When can you start running again postpartum?

What does the evidence say about running postpartum during pregnancy?

1. International postpartum exercise guidelines vary on exact timing: Australia's guidance generally delays high-impact activity like running until around 6 weeks postpartum, Norway's typically waits until after the 6-week postpartum visit, and none of the major guidelines reviewed gave precise week-by-week progressions for building back up to running. 1
2. A Delphi consensus of clinical and exercise professionals identified specific signs that should prompt a medical check before resuming moderate-to-vigorous postpartum activity, including new chest pain with exertion, severe abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding unrelated to a period, calf pain or swelling, and blood pressure over 140/90. 2
3. The same consensus recommends screening for pelvic floor dysfunction, musculoskeletal pain, mental health symptoms, sleep quality, and wound repair before clearing a return to running, rather than relying on a calendar date alone. 2
4. In a study of 611 women after a first vaginal delivery, higher levels of early postpartum physical activity were not linked to worse pelvic floor symptoms overall and were sometimes associated with better outcomes, though the most active group showed a signal toward reduced vaginal support that researchers said needs further study. 3
5. Prenatal and early postpartum pelvic floor muscle training has been linked to a meaningfully lower risk of urinary incontinence, with women who did the training about 46% less likely to report incontinence between 6 weeks and 3 months postpartum, though this benefit was less clear by 12 months. 4

How this changes over time

• In the earliest weeks postpartum, guidelines generally call for rest before any return to vigorous activity, with international guidance suggesting a minimum of about 3 weeks before easing back in, and closer to 6 weeks for higher-impact movement after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. A cesarean birth, complications, or ongoing bleeding call for a longer, individualized timeline set with your provider.
• By around 3 months postpartum, many providers use this point to formally assess pelvic floor and core function before clearing a return to running, since research has flagged this as a meaningful checkpoint. That said, readiness is individual: some people need longer, and rushing back before your body is ready raises the odds of pelvic floor symptoms.
• Even months out, it's worth restarting gradually rather than jumping back to your pre-pregnancy mileage, and watching for leaking, a feeling of vaginal heaviness or bulging, or new pain, since these can show up even after a good initial screening and are a signal to scale back and check in with a pelvic floor physical therapist.