Imogen Williams Physiotherapy and Pilates

I speak to so many women who have quietly stopped running, changed routes based on toilet access, worn dark leggings “just in case”, or accepted leaking as something they have to live with after having children.

But leaking with running is common… not normal.

Your pelvic floor is part of your whole system. Running places repeated load and pressure through the body, and if the pelvic floor isn’t managing that pressure well, symptoms like leaking can happen.

That doesn’t automatically mean your pelvic floor is “weak” either.

Sometimes it’s about:

* pressure management
* breathing mechanics
* strength and coordination
* return to impact too quickly
* stiffness or tension through the pelvic floor
* fatigue and load
* core and hip strength
* running technique

And yes, pelvic floor exercises can help, but they’re only one piece of the puzzle.

You shouldn’t have to give up running because of leaking.

With the right assessment, rehab and graded return to impact, many women can get back to running confidently again.

If this is something you’re struggling with, please know you’re not alone and support is available 🤍

Save this post for later or send it to a running friend who needs to hear this.

6 weeks postpartum is often treated like some magical milestone.

But recovery after birth doesn’t work like that.

At 5 weeks postpartum, it’s not that you should be doing nothing.
And at 6 weeks, you don’t suddenly become “ready” for everything.

For many women, there are things you can start doing much earlier than 6 weeks:

- walking
- breathing work
- pelvic floor rehab
- gentle mobility
- early strength foundations (when appropriate)

The key is building things back up gradually.

What that progression looks like will be different for everyone depending on:

• your pregnancy and birth experience
• symptoms like leakage, heaviness, pain or abdominal separation
• your previous exercise levels
• your goals (general movement, strength training, running, sport etc.)
• your sleep, energy and recovery
• the support you have around you

There is no universal “return to exercise” timeline after having a baby.

The better question is:
What is my body ready for right now, and what’s my next step?

Postpartum recovery isn’t all or nothing, it’s a gradual rebuild.

Did you feel pressure around the “6 week” mark? 👇

For a while after having kids, I genuinely believed this version of me was gone.

Not just the time to exercise, but the confidence, routine and feeling of moving for me.

Motherhood changed everything- my body, my priorities, my energy levels, and my relationship with exercise.

And even now my kids are a bit older and more independent, the journey is still evolving. It doesn’t suddenly become easy. Life is still full. Time is still limited. Exercise still has to fit around family life.

But I’ve learned it doesn’t have to look like it did before to still count.

Movement after kids isn’t about “getting back” to who you were. Sometimes it’s about building something new that works for this stage of life.

If this resonates, keep an eye out for content on returning to exercise after having kids and rebuilding confidence in your body.






What has been the biggest barrier to exercise for you since having children?

Some clients become much more than clients ❤️

Yesterday was my last 1:1 Pilates session with Flick before she heads back to work after maternity leave and I’m not quite ready for our weekly sessions to end 🥲

We started Pilates together in her pregnancy, with plans for postnatal sessions after baby arrived… but then life threw a huge curveball when Flick had a nasty horse riding accident, sustaining multiple pelvic fractures whilst also juggling a newborn and toddler.

Those first sessions looked very different to what we’d planned. Crutches, partial weight bearing, learning to walk comfortably again, and lots of brainstorming around practical things like… how do you actually look after a baby when you can’t weight bear?!

Fast forward to now and she is absolutely smashing it. Back running, back to strength work, pushing herself with hard exercises and looking so strong.

Watching someone go from such a tough place back to doing what they love is honestly one of the best parts of my job.

Going to miss these sessions and chats a lot. Good luck back at work Flick ❤️

I tell people I’m a physio and they’re like “oh yeah, backs and knees…”

Then I say I specialise in pelvic health and suddenly I’ve got their full attention 😂

There’s always a pause…
then the questions start…

“What actually is a pelvic health physio?”
“Wait… you do pelvic floor exams?!”

Yes… yes I do 👀

And honestly, I’m always happy to answer the questions.

So if you’ve ever wondered what a pelvic health physio does…

you’re not weird for asking 🤍