Running while pregnant

If your pregnancy is going well and your doctor or midwife agrees, you can usually keep running, especially if you ran before.

• Aim for about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, at a pace where you can still talk; lower the intensity as the weeks go by.
• Avoid overheating, drink regularly, choose flat, even routes and wear a supportive bra; if you didn’t run before, brisk walking is a gentler start.
• Stop and call your doctor if you have vaginal bleeding, fluid leaking, regular painful contractions, chest pain, dizziness, headache, calf pain or swelling, or breathlessness before effort.
• After the birth, wait for medical clearance, usually no running before about 12 weeks, and rebuild the pelvic floor first.