Improve How You Move : Running Stroller Form

Calling all stroller runners and walkers who want to avoid injuries and get stronger!  Sara, Assistant Race Director of Run She Is Beautiful 5 & 10k is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy with some really great knowledge that she would like to share with you about staying healthy while running with a stroller. We are proud to offer one of the only stroller division races in the country, with our Bumbleride Baby Mama Division and can’t wait to see you out there running with your kids.

Running while pushing little ones is different for every person.  Many of us had idyllic visions of cruising effortlessly through beautiful scenery while our child cheered us on. We were soon hit with the hard reality that a stroller and the weight of that beautiful child was harder than it looks!  

Beyond that, while the cheers of “Go Mama or Dada” can be heard occasionally, keeping said child entertained with endless rounds of “Itsy, Bitsy, Spider” and a constant commentary of all the vehicles you see driving by raised your heart rate to new levels, while your pace still slowed.  

Finally, many people who are picking up stroller running are new moms who have just put their bodies through the rigors of pregnancy and birth. They might have additional areas of weakness caused by these things AND are likely still under the control of hormones that make their tissues more flexible and possibly more prone to injury (these hormones have been shown to remain active in the body until 3-6 months AFTER you stop breastfeeding). With that said, for many parents, a stroller run is the only way for them to get a run in or a time they truly enjoy spending with their child. Today, we would like to bring you some tips to improve your stroller running form, both to prevent injuries AND improve efficiency.      

Written by: Sara Tanza PT, DPT, CFMT  is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the Assistant Race Director for She.is.beautiful 5k & 10k

Learn more about our Speed jogging stroller.

Learn more about the Run She Is Beautiful 5k and 10k in Santa Barbara, CA and Santa Cruz, CA.