Many active expecting moms wonder, “Can you run while pregnant?”. You might be worried about complications or whether the bouncing motion could be harmful for your baby (spoiler alert: it’s not!).
Running while pregnant is safe and can be great for your physical AND mental health, as long as you get a green light from your doctor.
As a pelvic floor physical therapist who’s run through three pregnancies, I know how amazing it can feel to go on a run and move your body, and you DON’T have to give that up!
That said, it’s essential to continue strengthening your pelvic floor, core, and glutes when running during pregnancy. Here’s what you need to know to stay healthy, strong, and pain-free.
Can You Run When Pregnant?
Yes, you can run when pregnant as long as you’re cleared by your doctor, and it can be very beneficial!
Exercise is recommended during pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists encourages pregnant women to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, and running counts as exercise.
If you were running regularly before getting pregnant, your doctor will likely give you the green light to continue. Your baby is well-protected in your uterus, surrounded by amniotic fluid that acts as a cushion. Running does NOT shake or harm your baby the way some people worry it might!
That said, pregnancy isn’t the best time to start training for your first marathon if you’ve never been a runner before. Some pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and placental problems, can also make most exercise, not just running, unsafe.
Benefits of Running While Pregnant
Staying active helps your body handle the physical demands of pregnancy and can make labor and recovery easier.
- Less discomfort: Staying active can reduce back pain, constipation, swelling, and other pregnancy symptoms.
- Easier labor and delivery: Women who exercise during pregnancy often have shorter labors and fewer complications during delivery.
- Healthy weight gain: Running helps you gain weight at a healthy rate during pregnancy (not too much, not too little).
- Reduced risk of gestational diabetes: Regular exercise helps your body process blood sugar more effectively.
- Improved mood: Running releases endorphins that help reduce pregnancy mood swings and stress.
- Faster postpartum recovery: Physical activity helps your body heal better and faster after birth.
- Benefits for the baby: Exercising during pregnancy can improve your baby’s health and reduce their risk of obesity and a few other diseases.
As a runner, you KNOW the mental high that comes with finishing a run! In fact, exercise during pregnancy has been found to decrease the likelihood of depression by 67%.
Many mamas that I see as a pelvic floor PT use running as a way to clear their heads, support a healthy pregnancy, and feel STRONG in their changing bodies.
Running During Pregnancy: What to Expect
Your running experience will change as your pregnancy progresses.
Running While Pregnant First Trimester
The first trimester can be tricky for running. You might feel more tired than usual and deal with nausea, so don’t be hard on yourself if some days you feel great and other days you don’t want to move at all.
That said, many women find that they can maintain their pre-pregnancy running pace and distance during the first trimester.
Listen to your body and do what feels right, but don’t push through severe fatigue or nausea.
For me personally, it was important to eat a little bit before AND after my run, especially protein, to help with nausea. Drinking electrolytes was also helpful! Experiment and see what works best for you.
Running While Pregnant Second Trimester
Most women feel their best during the second trimester.
Fatigue and morning sickness typically go away, and you’re not yet dealing with the bulk of a large belly. You might feel up for running more often!
That said, over time, your growing belly will begin to affect your balance and center of gravity. You may notice you need to slow down your pace or take more walking breaks.
The second trimester is also often when you might develop pregnancy pain, especially if you stopped strength training in the first trimester. Your body now has increased laxity & weight plus changed posture, so it’s important to counteract these changes with strength.
Strong Expecting Mama has exercises that can help with that!
Running While Pregnant Third Trimester
The third trimester is the most challenging for running, mostly because your belly is large. A research study of competitive runners showed that 70% of them ran during pregnancy, but only 31% ran during their third trimester.
This doesn’t mean you CAN’T run safely in your third trimester! You definitely can, but you’ll likely have to slow down and transition to run-walk intervals.
With my third pregnancy, I was able to continue running until 38 weeks, but I definitely slowed down and significantly dropped my mileage. I largely attribute being able to run this far into my pregnancy to strengthening my pelvic floor, hips, and core. Pregnancy compression support is also super helpful, like my favorite maternity leggings.
