Before I get into all things about running with a stroller, I want to say kudos to all of the moms getting it done while pushing a tiny tot - it was a humbling experience for me. I had the opportunity to push my 4 year old on my long run last Sunday. I had a 90 minute long run to get done, and I had the option of hiring a babysitter to watch my daughter as I knocked out my long run, or taking her along for the ride. I decided to purchase a second hand jogging stroller and give it a whirl.

Whether you are going for a shorter run or a longer run, make sure you are prepared for both you and your little. My jogging stroller had a storage basket where I put my bag with extra clothes for Penny in case of an accident (this is very rare but still wanted to be prepared), a water bottle and snacks for both Penny and I, and I made sure Penny had entertainment by bringing her tablet. Make sure to bundle your little one up if it is chilly, because remember they will get some wind in their face making them a little colder. I was lucky to have a sunny day, but if it rains a lot here you are (hello PNW), try to get a rain shield so that your little one can stay dry and warm.

When setting up your stroller, you want to adjust the handle bar height. You want the handle bar to be just below your waist so that you have a slight bend in your elbow and your wrist is in a neutral position. Use the wrist strap! This is an important safety feature (especially if you are running hills) so that the stroller doesn’t run away from you, literally. You will need to switch the wrist strap from side to side as you run, so try to position it where it can be easily moved - the stroller I have did not allow for an easy transition from right to left which was a little frustrating.

Now let’s talk about running form with the stroller. The reason you want the wrist strap in a place where you can slide it easily from side to side, is ideally you want to push with one arm at a time on the stroller while maintaining an arm swing with the opposite side. When you use 2 hands to push the stroller, you lose the natural trunk rotation that occurs with running, which may lead to some back pain and inefficiencies in running. There may be times you need to have 2 hands on the stroller - pushing up a hard hill, navigating tight spaces or turns, or going downhill and want some extra control, but when possible try to push with one hand to encourage a little rotation. You want to switch hands often. Think about switching your pushing hand every 5-10 minutes (again the strap can get annoying), but this will make sure you aren’t overloading one side of your body which may lead to fatigue or pain. Keep your grip loose. Running with a stroller is hard! You may find yourself tensing up. Try not to have a death grip on the stroller, and think more of a light grip to steer only.

You want to keep the stroller somewhat in front of you. A good way to measure the stroller distance is you should have a bend in your elbow - if your elbow is straight this means the stroller is too far out in front of you! On the opposite end of the spectrum, if the stroller is too close to you, you may feel like you feet or shins are hitting or running into the stroller, or you might feel like you are excessively pointing your feet and toes out as to not run into the stroller. By maintaining a little distance between you and the stroller, it will allow for a normal stride and maintaining a higher cadence. We still want to try and get close to that cadence of 170 steps per minute when pushing a stroller, and you setup will be an important part of that.

Ok, now that we have gone over a little of the basics of running with a stroller, lets talk about some of the pros and cons. I’ll be honest, both personally and professionally, I think the cons far outweigh the pros for running with a stroller. Sorry in advance if I just ruined your day. Also remember, this is my opinion, and what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa.

Pros of running with a stroller

• bonding time with your little one. Penny had way more fun than I did. She loved the bumps and downhill speeds, the views, and just spending time with mama. It really was the highlight of her week. She was looking forward to the long run all week and thoroughly debriefed the family after the run.

• allows you to get training in when you do not have childcare or access to a treadmill a home. Some days you just have to get it done without support, and running with a stroller gives you that opportunity.

That’s really all I have for pros. Told you it would be a short list.

Cons of running with a stroller

• it requires a significant amount of strength and endurance. I am in pretty good running shape right now. I have a significant amount of base mileage under my belt, I strength train regularly (and have been for several months), and I just came off a full marathon a few months ago. But this was extremely challenging for me. Penny weighs just under 40#, and the stroller I have has a weight of 27#. That means I was pushing about 70# for 90 minutes. And if you are not familiar with the Pacific Northwest, although it is beautiful place to get some great runs in, there can be lots of hills in certain areas which proved extremely challenging for me. Even going into this with great strength and endurance, I found myself extremely winded at certain points of my run, and I needed to walk to recover at certain times.

• it will increase your risk for injury. Is there research to prove this, I am not sure (maybe I need to do a literature review), but I can tell you from my background as a physical therapist, and what my body experienced, you will be at an increased risk for injury. No matter how good your running setup is, you running for will be altered as one arm will be fixed on the stroller which decreases your trunk rotation. Because of the fatigue I experienced, my cadence was significantly reduced compared to not running with a stroller, and we know cadence is linked to injury rates.

• if you are training for a race, this is not ideal for consistent training runs. You may think that running with this extra resistance means the real thing will be easier. While that might be good in theory, regular training with a stroller will alter your run/walk periods, your zones (if you train based on heart rate zones), and again, will increase your risk for injury.

• there’s quite a bit of impact that your child will take as you run. Even with a well constructed running stroller, I could see how much my daughter’s head swayed from side to side as I took turns, and how much she was jostled when we hit bumps. If you are going to run with a stroller, I highly recommend that you wait until your little one has excellent head and neck control - probably longer than the 6 month recommended time frame.

So is stroller running the right option for you? I guess it depends on your situation and your goals. If your goal is to get some fresh air, bonding time, and short/easy run intervals in, then stroller running may be a good option for you. Again, I would highly recommend you wait until at least 6 months (but ideally longer) so that your little one has excellent head and neck control to sustain the forces while they are in the stroller. I would also recommend you have a solid strength program in place to reduce your risk of injury if you choose to run with a stroller.

If you are training consistently for a race, I highly recommend you do not run with a stroller. There are a lot of changes to running form that happen when you are running with a stroller that increase your risk for injury. No one wants to show up to the start line injured. Also, it requires a significant amount of strength and endurance to get in a good training run while pushing a stroller, and I found it took me a little longer to recover after, which is not ideal when you are training for a race. If I am really in a pinch, I would do it again. But if I had the ability to find care for Penny while I knocked out a long run, that would be much preferred.

I hope this gives you some insight into running with a stroller from both my professional and personal perspective. The marketing for running strollers is strong, and the appeal is definitely there, but I want to make sure that you understand there is so much more to consider!