womensrunninguk.co.uk MARCH 2017 41
RUNNING FOR MUMSs soon as you become a mum,
it quickly becomes clear that
running just got that bit more
challenging. While donning your
trainers might be the furthest thing from
your mind as you get to grips with feeding,
nappies, crying and making a sandwich/
cuppa one-handed (because your newborn
WILL NOT be put down), there will come a
time when you are yearning to shut the door
behind you and run. And then come the all-
important questions: how do you make time?
How do you find the energy? How will you
squeeze your (possibly lactating) boobs back
into a sports bra? It might seem impossible,
but with a little planning, it is perfectly
manageable. What’s more, it is totally worth
the effort and actually one of the most
selfless things you can do as a mother.
“Running after having a baby is not easy
and I don’t for a second think this should be
underestimated,” says Bernadette Dancy,
senior lecturer in health and physical activity
at St Mary’s University, London. “But it is
not impossible, it does get easier and it is
so rewarding. The amazing thing about the
human body is it adapts and responds to
demands by getting stronger and fitter.”
TIME PRESSURE
Mel Bound, founder of This Mum Runs
(thismumruns.co.uk), a growing women’s
A
AS A MUM WHO RUNS, YOU WILL LIKELY ENCOUNTER OBSTACLES, NOT
LEAST SLEEP DEPRIVATION, TIME PRESSURE AND A HEAP OF GUILT. BUT
THE REWARDS ARE WORTH IT. CLAIRE CHAMBERLAIN REVEALS WHY YOU
SHOULD MAKE THE EFFORT... AND HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN
Finding 10 minutes
to go for a run might
feel impossible but it
CAN be done!running movement on a mission to empower
mums to feel happier and healthier, agrees
that there are many obstacles to returning to
running after becoming a mother.
“Sometimes I feel that squeezing in
a solo trip to the loo is a luxury, let alone
making time to get out of the door on my
own to exercise!” she says. “The things
I used to do, such as four running club
sessions a week, simply don’t fit my life any
more, as they are bang in the middle of the
kids’ bedtime. Then there’s the tiredness
battle – interrupted sleep followed by non-
stop, hectic days mean mums often get to
the evening and just want to crash on thesofa with a glass of wine. Add in competitive
tiredness with your other half and trying to
negotiate free time to fit around theirs, and
it can feel easier to just not bother with that
once-a-week run.”
Of course, aside from the practical
issues, there is also a whole range of
physical and emotional barriers that mums
encounter.
“Loss of confidence, weight gain and
low self-esteem can lead to worries about
being too unfit,” says Bound. “Breastfeeding
mums are often unsure about whether they
could or should run, and how to fit it in
around feeds without major leakage. Pelvic
floor and incontinence issues are also rarely
talked about, but many mums feel that
running just isn’t possible anymore, without
uncomfortable pads or desperate dashes to
the loo en route.”MENTAL BOOST
And then there is the ‘G’ word: guilt.
“Many women have told me they feel that
prioritising their own wellbeing feels in some
way selfish or self indulgent,” says Bound.
“Being the perfect mum, partner, daughter,
sibling and friend comes before everything
else and creates the most enormous pressure
for so many women. However, I often talk
to them about the ‘oxygen mask on an
aeroplane’ analogy. When you listen to theMOTHER’S GUIDE
RUNNING