The first thing to remember is that just because you are medically discharged at six weeks does not necessarily mean you are ready to lace ’em up the very next day. Instead, your approach to returning to running should include a series of milestones that should be assessed, and symptoms to be aware of that may signal that you should pull it back.

Running is a high-impact activity—it requires the force of 2.5-6 times your bodyweight with every step, and that’s just on one leg. And these aren’t the only factors that make a postpartum return to running stressful on the body. New mothers should also consider how much sleep they’re clocking, their energy availability, if they’re breastfeeding, how active they were pre-pregnancy, and more, before making a plan to return to running.

Milestones
Before returning to a regular running routine, certain milestones should be reached—and how long it takes to reach them may be different for everyone. Pelvic floor strength, endurance, and coordination are key, but factors such as incontinence, how well you’re able to balance, and an analysis of your gait should be considered equally important. Seeing a pelvic physio for a full assessment no matter how you gave birth is highly recommended.

Additionally, the amount of ease with which you’re able to perform key exercises is a good indication of where you stand. Try testing exercises such as walking for 30 minutes, balancing on each leg for 10 seconds, jogging on the spot for one minute, forward bounding 10 times, and performing 20 single-leg bridges on either side. Performing these exercises without experiencing pain or symptoms is a good indicator of readiness.

Support
As an active person, you may err on the side of caution even if you’re able to perform these exercises without limitations. Even if you’re feeling up to it and you’re ready to jump out the door on your first run, it’s still important to ease into your first few runs. Not only because your body just went through a huge change, but also because your muscles, tendons, and bones need to be slowly reintroduced to the load of running.

And there are plenty of activities to keep you busy, while increasing your strength and endurance. Before you start running, focus on building mobility, control, and strength with exercises such as single-leg balance work, running on the spot, and hopping. There are many other forms of aerobic exercise that lend themselves to improving your running when you return, so take this time to enjoy brisk walks uphill, biking, the elliptical machine, or even pool running.

Along with cardio, it’s vital that you incorporate strength training, specifically pelvic floor strengthening into your routine. Strength should focus on first re-engaging the pelvic floor and core with the breath, starting with exercises on the mat and progressing to standing and single leg.

Mindset
Do not be surprised if the body you are in feels foreign. This is very common and you are certainly not alone. Be kind to yourself. Your body just did something amazing—it grew a human! It’ll take some time for you to feel like you once did, and that is okay. It’s also normal to be surprised by how different running might feel—you might feel a little like Bambi in the beginning.

Lastly, do not compare yourself to anyone else or yourself previously; after all, comparison is the thief of joy. All frustration is born of missed expectations, so be sure to also set them appropriately and adapt to how you feel. There is a high probability that the progression will not be as linear as you would like, and there will be some ups and downs along the way. Listen to your body and make changes based on what you feel. The sooner you can accept where you are, the better your experience is going to be.

No matter what your journey looks like, take it slow: Slow progress is always better than jumping ahead and potentially making yourself vulnerable to a setback. Embrace the process of your return to running—and celebrate with your brand new tiny cheerleader. 

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Read This Story in Our 2024 Summer Outdoor & Travel Issue
Featuring Canadian Taekwondo Olympian, Skylar Park. Must-visit adventure destinations across Canada. Your best trail running season ever with FAQs and threshold training plans. How (and why) gravel biking can rule your summer. Essential preparation to stay injury-free during hikes. Zero-waste your hiking and camping trips like a pro. Treat yourself with a Rustic Strawberry Chocolate Tart or Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream, and so much more.

But First, Health
The first thing you’ll need to do is get healthy. You cannot outrun a cold/flu/covid, so don’t try. Let yourself take the time needed to rest and recover, so you can get back to your best training self. It’s better to take a few days off than to prolong the illness, and, in turn, disrupt more of your training. And if you’re experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue or a deep cough, these are all signs that you’re decidedly not ready to return.

Cold Buster: Allicin

Allicin is the phytonutrient found within garlic that has antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiprotozoal activity. So go ahead, add another clove to dinner.

Testing Ground
It can be challenging to know when you’re really ready to return to your usual training schedule after illness, but putting a few tests in place can help you decide. First, make an honest assessment of how you feel. If you’re at all on the fence or feeling guilty for taking a few days off, you might not yet be fully prepared to run. If you are indeed feeling up to it, then test yourself by running for 10 minutes. If your symptoms get worse, stop. If you start feeling energized, you’re probably okay to continue. This does not mean you should jump right into a long run or full workout. Instead, do up to 30 minutes easy as a test. Be sure to monitor how you feel after the fact, to see if symptoms worsen after or if you have trouble recovering. It may mean you need a little more time off.

Easy Does It
Once you have passed this test, do not jump back into your regular training schedule. The first few runs should be shorter and easier than normal as you are still in recovery mode. The time off was worth nothing if you come back too aggressively and go backwards, so resist the urge. Lastly, as tempting as it may be, do not try to make up for the lost training by doing extra. Overtraining is dangerous, even when fully healthy. Move forward from where you are, and your fitness will come back faster than you think. If you work with a coach, discuss with them how to best alter your training plan to effectively get back into peak condition.

Whole Health

In addition to having a solid approach to getting back on the road, it’s equally important to put some deeper focus on sleep, hydration and nutrition. Here are some tips to get healthy as quickly as possible.