With my first pregnancy, I couldn’t run because I had a lot of SI joint and SPD pain, but with my second and third pregnancies, I was able to run for much longer because I was also doing my strength exercises that I’m now sharing in Strong Expecting Mama!
Tips for Running While Pregnant
There are a few important adjustments that pregnant runners should make to stay comfortable and safe. Beyond the basics, like investing in supportive running shoes, here’s what to add to your exercise routine.
Watch Your Posture and Don’t Overstride
As your baby grows, you’ll naturally want to lean back and let your ribs flare out while your pelvis tips forward. You might also find yourself running stiff through your spine.
Instead, try to stack your rib cage over your pelvis and slightly learn forward. I often say, “Kick the world behind you!” This helps your core and pelvic floor to be in a good position, reducing back, hip, and pelvic pain.
Invest in a Good Pregnancy Support Garment
I’m talking medical-grade support, not something cheap from Amazon! Quality belly bands and maternity support wear can make a huge difference in how you feel during and after your runs.
They help support your growing belly and can significantly reduce pubic symphysis, SI joint pain, and round ligament pain. These were a game-changer for me personally, especially after suffering from horrible pain during my first pregnancy. Here are my favorites!
Set Realistic Expectations About Pace and Distance
Your runs are going to get shorter and slower as your pregnancy progresses. That’s completely normal. At 32 weeks, my mileage and pace dropped dramatically compared to pre-pregnancy. Run-walk intervals can work well during pregnancy, especially in the later weeks.
Stay Hydrated
This is huge, especially if you’re running during summer months. I notice I get Braxton Hicks contractions way more often when I’m not staying properly hydrated. You need both water and electrolytes, not just plain water.
LMNT is my favorite because it has magnesium, which can help prevent constipation and muscle cramping.
Focus on Strength and Stability
With all the hormonal changes increasing laxity in your joints and the pregnancy weight you’re carrying, you need MORE strength and stability in your core and hips than when you’re not pregnant.
This is what most women miss! Strength training is VERY important during pregnancy because of:
- More laxity (looseness in your joints) because of pregnancy hormones
- More weight from the baby
- Lost strength during the first trimester, when many women deal with nausea and fatigue
- Posture changes
Strong Expecting Mama teaches you how to strengthen your pelvic floor, core, and hips & alleviate or prevent pain during pregnancy. It has helped me and hundreds of other moms to stay active!
Risks of Running While Pregnant
Research shows that running during pregnancy doesn’t affect your baby’s birth weight or increase the likelihood of preterm delivery. But there are some things to watch out for.
- You might feel off balance: Your growing belly shifts your weight forward, which makes you less steady on your feet. Stick to flat, familiar paths and skip the trail runs with rocks and hills. Pregnancy hormones also loosen your joints, so you’re more likely to twist an ankle or fall.
- You might have new aches: Some women get sharp pains in their belly or groin, which is usually their round ligaments, stretching as their uterus grows, or SPD, pain in the front of the pelvis. Running can make these pains worse if you’re not supplementing it with core and pelvic floor exercises.
- Strenuous exercise: Pregnancy isn’t the time to push your limits or train harder than you did before getting pregnant. Your body is already working overtime to grow a baby, so stick to moderate intensity activity.
Many of these risks can be reduced with proper pelvic floor and core strengthening exercises.
When your deep core muscles are working well, they help support your changing body and make running more comfortable throughout your pregnancy (and easier to come back to during the postpartum period!).
Can I Start Running While Pregnant?
Ask your doctor. It could be safe and beneficial, especially if you mix walking and jogging and supplement it with the right strengthening routine.
How Far Is It Safe to Run While Pregnant?
This really depends on your fitness level and how you’re feeling. There’s no magic number for how far you should or shouldn’t run. Listen to your body and adjust your distance based on your energy levels and comfort.
I always tell my physical therapy patients that if they have increased pain during or after the run, then they should take a day off and not increase their mileage or distance until they can run that same distance without any symptoms.
