Episode Details

Blanket rules about running during pregnancy sound comforting, until they leave you stuck between fear and frustration. We want something more useful: a clear way to decide what’s safe, what’s sustainable, and what actually fits your body right now.

We dig into what the research is saying about prenatal running safety, including longer distances, and why “safe” does not mean “identical for everyone.” We walk through the variables that shape your experience, like your pre-pregnancy fitness, injury history, fueling, and the reality that pelvic floor dysfunction is common in endurance athletes before pregnancy even starts. We also talk about why comparing your current pregnancy to someone else’s, or even to your first pregnancy, can backfire when sleep, recovery, and family demands change.

From there we get practical: how pregnancy can shift gait mechanics, why lower body strength matters more as your center of mass moves, and what to try when symptoms show up. Instead of treating pelvic pressure, SI joint pain, or knee pain as an automatic stop sign, we explore the “rehab first” mindset: small form changes, strength support, and smart training edits that may help you keep running if it matters to you, or switch to cross-training without shame if it doesn’t.

If you ran during pregnancy and you’re less than a year postpartum, we’d love your help with our research by sharing your Garmin training logs. Subscribe, share this with a running friend, and leave a review so more active moms can find nuanced, evidence-based pregnancy exercise guidance.

___________________________________________________________________________
Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter

You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes.

Interested in our programs? Check us out here!