“Running while pregnant” was one of the first things I looked up after reading a positive result on my home pregnancy test.
Seeing as I was only 7 weeks along, I wasn’t yet affected by the impending symptoms of the first trimester. No fatigue, morning sickness, or back pain stopped me from fantasizing about how well I would merge running and being pregnant with absurd fitness expectations, including:
- Match a mile of running to every month of my pregnancy (Ex: 2 miles at 2 months to 9 miles at 9 months)
- Abstain from any “bad for you” foods
- Build Hugh Jackman-like arm muscles since my abs would be a lost cause
- Nightly yoga
- Run the Grand Rapids Marathon 3 months after giving birth
I did not accomplish any of these goals.
Running while pregnant yields significant health benefits if you’re able to do it, but few resources validate how hard it is to actually keep it up.
My hope is that this article empowers you to hold onto the euphoria exercise provides as long as you can during your pregnancy. I hope it prepares you for how different fitness will look at this time and encourages you to see every movement as magnificent rather than not enough.
What To Know About Running While Pregnant
Running while pregnant sucks.
Every workout becomes intensely harder, and instead of progressing you experience setbacks:
- You get slower
- You gain weight
- You feel more out-of-shape with every passing month
It’s astonishing we find ways to keep running while pregnant, given that pregnancy is the ultimate excuse to stop.
12 Tips On How To Run While Pregnant
Knowing how to manage your expectations (i.e. lower them) can help you retain your joy for running and appreciation for your body.
Here are tips that I had to learn during my first pregnancy, and made sure to apply to my second.
1. Talk to your OBGYN about running while pregnant
If you’re not experiencing complications during pregnancy, your doctor will likely give you the “OK” to continue your running routine to your capability.
As you run, stay alert to new sensations you feel and bring up any concerns at your next OBGYN appointment.
2. Prepare for discomfort
If I go into a run knowing it’s not going to feel awesome, I have an easier time coping with the discomfort.
In the same way you expect to feel near death after mile 18 in a marathon, expect your pregnancy runs to have similar woes.
Make adjustments and applaud putting one foot in front of the other.
3. Focus on posture, breath, and motion
Running in a hunched position decreases your already compromised lung capacity.
If you’re slouching through shallow breaths, straighten your spine and look ahead, not down. Lower your speed to where you can inhale and exhale fully without straining.
4. Make adjustments
Things to expect when running while pregnant include:
- Slower pace
- More joint pain
- Lack of ability and motivation, especially in the third trimester
- Disrupted center of gravity
- Needing to pee all the time
- Feeling winded with minimal effort
Pregnancy is not the time to push through pain while running. Go as slow and soft as you need to, take walk breaks, shorten your distances, wear a belly band, and cut your run short when you’re in agony.
Your body is already working mega hard to create a human being, so don’t think lowering your intensity is a move toward weakness.
5. Play with intervals
By my second trimester, I could not expect myself to run longer routes straight through.
Switching between “hard running” for 30 seconds to 1 minute and magnificently slow jogs or walks for 2 minutes helped me manage bigger distances later in my pregnancy.
6. Focus on minutes of movement
Set goals for minutes of movement rather than distance and speed when running while pregnant.
This outlook encourages you to feel accomplished instead of feeling like you came up short on a workout because you may have had to walk a couple of times.
7. Measure RPE over heart rate
RPE, or rate of perceived exertion/effort, measures how hard you feel you’re working on a scale of 1-10 (1 being little to no effort and 10 being maximum effort).
Gauging your intensity on RPE puts you in tune with your body and forces you to listen to it.
You’ll notice your RPE while pregnant is vastly different from your RPE when you’re not carrying a baby inside, and that’s okay!
In my non-pregnant days, my RPE of 8 (80% effort) was 8-8.5 mph. In the last two trimesters of my current pregnancy, an RPE of 8 has dwindled to 5 mph. For now, I’m just delighted that I got my bum out for a scamper.
8. Run between windows of feeling sick and fatigued
Morning sickness and other pregnancy symptoms can absolutely keep you from running while pregnant. If they do, don’t worry about getting your steps—just rest!
In some cases, you may be able to determine when debilitating symptoms are going to plague you. Plan to exercise at a time of the day when those symptoms are least severe.
9. Plan a route with bathroom stops
Within the first month after conception, your body starts producing pregnancy hormones that trigger an incessant need-to-pee feeling.
I could not believe how early in pregnancy having to go to the bathroom all the time disrupted my workouts. I begrudgingly resolved to split miles with frequent bathroom breaks, never venturing more than 1-2 miles from home.
By the time these pee-prompting hormones subside, the decreasing space between your bladder and expanding uterus means frequent urination lasts the entire pregnancy.
Lucky us!
For your own comfort, combat frequent urination by mapping your running route to include accessible bathrooms.
10. Stay super hydrated
You need more water to support all the things your body is doing to construct a baby. Water ensures the nutrients you’re getting through prenatal vitamins and healthy eating gets to your baby.