Don’t skimp on nutrition
You may be tempted to eat less when taking time off, or you may not have the same appetite as when fully healthy. The truth is, your body needs adequate nutrition to get back to optimal health. Incorporate foods that are naturally hydrating and full of nutrients that help with illness such as vitamin C and zinc. Try citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables, lentils and tofu.

Get the best rest possible
Sleeping while sick can be difficult, so take any opportunity you can to get some shut-eye. If you are having trouble sleeping deeply, it may be worthwhile to use a natural sleep aid to make the most out of your nightly rest, but speak to your health care provider before trying any new supplements or medications.

Don’t forget supplements
Speaking of supplements, now is not the time to “forget” to take them. Some over-the-counter supplements that have shown improvements in immune function, resistance to illness and recovery time include vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc.

Photography by Koray Salih 

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Read This Story in Our 2024 Inspiration Issue
Read about our 2024 Canada’s Top Fitness Trainers – our top 30 from across Canada! How to Hire a Personal Trainer, The Dangers of Overtraining, Return to Running After Illness, Easy Vegan Garlic Noodles and more!

If you’ve been distance training for a while, it’s likely that you’ve also incorporated some form of intervals or speed training. If purposeful training is a new endeavour, speed and interval training is a great way to increase your fitness. Here we discuss one specific interval style workout: the ladder. 

The basics: why speed train at all?

Simply speaking, speed training is how we get faster. By working closer to our Vo2 max we can increase our aerobic capacity and our ability to run faster for longer. The other way to think about it is, if your top-end speed increases, all other paces should get faster as well.

What is the ladder?

The ladder is a workout in which the interval distances and speeds are changing throughout. They can start longer and slower and get progressively shorter and faster, or vice versa. Alternatively, workouts can be structured as pyramids, moving up and coming back down between distances and speeds. 

Why is the ladder such a good workout?

In a 2020 study from the European Journal of Applied Physiology it was found that high-intensity, decreasing interval training was the best way to spend more time closer to your VO₂ max. Bottom line: the more time you spend near VO₂ max, the more you can improve your aerobic capacity and better aerobic capacity means faster running. 

Additionally, more recent research (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2023) found that having a longer, slower opening interval and prolonging the first rest period, improved time to exhaustion and time near VO₂ max, in running specifically. In short, as longer intervals deplete energy, you get increased benefit from the shorter, faster intervals, meaning the ladder
is a great bang for your workout buck!

There can also be psychological benefits as it breaks up challenging work and since it gets shorter and faster it can feel much more doable. However, if you are going from short to long it can be a great way to work on the mental challenges in the late stages of a long workout or race. Anytime training gets tough, it is an opportunity to work through it and better prepare yourself for race day.

How and when do you incorporate a ladder workout into your training?   

With so many different combinations, this style of workout whether it be tempo, hills or Fartlek, can be built into just about any period of a training cycle and even in the base season. The track version (it does not have to be on a track) can be especially good as you are getting closer to race day, as a way to sharpen up and build confidence in your ability to run fast.

This style of workout can also be beneficial for basically any race distance, as it’s easily adaptable. See the examples and give them a try in your next training cycle. Your fitness will thank you. 

Fartlek:

• 10 – 15 min warm-up and cool down
• 7 min + 6 min + 5 min + 4 min + 3 min + 2 min + 1 min
• Pace: Start at marathon pace and get faster with each one
• Rest: Easy 3:30 min run/walk in between each interval

Tempo:

• 10 – 15 min warm-up and cool down
• 15 min @ MP* + 10 min @ HMP** + 5 min @ 10 km pace
• Rest: 5 min / 3 min easy between (can be running or walking)

Hills:

• 10 – 15 min warm-up and cool down
• 90 sec + 75 sec + 1 min + 45 sec + 30 sec + 15 sec 
• Hard up / easy down
• Hill gradient: use what you have but it should be enough to make you work a little harder

Track, the classic:

• 10 – 15 min warm-up and cool down 
• 2,000 metres + 1,600 metres + 1,200 metres + 800 metres + 400 metres + 2 x 200 metres
• Rest can be flexible 2:30 min – 1:30 min in between each interval, this is actual rest not active as the ones above

Long run workout:

• 10 km easy 
• 6 km @ MP+ 1 – 2 km easy + 4 km @ MP + 1 – 2 km easy + 2 km @ MP + 1 km easy + 1 km faster than MP
• 3 km easy

*MP: Marathon pace **HMP: Half-marathon pace

Note: All of these workouts can be adapted based on level by decreasing the number of intervals e.g., for the track you could start at 1,600 metres or 1,200 metres.

In summary, intervals start longer and get shorter while the pace starts slower and gets faster (or vice versa). The ladder is a great way to effectively work on your aerobic capacity and can be adapted any time during your training cycle and to any race distance. Lastly, remember workouts are meant to be challenging, that gives you the opportunity to practice working through it, so come race day you are ready.

Have fun giving this workout style a try.

Photography by Jason Dam

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Read This Story in Our 2023 Running Issue
Featuring Rory Linkletter, Canadian long-distance runner. Add to your bucket list with the top Destination Marathons Around the World. Train for 10 km right up to a marathon – plus a 70.3 program. Increase your strength and work your core with Canada’s Top Fitness Trainers. Enjoy plant-based, post-run breakfasts and so much more.