Running in pregnancy

[Helenback56]

I've fallen in love with running over the last few years and have been a leisure runner for about 4 years now - I was generally running 5-10km distances up a couple of times a week until I started training in Jan for my first half marathon in May (days before I found out I was expecting!). I'm now 24 weeks with a healthy, low risk pregnancy and I still jog (much more slowly) a couple of times a week - 4-5km outside and a 15 min warm up jog and walk at the gym.
My question is this: at what point did regular mum-to-be runners stop running in pregnancy and what was the deciding factor in stopping?

I've started to get very mild pelvic discomfort on my 4-5km jogs (more 4 than 5 now). I want to jog for as long as I physically can, but I guess the sight discomfort might develop over time, which will probably be the deciding factor on how far I run and when I have to pause my favourite exercise for a while. I do have a physio appointment booked to manage this :-)

Hello! I'm only 9 weeks pregnant so i can't answer your question from my own experience but I've asked other runner/spinning friends and they said they just knew when to stop as it started to feel a bit off. Hope this helps :)

Still going at 34 weeks! Albeit at a slower pace...

I've heard of people still running at 38 weeks and would love to be that person, even if its only 1-2km. Julesbegone, how far do you manage?

My obstetrician said it was fine so long as I could carry on a proper conversation - a full chat, not a couple of comments - and he said I MUST do my kegels because it's a lot of force on your pelvic floor by the end. For me that was until 37 weeks in my first pregnancy, though I would take walking breaks and not attempt any hills, but only 26 weeks second time around - and labour and recovery was so much better when I was fitter!

Good luck with your running 😊

@Helenback56 did 7k today but usually do about 6. Had a strange burst of energy last weekend and did 10 but that's not ordinary. Puts baby to sleep immediately, which I always think is quite cute: according to the midwife, it's the rhythmic movements.

Another runner here! I was lucky enough to be able to keep going until the day before my DD was born (39+4). A lot slower, and much less far than before... but I loved it.

Just listen to your body, you will know if it's right. And don't be afraid to switch to other exercise if that feels better too. Triathlete friends swear by the stationary bike / turbo trainer

My plan was to switch to aqua natal classes and/or static bike when running is too much, but my goal was always to reach 32 weeks if possible because that coincided with a 5km charity run I wanted to do. I do my kegals almost every day for as long as possible and run at a comfortable pace that doesn't make me out of breath (8-8.5kph), its more just the awareness of my slightly achy ligaments that makes me wary of how close to 'D-day' I'll still manage to run. Not sure I could hold a full blown constant conversation for my entire run (I can at the gym), but I wouldn't be gasping short answers either. Not that I have anyone to chat to when I run to really test the theory, but I don't let myself get breathless.

I ran until 26 weeks. Fitness wise i was still feeling fine but I could really start to feel the pressure on my pelvic floor at this time and the muscles were definitely becoming weakened (despite pelvic floor exercises). As it was becoming just too uncomfortable I switched to very brisk walking which I'm still doing at 34 weeks. I get almost as much enjoyment from this and it's keeping my fitness levels up. I also swim every week and do pregnancy yoga at home. I would say just keep going as long as it's comfortable, and don't set yourself any goals x

I ran until about 25 weeks with my first pregnancy but stopped when the bump was pressing on my bladder with every step. I took that as a sign that my pelvic floor was probably also under a lot of pressure!

I didn't run much the second time as I took a while to conceive number 2 and was almost 40. Although I don't think running can cause problems if you're already fit and healthy I was nervous in general (having had miscarriages) so chose not to risk it.

Both pregnancies I remained fit and active, I swapped running for lower impact cardio but still fairly intensive (to replicate that feeling you get when running) in the gym (power walking uphill on a treadmill, cycling, stepper etc) and continued to do weights and resistance work all the way through to the end.

I'm still running at 20 weeks, I am slower though... my usual park run time is 21-23 minutes, and I'm currently 36 minutes.

My Doctor said I could get out of breath though, in fact she said I could run as I usually would if I could. But I was a competitive runner before and ran every day. My 2 friends who are Drs also confirmed I could get out of breath... and that to deprive the baby of O2 to a serious enough level would see me collapse first!

It seems the 'keep a conversation thing going', isn't backed up by science (I would say though I am NOT a Dr!).

So keep it up if you can :) It's certainly helping me feel a bit more normal in this pregnancy.

Thanks. And that's a great park run time!! I think my best 5k was something like 27min.
I don't know the exact science behind what intensity of exercise is dangerous for the 'average person', but I guess they errr on the side of caution with advice. I know of marathon runners that have 'scaled down' to half marathons. But most people arent that active, so I imagine the advice will always vary for fitter individuals.
And then I suppose there's the increases risk of ligament/soft tissue strain to consider with exercise intensity....

On the scaling back thing, my GP said running was fine as long as it felt comfortable but to do about 75% of what I would normally do. So if I did 10k per run pre pregnancy aim for around 7 to 8k. He also said it was about maintaining fitness not about training to increase fitness. So no new goals in speed/distance etc

helen thanks :) I find it very very hard to run so slow but I am finding the extra weight and hip pain slow me down a bit! I'm also being careful of the ligament thing having been over on my ankle once already 😳

I ran for longer in my first pregancy than my second, as first time round stomach muscles etc are tighter and hold everything in place better. Second pregnancy it became uncomfortable much more quickly.

Running isn't the best exercise in pregnancy as it puts a lot of extra stress through your knees. As you get older you'll start to regret taking your knees for granted as the extra wear takes a big toll. I say that as a keen runner in my 40s who is paying the price.

The advice I was given re any cardio exercise in pregnancy was to slow it down if you started to get hot and sweaty.

Birth is a bit like running a marathon though. It is long, tiring, and requires a lot of push(!). Being fit and strong with good endurance levels is a big advantage.