If you’re already drinking the vaguely recommended 64 ounces (8 cups) of fluids per day, add 16 ounces (2 cups) to your consumption—and more if you exercise regularly.
Get in the habit of running with a water bottle or visiting reliable water sources along your route.
11. Make warm-ups and cool-downs non-negotiable
We may have our fun neglecting warm-ups and cool-downs when we’re not pregnant, but now is the time to make them prominent in your routine.
This could include plating 5 minutes of brisk walking before and after your runs or taking a few minutes to warm up or cool down your muscles with stretching and glute kicks.
Remember, all movement matters!
12. Know when to stop
When running while pregnant, the most important thing you can do for your long-term health and fitness is know when to stop.
Stop running if you experience the following:
- Extreme cramps
- Sudden bleeding
- Pelvic pain
- Abdominal pain
- Shallow breathing
- Complications with your pregnancy
- Dizziness
- Chest pain
- Sharp joint pain
As runners and moms, it’s in our nature to push through any kind of discomfort we experience—that’s the literal definition of “labor!” At this time, though, our strength has to come from resisting our urge to plow through pain, for the sake of our baby and a smooth return to fitness after giving birth.
FAQs
Here are the most popular questions other moms have asked about running while pregnant!
Is It Safe to Run While Pregnant?
Running while pregnant can pose health risks if you already experience complications during your pregnancy.
Pregnancy complications that make running risky:
- Short cervix
- Prenatal bleeding
- Placenta previa (when the placenta is blocking part or all of the opening of the uterus)
- Heart or lung conditions
- Preeclampsia (high blood pressure)
- Heightened anemia
Running will not cause these issues, but the high-impact movement can trigger further complications. Always communicate questions and concerns with your OBGYN.
So, Why Run While Pregnant?
Running can feel like the only thing that tethers us to our pre-pregnant identity—back when we could drink coffee recklessly, mindlessly consume platters of sushi, and touch our toes.
From mental repair to physical benefits, running while pregnant can help with the following:
Benefits of Running While Pregnant
- Linked to healthier pregnancies
- Lowers risk of high blood pressure and gestational diabetes
- Smoother labors
- Quicker recovery postpartum
- Helps with depression
- Cardiovascular health
- Improved sleep
- Keeps hips strong
Exercise is recommended and encouraged for pregnant women if she has the ability. Studies have proven it’s good for pregnancy and the health of the fetus.
Should I Run While Pregnant If I Didn’t Really Run Before?
If you weren’t much of a runner pre-pregnancy, don’t choose now to start. Not only will it attach a miserable vibe to the act of running, but it will also wreak havoc on your joints.
Because pregnancy releases hormones (oh hey, relaxin!) that loosen your joints in preparation for labor, introducing a pavement-pounding sport to your pregnancy isn’t a good idea.
Take lengthy walks instead to satisfy that desire to move during pregnancy. And when you’re ready to start running postpartum, OTM is here to guide you into it.
What Gear Should I Have for Running while Pregnant?
Running while pregnant is uncomfortable, but there’s gear that can provide some relief.
Maternity FITsplint
I rock this Maternity FITsplint while wobbling through my 2nd and 3rd trimesters. This belly band provides extra support for your growing belly and decreases cramping.
Maternity activewear
When your belly starts rounding out, regular compression pants squeeze in all the wrong places. Getting a pair or two of maternity-specific running leggings or shorts makes all the difference in your comfort.
You may also need to get a new sports bra and active tops to fit your changing figure. Get a couple of pieces one size above your usual. Or just sweat in your husband’s loose-fitting T-shirts.
New running shoes
Pregnancy tends to swell feet and require more cushion in the step. Some women find they need to go up a shoe size while pregnant. If you do, get yourself refitted for running shoes to accommodate.
Handheld water bottle
A handheld water bottle that straps perfectly around your fingers encourages you to meet the hydration requirements you need while pregnant, especially when running.
Don’t be shy about putting some of this pregnant running gear on your baby registry!
Final Notes On Running While Pregnant
Despite the tiring and unrealistic #FitPregnancy posts on social media, running while pregnant looks nothing like your pre-pregnancy runs.
In the first trimester, you may not even have the energy to get up for a workout.
By the second trimester, your top running speed might be surpassed by power walkers. By your third trimester, your best effort may be slower than your pre-pregnancy walking speed.
It’s all good! You’re doing great!
None of us look like the stock image photos of women running while pregnant, and, by the third trimester, none of us are handling it with finesse.
But the feeling that comes with completing any kind of run, at any speed, for any distance is as good as crossing a finish line—which you’ll be doing again before you know it.
Conclusion: You Got This!
There’s a niche argument about whether running a marathon or giving birth is harder. After mulling it over, I think running a marathon is harder than giving birth, but being pregnant is infinitely harder than both.
I’m honored to be writing to readers who have done all of it.
Here’s to the moms out there who can’t sit through 9 months of bed rest simply because they are pregnant.
I’ll keep pace with you.
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