When Should You Stop Running in Pregnancy?
This is completely personal. Many women stop sometime in the third trimester when running becomes uncomfortable, but you don’t HAVE to stop running at any point. However, if you’re experiencing pelvic floor symptoms, then I recommend you stop until you’re able to see a pelvic floor physical therapist.
With my latest pregnancy, my mileage and pace dropped dramatically at 32 weeks, but I was able to continue running until 38 weeks. I credit continuing to strengthen my pelvic floor and core for helping me run longer into my pregnancy!
So, Can Pregnant Women Run and Is It Safe?
Yes, running during pregnancy is safe as long as your doctor gives you the okay. It has many health benefits and won’t harm your baby. That said, make sure to listen to your body and adjust exercise intensity.
It’s also important to strengthen your core, pelvic floor, and glutes during pregnancy and pay attention to your posture to avoid rib flare. I teach women how to do this in Strong Expecting Mama!
FAQs
Does Running While Pregnant Shake the Baby?
No, running doesn’t shake your baby. Your little one is well-protected inside your uterus, surrounded by amniotic fluid that acts like a cushion. The amniotic fluid absorbs the impact from your running, so your baby isn’t getting bounced around. This is a myth.
Is Running Bad for Your Pelvic Floor When Pregnant?
Running isn’t necessarily bad for your pelvic floor, but pregnancy hormones and the extra weight put more pressure on these muscles, so it’s important to watch out for any possible symptoms and do pelvic floor physical therapy exercises.
If you’re not doing pelvic floor and core exercises alongside your running, you might experience issues like leaking urine and pelvic pain. Pelvic heaviness and even prolapse are also common. If you’re experiencing symptoms, then your running needs to be modified to be more low-impact and supplemented with pelvic floor physical therapy. Don’t push through the symptoms!
Can You Run a Marathon While Pregnant?
Yes, you can run a marathon while pregnant if you were already running and training before pregnancy. Make sure to get your doctor’s approval and listen to your body.
However, pregnancy is NOT the time to start training for your first marathon. It’s a long distance that puts a lot of stress on your body, so only highly trained athletes should try to do this.
Can You Run a Half Marathon While Pregnant?
Yes, if you were regularly running and training for half marathons before getting pregnant and you feel good, you can likely continue with modifications.
Generally speaking, only trained runners should do this. Don’t use pregnancy as the time to train for your first 13.1-mile race. Stick to distances you’re comfortable with instead of challenging yourself with new goals during pregnancy, especially during the second and third trimesters. That said, I did a half marathon during my first pregnancy!
Can You Run a 5K While Pregnant?
Yes, if you were running 5Ks before pregnancy and feel up for it, especially in early pregnancy. This is a manageable distance for most pregnant runners. However, if you’ve never run a 5K before, a walk/jog 5K can be a very realistic and fun experience!
How Long Can You Run While Pregnant?
There’s no set time limit for how long your runs should be during pregnancy. Listen to your body and adjust based on how you feel. Early in pregnancy, you might maintain your usual run times, but as pregnancy progresses, you’ll likely need shorter runs or more walk breaks.
No two pregnancies are the same, and that’s OKAY! I’ve worked with physical therapy clients who are professional runners who’ve had to stop running way sooner than expected, and I’ve also worked with recreational runners who have been able to run/walk the whole time. Moms also often have different experiences in different pregnancies.
Get Stronger and Prepare for Birth with Strong Expecting Mama
It’s important to stay active during pregnancy, and running is a great way to do that.
Contrary to what you may have heard, running doesn’t “shake” your baby in your belly or harm them in any other way. It’s completely safe to run while pregnant, as long as your doctor clears you.
However, it’s VERY important to keep up strength training throughout your pregnancy, especially focusing on your core, pelvic floor, and glutes.
I teach women how to strengthen their core and pelvic floor for an active & pain-free pregnancy, smoother delivery, and a better recovery postpartum in Strong Expecting Mama. Learn more and join!
