Running again 6 weeks postpartum — Amy McKinnon Nutrition

*First run back at six weeks post-partum*

Running 6 weeks post-partum. Something I didn’t think I was going to do. I told myself and others I wanted to ease myself back into exercise, particularly running. I wasn’t thinking of starting until around the 12-week/ 3-month mark – but oh it was so different.

If you don’t know much about my running history – I love to run. Particularly long distances and on the trails.

I have run for the past 8 years of my life and it has really given me focus, drive, determination, enjoyment and fulfillment in many ways.

Giving birth was the hardest endurance event I had ever undertaken and I was looking forward to the rest and recovery following it.

The first two weeks I didn’t do much at all. We went on a few very small, short walks to the grocery store on the corner and around our neighborhood and I was feeling good. I knew the days I had done too much, even just around the house. I would be exhausted and have more recovery pain than usual. So, the next day I would put my feet up and rest a little more.

*On a cold and frosty morning - keeping warm and dry*

Between 2-3 weeks we started doing more regular walks – getting fresh air is what I enjoyed and spending time with Alice, Alex and Yuki together as a family was so nice.

On a couple of walks I even tried to “jog” a few steps to see how I felt and my body definitely wasn’t ready for any high impact movement.

As my six-week appointment with my OB was approaching I was starting to look forward to getting her clearance to exercise. I wanted to start doing some PT exercises focusing on strength and post-partum recovery and I also wanted to see how my body would feel picking up the pace on my walks.

The OB gave me the greenlight to resume my exercise routine – taking it slowly and building up. I was excited.

That week was the last Alex had off before he returned to work.

We wanted to go on a nice family run on the weekend – we did 3 easy miles. I was running an 11:00/mile.

It felt good.
We ran the whole 3 miles.

My body was still heavy and my pelvis and core were not strong. I knew I had to slowly ease back into things. But it felt good to be back.

Continuing with pelvic floor and body resistance exercises those first few weeks when I began to get back into running really helped my body in its recovery and building my strength back up again.

Strength training isn’t my forte so I really had to convince myself to do the workouts twice a week.

I started running 3 times a week – 3 miles at a time. I got back into the rhythm of things and I started my mornings with little run posse – me, Alice and Yuki.

It took us a few tries but we got into our morning groove – wake up, decaf coffee, drink some milkies (Alice), get dressed (me) and get out the door (all three of us).

We run on a nice flat paved bike path – nothing that is too strenuous on the body or the stroller.

By 12 weeks I was upping my weekly mileage to about 15-20miles a week. My “long runs” now consisted of a weekend run with Alex and our baby and dog crew of 6-8 miles.

My first long run was 5 miles. I was completely exhausted after that run. It felt like a 20-mile run pre-baby.

My muscles hurt and I was tired and I wanted to eat everything we had in our fridge.

I knew it was going to take time to get back to feeling like I could go out for a 5 mile run and not feel utterly exhausted.

At 12 weeks post-partum I felt like I was there. I was running 4 days during the week and 1 day on the weekend. I felt like my fitness had definitely improved. All my post-partum fluid retention had disappeared and I felt like my body was getting back to its former self. It felt really great getting back into the running groove.

I am sure many people who passed me on my daily runs thought I was crazy with a dog and a baby but I feel a responsibility to Yuki to take her out for her runs she loves so much.

She has learnt to run well beside the stroller, rarely distracted and enjoying herself with focus.

As for Alice – she first loved to nap the whole run. The minute I dropped her car seat in the stroller, she was out.

Now as she grows more curious of the world around her she enjoys looking out and quietly falling asleep towards the end of our run adventures.

For a while I was only running. I stopped the post-partum PT exercises after a few weeks when I felt my core and pelvic floor was stronger.

Now I have added in daily yoga to my routine – like the PT exercises, yoga helps with regaining my strength and core while also adding in some much-needed stretching and lengthening of my muscles.

And I convince myself that carrying around a 16lb baby these days is part of my strength training routine.

It will be interesting when I start back up with work in March and trying to maintain some sort of exercise routine – I thrive off routine and exercise.

We can’t wait for Alice to reach the age where she can sit in our BOB jogging stroller and we can take her on the trails. For now we are enjoying the road miles.

*Our BOB stroller for running with Alice when she is a little older.*

And maybe this year I will run a marathon again, with Alice. ;-)

I wrote this blog post as I wanted to share my experience with getting back into running to show how incredible the female body is in recovering, healing and replenishing itself. In knowing that movement will help it heal better and give it many more benefits from being outside..

Everyone’s fourth trimester journey and post-partum recovery is different. This is mine.

**Always check with your healthcare professional before resuming exercise after birth.