Benefits of Running While Pregnant

Running while pregnant has gotten a bad rap because of outdated information and misconceptions. But there are actually a lot of benefits of running while pregnant for mom and baby. 

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I remember being incredibly nervous to run while pregnant. My gut told me it was good for me and my baby. Turns out my gut was right! To proceed safely, I talked with my doctor about what guidelines I should stay within and was very careful to monitor how I was feeling. I did not train for any races while pregnant (though I have coached many women to run marathons while pregnant! Including one who qualified for the Boston Marathon!). But I did run consistently during both of my pregnancies (stopping the last couple of months with my son due to back pain and switching to other activities). 

I kept my mileage relatively low and my pace easy. And I supplemented with the elliptical machine and barre. I had two healthy pregnancies, births, and babies–and I like to credit my running throughout my pregnancies for this. My husband and I also joke that any athletic ability my kids now have is due to my running while pregnant (it’s not, of course!). 

There are indeed many benefits of running while pregnant for both the mother and the baby–though it is not discussed often. That’s where this article comes in. I am rounding up the research, did an interview with an expert, and also talked with other women who ran while pregnant to enumerate the benefits. 

I do want to add that if you cannot run while pregnant–that is common! The benefits discussed below are for any exercise during pregnancy–not just running! 

What are the health benefits of running while pregnant for mothers? 

There are numerous studies that reveal the health benefits of running while pregnant for expectant women.

• Improved physical fitness. Running while pregnant has been shown to improve or maintain physical fitness, help with weight management, reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, and enhance physical well-being.
• Reduced pregnancy risks. Exercise has also been found to decrease the incidence of urinary incontinence, pre-eclampsia, lower back pain and the occurrence of Caesarean section. 
• Better energy. Studies show pregnant women who exercise regularly during pregnancy benefit from increased energy and improved sleep.
• More confidence. Research shows that running during pregnancy can help women stay better in tune with their bodies and have confidence in their instincts.
• Improved mood. Acadia Gantz, ultra-runner, mid-wife, researcher in this space, and running coach, adds there is also a huge component of self-esteem for women who run throughout their pregnancies. “We know that exercise is good for the mood in general and it can help with a changing body and moodiness from hormonal fluctuations,” she said.

What are the health benefits of running while pregnant for babies?

Running while pregnant has lots of benefits for babies, too.

• Improved neurological function. A 2011 study showed an improvement in fetal development including more lean muscle mass, increased attentiveness, heightened discipline, and more neurodevelopmentally advanced.
• Better stress tolerance. Another study reported an increase in lean body mass in infants of mothers who exercised as well as seeing improved stress tolerance in these babies. The improved stress tolerance is of particular importance as “it relates to labor and delivery and the infants’ ability to handle both while maintaining reassuring heart tones,” note the researchers. 
• Better memory. Another study, performed with rats and not people, found that the babies of exercising mothers had improved memory.
• Less colic. Gantz adds that, anecdotally, parents report that babies born to people who exercise have less colic, are able to hold up their heads, and rollover faster.
• Longer breastfeeding. The benefits also carry over into the postpartum period: One study found that elite distance runners breastfed longer, despite barriers, than the general public. 
• Healthier breastmilk. A 2020 study found that even moderate exercise during pregnancy increases a compound in breast milk that reduces a baby’s lifelong risks of serious health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

An unofficial poll of fellow mother runners via my Instagram who ran during pregnancy cite having:

• More energy
• Easier and quicker delivery
• Increased feelings of ownership of their bodies
• Increased sense of normalcy throughout pregnancy
• Knowledge that we can do hard things
• Decrease in morning sickness
• Heightened mental and physical endurance
• Learned importance of breath
• Healthier pregnancy
• Quicker postpartum recovery
• Running also prepares you mentally for birth

Why do people think it is bad to run while pregnant?

Until the invention and integration of modern (and white, male-dominated) medicine, pregnant women were active throughout their pregnancies and quickly postpartum. As the science of medicine progressed, recommendations for pregnant women swung to the opposite side.

In 1985, guidelines by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended pregnant women avoid high impact exercise, activities raising the maternal heart rate to exceed 140 beats per minute, physical activity longer than 15 minutes, and physical activity allowing the maternal core body temperature to exceed 100.4° F.

However, in 1994 the ACOG removed all restrictions on maternal exercise. Then, in 2002, it recommended that expectant women exercise for 30 minutes on most or all days of the week. Finally, in 2020, the ACOG outlined the various benefits of exercise for pregnant women.

“I am unsure why, but folks seem to feel entitled to give pregnant people unsolicited advice,” shared Gantz. “I imagine it comes from our innate nature to want to protect future generations. Unfortunately, we have been inundated with wrong, and unsafe, information over the past few years, and the ideas that the general public carries about pregnancy are slow to catch up.”

Some outdated beliefs about running while pregnant include:

• Running shakes the baby. Running does not lead to shaken baby syndrome in the womb; the fetus is protected by the amniotic sac filled with fluid.
• Pregnant women have an increased risk of injury. There is a theoretical concern of a heightened possibility of joint-related injuries in pregnancy due to the hormone relaxin. However, research has not shown an increase in exercise-related injuries, and in fact, exercise has been shown to decrease the rates of musculoskeletal complaints during pregnancy.
• Pregnant women should keep their heart rates below 140. This was removed as a stipulation to safe exercise in pregnancy in 1994 but continues to be cited in guidelines put out today.
• High-level exercise could cause miscarriage. Research has shown that miscarriage cannot be prevented, and thus cannot be caused.
• Long durations of exercise should be limited. Limitations on the duration of exercise were thrown out by ACOG. Instead, a minimum of 30 minutes per day is recommended.

Running while pregnant has benefits for the mother and her baby that last into the postpartum period. I hope this article helps put some of your hesitations to bed. And,iIf you are feeling uncertain about whether it is safe to run while pregnant, I suggest you talk with your doctor. A running coach such as myself can also help guide your running so that you are doing the right amount and intensity. 

I would love to hear any benefits readers may have experienced running while pregnant! Feel free to comment below.