How to Start Running Again After Kids

Hello friend.

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking “I wish I could get back into running”, you’re definitely not alone.

It’s one of the most common things I hear from women. Many of us ran before children, or at least enjoyed some kind of movement, but somewhere along the way it slipped quietly out of our lives. The routines changed, sleep disappeared, priorities shifted, and suddenly the idea of going out for a run started to feel strangely complicated.

It’s not always a lack of motivation that gets in the way. More often it’s a mixture of uncertainty, tiredness and the quiet feeling that perhaps that version of you belonged to a previous chapter of life.

The good news is that returning to running doesn’t need to be dramatic or intense. In fact, the most successful returns to running are usually the gentlest ones.

First things first: make sure your body is ready

Before we talk about motivation or confidence, it’s worth acknowledging the physical side of things. Pregnancy and childbirth place enormous demands on the body, and returning to impact exercise deserves a bit of care.

I strongly recommend seeing a pelvic health physio before returning to running, particularly if you’ve experienced symptoms such as leaking, pelvic heaviness or abdominal separation. A specialist can assess how your pelvic floor and core are functioning and guide you safely back into higher-impact exercise. Fact: the NHS 6 week checkup is not enough to determine readiness for a high impact activity. Also note that once you’re postpartum, you’re postpartum. Whether your child is a baby or in their teens, a pelvic health check is never a bad idea.

There are also a few simple functional checks often recommended before returning to running, such as being able to stand comfortably on one leg, perform small hops without discomfort and manage basic single-leg strength movements. These aren’t complicated tests, but they help confirm that your body is ready for the impact running creates. I have a post on this on my instagram page.

Once those foundations are in place, the rest of the journey becomes far less intimidating.

The real barriers are usually psychological

Interestingly, the biggest obstacle to running again is rarely physical readiness.

More often it’s the mental hurdles that stop women from starting.

You might worry about how slow you’ll be now, or whether people will notice that you’re struggling. You might feel embarrassed at the thought of being seen running when your fitness doesn’t match what it once was. Or perhaps the biggest concern is simply that you’ll start, hate every minute of it, and confirm your suspicion that running just isn’t for you anymore.

These fears are incredibly common, but they tend to fade surprisingly quickly once you start moving again. The first few runs are rarely graceful or comfortable, but they don’t need to be. They simply need to exist.

And as I explain in Why Exercise Makes You Happier, even small amounts of movement can have a surprisingly powerful impact on mood and confidence.

Start with movement, not mileage

One of the simplest ways to ease back into running is to stop thinking about running altogether.

Instead, think about movement.

Five minutes of jogging.
A short walk-run combination.
A quick loop around the block.

These small efforts might feel insignificant compared to what you used to do, but they are exactly how consistency begins. Psychologists refer to these early efforts as mastery experiences, small actions that build confidence and reinforce the belief that you are capable of returning to something.

Over time those five minutes quietly become ten, then fifteen, and eventually something that feels like a proper run again. My first run after a c section with my second child lasted 7.5 minutes. Half of them were walking. I ran the London Marathon less than a year later – so trust me, small actions compound.

Make it easier to enjoy

Another mistake many of us make when returning to running is assuming it has to be serious.

Structured training plans, strict paces and performance goals can all come later if you want them to. At the beginning, the real priority is simply making running feel enjoyable again.

That might mean choosing a scenic route rather than the most efficient one, listening to music or podcasts that make the time pass quickly, or planning a coffee stop as part of the run. You might run somewhere new just to break the monotony of your usual streets.

If you’re struggling to find the enjoyment again, I share some ideas in 10 low-key ways to make running fun again that can make the experience feel much lighter.

Running doesn’t have to happen alone

Another thing that makes returning to running easier is removing the feeling that you have to do it alone.

Community changes the experience of movement dramatically. A local running club, a friend who joins you occasionally, or even a weekly parkrun can transform running from something solitary into something social.

For many mothers, this social element is just as valuable as the exercise itself. It creates connection, accountability and a sense of belonging that makes it much easier to keep showing up.

In fact, this idea of shared movement is one of the reasons exercise can have such a powerful impact on wellbeing, something I talk about in Why You Feel Better After a Run.

Sometimes running happens alongside family life

One of the things that makes running feel possible again for many mothers is finding ways to integrate it into everyday family life.

That might mean running while children are at activities, taking a buggy run in the park, or even letting older children cycle alongside you. Sometimes it simply means accepting that the timing won’t always be perfect, but that small windows of opportunity still exist.

Running doesn’t need to be separate from family life to be meaningful. Often it simply becomes another rhythm within it.

The biggest mistake returning runners make

One of the most common mistakes people make when returning to running is simply doing too much, too soon.

It’s very tempting to head out the door and try to recreate what running used to feel like. You remember the distances you could run before, the pace that once felt comfortable, and part of you wants to prove that you can still do it.

But the body you’re returning with is not the same body you left behind, and that’s completely normal.

If a run hurts, or you find yourself completely out of breath after a couple of minutes, that’s usually a sign you’re pushing harder than your body is ready for. Slowing down isn’t failure, it’s how progress actually happens.

In practice, this often means allowing yourself to walk when you need to, running at a pace that feels almost surprisingly gentle, and focusing on simple visual targets instead of distance or speed. Run to the end of the street, then walk for a minute. Jog to the next lamppost. Give your body space to rebuild gradually.

It can also help to leave the watch at home for a while. Pace and distance have a way of turning running into a performance rather than an experience, and in the early stages that pressure is rarely helpful.

And one final thing that’s easy to overlook: cool down afterwards. A few minutes of gentle walking and some light stretching can make the next run feel far more manageable.

Returning to running is not about proving how much you can do on day one. It’s about building a rhythm that your body actually enjoys returning to.

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Read Next

If you’re returning to running after a break, these articles might help too:

• Why Exercise Makes You Happier
• 10 Low-Key Ways to Make Running Fun Again