Postpartum Return to Exercise
Get Back to the Activities You Love
Expert guidance for postpartum athletes returning to running, CrossFit, lifting, and high-impact activities—without leaking or pelvic pressure.
For Active Women
You Don't Have to Give Up Being an Athlete
You were a runner, a CrossFitter, a lifter, a soccer player. Then you had a baby. Now you're leaking when you jump, feeling pressure during workouts, or afraid to even try running because you don't know if your body can handle it.
You don't have to accept this as your new normal.
As a former NCAA Division I track and field athlete who's been postpartum four times, Dr. Danaya understands both personally and professionally what it's like to rebuild your athletic identity after pregnancy. She knows the frustration of feeling like you don't recognize your own body, and she knows how to get you back.
With the right progression, pelvic floor support, and core rehabilitation, most postpartum athletes can return to running, jumping, lifting, and high-impact activity—completely leak-free and without symptoms.
Common Athletic Issues Postpartum
What's Holding You Back?
Leaking During Running or Jumping
Peeing a little—or a lot—when you run, jump rope, or do box jumps. Wearing a pad or dark shorts just in case. Planning your route around bathrooms. This is stress urinary incontinence, and it’s the #1 reason runners seek pelvic floor PT. The vast majority of runners return to completely leak-free running with proper treatment.
Learn about incontinence treatment →Pelvic Pressure or Heaviness
Feeling of downward pressure during exercise, especially with running or heavy lifting. Often indicates weak pelvic floor support or mild prolapse that needs targeted strengthening.
Learn about prolapse treatment →Core Weakness & Instability
Can't engage your core properly, lower back hurts during workouts, or you feel unstable during lifts. Often related to diastasis recti or loss of deep core connection postpartum.
Learn about diastasis recti →Fear of Injury or Re-Injury
Nervous about jumping back into training too soon and making things worse. You need a progressive plan to safely rebuild without risking pelvic floor damage.
Unable to Lift Heavy
Feel weak or unstable with barbell work, Olympic lifts, or deadlifts. Your core and pelvic floor need to relearn how to create intra-abdominal pressure safely.
Loss of Athletic Identity
You feel disconnected from your athletic self. Running used to be "your thing" and now you can't even jog without leaking. This impacts not just your body but your mental health.
Why You're Still Leaking
Why Kegels Alone Don’t Fix Running Leaks
Running demands speed, not just strength. Your pelvic floor needs to contract and relax roughly 180 times per minute at normal cadence. A slow, sustained Kegel doesn’t train that kind of response—it’s like preparing for a sprint by doing wall sits.
Effective treatment for leaking while running involves training your pelvic floor for fast-twitch response, progressively loading it with impact forces, and coordinating it with your breath and core. That’s what pelvic floor PT does that Kegels alone can’t.
What Actually Stops Running Leaks:
- Fast-twitch pelvic floor training: Teaching your muscles to fire quickly in response to impact—not just hold a squeeze
- Impact loading progression: Gradually exposing your pelvic floor to increasing impact—walking → marching → hopping → jogging → running
- Core pressure management: Coordinating your breath, core, and pelvic floor so they work together during running
- Running mechanics: How you land, your cadence, and your posture all affect how much force your pelvic floor absorbs
- Hip and glute strength: Building the surrounding muscles so your pelvic floor isn’t doing all the work alone
Working with Athletes
Why Dr. Danaya Gets It
As a former NCAA Division I track and field athlete at Southern Utah University, Dr. Danaya brings an athlete's perspective to postpartum rehabilitation. She understands:
- The mental and emotional toll of losing your athletic identity
- The frustration of being told to "just be patient" when you're ready to train NOW
- The difference between general fitness and true athletic performance
- How to safely push your limits without ignoring your body's signals
- The importance of getting back to sport for your mental health—not just physical health
She's treated runners training for marathons, CrossFit athletes preparing for competitions, powerlifters returning to heavy barbell work, and recreational athletes who just want to play with their kids at the park without leaking.
Patient Stories
What Patients Say
“Danaya was amazing to work with. She was helpful in getting me back to my normal self after having a baby. My neck and back pain are gone. I can workout normally without pain. Dry needling was very helpful in releasing my tense muscles. I will continue to go back to her when I need it!”
— Morgan Maloy — Postpartum Recovery
*Reviews reflect Dr. Danaya’s work at her previous Utah Valley practice
Common Questions
What Athletes Ask
When can I start running postpartum?
Ultimately it depends on your own fitness levels and symptoms, not a calendar. Before returning to running, ideally you can pass a return to run fitness test to ensure your body can handle the impact. This includes things like single leg activities, core exercises, jumping, and jogging in place. Dr. Danaya can assess your readiness and create a safe progression plan.
I'm leaking when I run. Can PT really fix that?
Yes! The vast majority of runners with postpartum stress incontinence return to completely leak-free running with proper PT. It's one of the most reliably successful conditions to treat.
Can I lift heavy again after having a baby?
Absolutely—with proper technique and progression. Many postpartum women return to deadlifting, squatting, and Olympic lifting. It requires rebuilding core support and learning to manage intra-abdominal pressure, but it's very achievable.
Will I ever be as fast/strong as I was before kids?
Many athletes actually become stronger and more resilient postpartum once they fully heal. Your timeline will be different, and your training may need modifications, but there's no reason you can't achieve high-level performance again. Some Olympic athletes have medaled AFTER having babies.
How long will it take to get back to my sport?
We used to use timelines not really based on any evidence. More and more research is being done that shows we can potentially return to high intensity exercise much sooner than we originally thought. It’s ultimately up to what your pre-pregnancy and pregnancy fitness levels were, how your birth went, and what your symptoms are right now. You can feel confident that we will get you back to your sport on a timeline specific to your own body.
Why do I pee when I run?
Running creates 2-3 times your body weight in impact force with every stride. Your pelvic floor has to contract fast enough to handle that pressure—roughly 180 times per minute at normal running cadence. If those muscles can’t respond quickly enough, urine leaks out. This is called stress urinary incontinence, and it’s a coordination and speed problem—not just a strength problem. That’s why Kegels alone rarely fix running-related leaking. Pelvic floor PT trains your muscles for the specific demands of running.
Related Conditions
You May Also Be Interested In
Ready to Get Back to Your Sport?
Schedule Your Free Consultation
Let's create a plan to get you back to running, lifting, and the activities you love—safely, effectively, and symptom-free.
Book Free ConsultationCurrently serving Spanish Fork, Payson, Salem, Santaquin, Elk Ridge, Woodland Hills, Mapleton, Springville, and surrounding Utah Valley communities