief, your identity, or your favorite way to move, pregnancy can feel confusing.
One day you're running comfortably.
Next, your breathing feels different. Your hips feel stiff. Your feet ache. Your pace slows. Suddenly you're wondering:
"Is this normal?"
The answer is yes.
But there's another question you should be asking:
How do I adapt now so I can return to running stronger after my baby is born?
As a pelvic floor physical therapist, women’s health coach, and mom of three, I want you to know something that often gets overlooked.
Pregnancy changes your entire body—not just your pelvic floor.
Understanding those changes can help you train smarter, reduce injury risk, and set yourself up for a more confident return to running after birth.
The benefits of exercise in pregnancy include–
Decreasing risk of gestation diabetes
Decreases risk of preeclampsia
Increases chance of vaginal birth
Read about reasons to discontinue exercise in pregnancy per the American College of Obstericians and Gynecology here
Pregnancy Changes More Than Your Belly
Growing a baby requires nearly every system in your body to adapt.
Your:
The brain adjusts to support your changing body and energy demands.
The heart pumps significantly more blood.
Breathing patterns change as your uterus expands.
Muscles and connective tissue adapt to increasing loads.
Bones and joints respond to hormonal changes and shifting forces.
The pelvic floor stretches to support your growing baby.
Feet often become longer or flatter because of hormones, fluid changes, and increased body weight.
These are normal adaptations—not signs that your body is weak.
They're signs that your body is doing an incredible job.
Your Running Mechanics in Pregnancy Change Too, what you need to know
Research by Provenano and colleagues followed women before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after birth.
They found that pregnant runners commonly developed:
Increased stiffness through the hips and torso
A slower cadence (taking fewer steps per minute)
Longer ground contact time with each stride
These changes make sense.
As your center of gravity moves forward and your body mass increases, your nervous system naturally prioritizes stability and balance.
In fact, approximately one-third of pregnant women experience a fall during pregnancy.
Your body is constantly making adjustments to help keep you safe.
How Does Pregnancy Affect Your Running Form?
Here's what many runners don't realize.
A newer study following a small group of women found that some were still running with these movement patterns up to eight years after giving birth.
That doesn't mean every woman will.
And it certainly doesn't mean pregnancy permanently changes how everyone runs.
But it does remind us that the body doesn't always "bounce back" on its own.
Sometimes it simply continues using the movement strategies it learned during pregnancy.
Why Might Running Feel Different During Pregnancy—
Why This Matters for Pelvic Floor Health for Pregnancy and Postpartum Runners
Researchers have also observed similar running mechanics in women who experience:
Bladder leakage while running
Pelvic organ prolapse symptoms
Pelvic heaviness during exercise
It's important to be clear:
Association is not the same as causation.
These movement patterns do not necessarily cause pelvic floor problems.
Pelvic floor symptoms are influenced by many factors, including strength, tissue recovery, breathing strategy, load management, sleep, training volume, previous injuries, birth experiences, and overall capacity.
Running mechanics are simply one piece of a much bigger picture.
Three Myths That Hold Too Many Women Back from Strong running Postpartum
Myth #1: "My body will naturally bounce back."
Pregnancy is one of the biggest physical adaptations your body will ever experience.
Recovery deserves more than hope.
It deserves a plan.
Myth #2: "My six-week clearance means I'm ready to run."
Medical clearance means your tissues are healing appropriately.
It does not automatically mean your muscles, tendons, bones, cardiovascular system, and pelvic floor are prepared for the repetitive impact of running.
Those are different conversations.
Myth #3: "If I'm leaking, I must have done something wrong."
Absolutely not.
Leaking during running is common.
Common does not mean normal.
More importantly, it doesn't mean you're broken.
It means your body is asking for a different strategy.
Signals to pay attention to during running in pregnancy
Pain
Heaviness/Vaginal Pressure
Leakage
Performance
The mechanical changes in pregnancy do not have to mean symptoms!
When Should You Consider Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?
And most women don’t know this– Leaking in pregnancy is a risk factor for leaking postpartum
HINT- this is JUST like other musculoskeletal disorders, a previous injury is a risk factor for that injury happening
Symptoms in pregnancy are a check engine light and an opportunity to work with myself, a pelvic floor specialist for pregnant and postpartum runners.
