Trail Running During Pregnancy

Are you hoping to continue running those trails through pregnancy? If yes, it’s good to know that for most trail runners, continuing to run through pregnancy is possible. Yay! We can hear the sigh of relief!

Of course, based on your body and pregnancy, you may need to make some modifications to your usual trail running. 

• A lot of women’s feet enlarge during pregnancy and so you may need to size up or find a wider trail shoe. 
• Being sure that you pack plenty of water and food for your trail run, perhaps more than you might usually take. Staying hydrated is important during pregnancy, as well as having food available when you need it. 
• Bringing a friend along for a trail run and paying closer attention to the weather are helpful during pregnancy too. 
• As your belly grows and your balance is changing, it can help to avoid more technical trails or handle the technical trails at a slower pace. 

Information from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists highlight the benefits of exercise during pregnancy. Those benefits include:

• Reducing back pain
• Easing constipation
• Potentially decreasing the risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean birth
• Promoting healthy weight gain during pregnancy
• Improving your overall fitness and strengthens your heart and blood vessels
• Helping you to lose the baby weight after the baby is born

Also, keep in mind that pregnancy can often come with periods of nausea or general feelings of low energy, so during those times, it’s ok to give your body more rest and skip the run. 

Also, be sure to check in with your trusted medical professional and let them know what types of exercise you are doing, that way they can make recommendations for you based on your specific pregnancy.

Enjoy those trails Mama!

- Michelle