Episode 44 - Running Postpartum Roadmap: Navigating Your Comeback Journey

Episode Summary:

This episode explores the journey of running postpartum, with Alison sharing her personal struggles with incontinence, pain, and a premature return to running. Emphasizing that recovery is highly individual, she outlines a thoughtful, phased approach focused on rebuilding pelvic floor strength, core connection, and overall stability before gradually returning to running with a structured milestone plan. The episode highlights the importance of patience, tuning into your body’s signals, and avoiding rushed progress to prevent injury. Listeners are also directed to free and paid resources designed specifically for running postpartum, offering step-by-step guidance tailored for postpartum runners aiming for a safe and confident return.

Key Takeaways:

• Running postpartum requires a personalized, phased approach focusing first on breathing, pelvic floor and core reconnection, then foundational strength before gradually returning to running.
  
  
• Readiness to run is based on strength, pelvic floor function, and overall body stability—not just a fixed timeline like six weeks postpartum.
  
  
• Patience and listening to your body’s signals are crucial to avoid setbacks, injury, and long-term issues; rushing progress often leads to problems.
  
  

Time Stamps:

[00:00] - Personal Postpartum Running Story

[03:34] - Postpartum Recovery Timeline Overview

[13:52] - Early Movement and Pelvic Floor PT

[29:54] - Readiness Criteria for Running

[44:01] - Graded Return-to-Run Protocol

[56:31] - Conclusion and Resources

Resources Mentioned:

• Postpartum Resources: There you will find options for postpartum with a living child at home and for postpartum after pregnancy or infant loss. Each will include the following where workouts and main content are essentially the same but each is taught in its own context and with respect to what postpartum life looks and feels like right now.
• Postpartum Run Ready Road Map: This FREE resource will introduce you to the 5 steps in my START Formula so that you have confidence that you are taking the steps back to that thing that makes you feel like you, in a way that feels good in your body and builds a solid foundation for all your future performance goals.​
• Postpartum Run Ready Fundamentals: With this full course eliminate the guesswork with a full step-by-step plan using my START Formula so that you have confidence that you are taking the steps back to that thing that makes you feel like you, in a way that feels good in your body and builds a solid foundation for all your future performance goals.
• Postpartum Ready To Run Checklist Video Walkthrough: This video will walk you there the strength based assessments in the Postpartum Ready To Run Checklist
  
  

Quotes:

• “Six weeks is simultaneously too soon to start some things and unnecessarily late to start others—there’s no magic moment at six weeks postpartum.”
  
  
• “Sometimes not running, running less, going slower, and replacing miles with intentional strength training is exactly what we need—and choosing what we need instead of what we feel we should do is something to be proud of.”
  
  

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