Pregnancy Is Actually the Best Time to Prepare for Postpartum Running
Many women think they'll address pelvic floor issues after birth.
But pregnancy is one of the best opportunities to build the foundation for postpartum success.
During pregnancy, the Pregnant Athlete program at Radiance PT is designed for your needs, together you will—
Learn how your body is adapting so that you can keep running without body pain slowing you down
Modify your running without giving it up completely and keep feeling like an athlete.
Improve hip, core, foot, and ankle strength in easy ways so that you set your postpartum running up for success.
Address inefficient movement patterns early so that you avoid preventable injuries from overuse areas.
Learn breathing strategies that support both performance and your pelvic floor allowing you to confidently prepare for birth.
Prepare for labor and birth with dedicated push prep sessions so that you master effective pushing and lower your risk of pelvic floor injury
Create a realistic postpartum running plan before your baby arrives based on your unique training history and goals.
The goal isn't perfection.
The goal is adaptability.
Life is unpredictable.
Pregnancy can be unpredictable.
Sometimes medical or obstetric complications require changing your running routine.
The strongest athletes aren't the ones who never adjust.
They're the ones who know how to pivot while continuing to move toward their long-term goals.
What does the research say about preparing for postpartum running?
While running is considered safe for mom and baby, some women choose not to due fear of miscarriage and generalize fear associated with running or misinformation during pregnancy
The 6 Rs framework proposed by Grainne Donnelly et al highlights six key principles to guide safe postpartum return to sport all of which emphasize a whole person approach to running after birth while preparing mothers in pregnancy
Moore et al 2021 found factors that support a sooner return to running postpartum include running higher mileage during pregnancy, having a lower fear of movement, while experiencing pelvic heaviness postpartum was a factor delaying return to running.
The Support Most Pregnant Runners Never Receive- Pelvic Floor PT in Pregnancy
Most prenatal care focuses on a healthy pregnancy.
That's incredibly important.
But active women often need something more.
They want guidance from someone who understands:
Running mechanics
Pelvic floor health
Strength training
Pregnancy physiology
Birth preparation
Postpartum return to sport
Adjustment to motherhood and the challenges that brings with running to fitness
They want someone who can answer questions before problems become setbacks.
They want a plan—not guesswork.
A Smarter Way to Prepare for Motherhood and Running by working with a pelvic PT during pregnancy
That's exactly why I created the Radiance Empowered & Healthy Pregnant Athlete Program.
This program is designed for proactive runners who want expert support throughout pregnancy—not only because something is wrong, but because they value their long-term health and athletic performance.
Together we work to:
Stay active safely throughout pregnancy.
Minimize the risk of preventable musculoskeletal injuries.
Prepare your body for labor and birth.
Optimize pelvic floor function and flexibility for birth.
Build strength where your body needs it most.
Develop a personalized postpartum running roadmap.
Help you return to running with confidence instead of fear.
Let's use it to build the strongest foundation possible—not just for birth, but for the years of running that come after.
You don't have to figure it out alone. And you don't have to wait until you're struggling to get support.
Your future runner will thank you.
References:
James, M. L. et al (2022). Running During Pregnancy and Postpartum, Part A: Why Do Women Stop Running During Pregnancy and Not Return to Running in the Postpartum Period?. Journal of Women's Health Physical Therapy, 46(3), 111–123. https://doi.org/10.1097/JWH.0000000000000228
Moore IS, et al. Multidisciplinary, biopsychosocial factors contributing to return to running and running related stress urinary incontinence in postpartum women; Br J Sports Med 2021;0:1–8. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2021-104168
Donnelly GM, et al. Reframing return-to-sport postpartum: the 6 Rs framework. Br J Sports Med. 2022 Mar;56(5):244-245. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-104877. Epub 2021 Nov 26. PMID: 34836883.
Ron et al Associations Between Running Mechanics, Functional Lower Extremity Strength, and Stress Urinary Incontinence in Parous Female Runners Vol 48•Number3•July/September2024 DOI: 10.1097/JWH.0000000000000302
Provenzano et al Restriction in Pelvis and Trunk Motion in Postpartum Runners Compared With Pre-pregnancy April 2019 Journal of Womenʼs Health Physical Therapy 43(3):1 DOI:10.1097/JWH.0000000000000129