Postpartum running in Dubai: How to get back onto the track

Getting back into running can be tough for some mums. Founder of the post-natal running group Trax Tribe, Tala Elajou, discusses her journey back onto the track

Running, babies and the post baby weight are never exactly easy topics to talk about; it’s a minefield for mental health, your body isn’t the body you had pre pregnancy, you are wracked with the guilt that comes with wanting to get out of the house and have some time alone running. How about the fact that you find yourself inexplicably unable to control your bladder the way you’re used to? These are the first thoughts that will come through our minds as new mums wanting to get back out running, but the tip of the iceberg.

The first question that will arise is, when can I start running after having a baby? Now, not all doctors will understand how important running might be to you, but at the end of the day, a doctor is the one who can assess the impact pregnancy has had on your body. Your OB or family doctor is the best person to give a general timeline for how long you should take off before attempting to run again, and their word is important.

Usually, the general recommendation is six weeks off after giving birth, but even that may not be enough depending on numerous and personal factors. Your mind might feel ready to go, but your body might not be. Or maybe, your body feels good to go, but mentally you don’t feel good about it yet. Don’t feel ever any pressure to rush back.

After getting the all clear from your OB, it is also worth seeking advice from a pelvic floor therapist (Tamara Ghazi at DISC is a fantastic chiropractor who worked with me throughout my pregnancy and has now also become a pelvic floor specialist), because this is one expert who really knows what the body has been through during pregnancy and birth. Not only will a pelvic floor therapist be able to see where your body is really at, but they understand what a postpartum mother is going through better than most physicians, and will likely give you the all-clear around the same time your intuition would have told you it is time.

Whenever you decide that it’s your time to go, be prepared for a long and bumpy road ahead. You will go through so many ups and down and you will be humbled because you will struggle.

Eight months after having my son, I ran the Berlin Marathon. It was my own postpartum journey that led me to realize how lonely postpartum running can be. I did all my training for the marathon on my own. I would have loved to have had a group of likeminded women to go through the same journey I had, go for a run in a sleep deprived state yet, share that same goal of running again after having had our babies.

That’s where the idea of Trax Tribe came along. A post-natal running group in Dubai. This isn’t about training for a marathon, we did that in child labor. This is about a community created for mum’s that love to run. Getting back into running won’t be easy, but with Trax Tribe, the journey can be easier for you. I want mums to feel supported, be part of a community of likeminded mamma’s who love to run and are on the same journey.

Mums, if you’re looking to get back into running or try it out for the first time, Trax Tribe will be that support, that family (which we need as expats), that community who guide you throughout your whole post part journey, and who knows along the way, you’ll make some lifelong friends and run in races you never thought you would have after having a baby.

Join Trax Tribe every Sunday and Wednesday from 8:30AM at a Springs location and Kite Beach. For full details, visit the tribe’s Instagram @traxtribe