Jessie Mundell brings a postpartum client back to running in stages, not on a date. Here's how to coach it in scope.
The "6-week check" is not a green light to run - and rushing impact after birth risks real problems. Jessie Mundell coaches a graded, symptom-aware return: build the foundation, stage the impact, and let readiness and symptoms set the pace. This breakdown covers her system in our own words, adds our take for coaching it online, and is scrupulous about where a coach's job ends and a pelvic-floor physiotherapist's begins.
By Markus Evers · September 2026 · a Coachway video breakdown
the short version
Mundell's case is that returning to running postpartum is a graded progression governed by readiness and symptoms, not a date: build foundational strength and lower-impact loading first, stage the return to impact gradually, and treat leaking, heaviness or pain as signals to back off and refer - not to push through. The one thing a coach should do about it: stop treating the 6-week check as clearance to run, build the return in stages that symptoms and medical guidance drive, and keep pelvic-floor and clinical questions with a pelvic-floor physiotherapist.
Jessie Mundell - 5 Step System for Returning to Running Postpartum
Source: Jessie Mundell on YouTube - "5 Step System for Returning to Running Postpartum". Watch on YouTube. We embed the public video and summarise it in our own words; the video, title and channel belong to Jessie Mundell, and nothing here implies her endorsement of Coachway.
Who is Jessie Mundell, and why coaches watch
Jessie Mundell is a coach who specialises in pregnancy and postpartum fitness, working with women and with the coaches who train them on how to program safely and progressively through and after pregnancy. Her content focuses on the details general fitness advice ignores: core and pelvic-floor considerations, staging a return to impact, and respecting the recovery timeline. Coaches watch her because the postpartum client is a large, under-served group that most training education never covers, and getting the return-to-impact progression right - within scope, alongside the right clinical support - genuinely matters. This return-to-running system is a clear, responsibly-framed example, which is the lens this page is written for.
What Mundell actually argues (our summary)
This is our summary of the ideas in the video, in our own words - not a transcript. Watch the original for her exact framing and examples.
- 1
It's a progression, not a date. The 6-week check isn't clearance to run - return to impact is staged and governed by readiness, not the calendar.
- 2
Build the foundation first. Core and lower-impact strength and loading come before running, so the system is ready for impact.
- 3
Stage the impact. Progress from walking to low impact to gradual running as the client tolerates it - not straight back to a run.
- 4
Watch the symptoms. Leaking, heaviness, pressure, pain or coning are signals to reduce load and refer - not things to push through.
- 5
It's individual - and clinical support matters. Every recovery differs; work within medical clearance and alongside a pelvic-floor physiotherapist.
Coachway's take
We think this is important and badly under-served: postpartum clients are often either told to "listen to your body" with no structure, or handed a generic running plan that ignores what their body has just been through. A graded, symptom-aware system is exactly the middle path - real structure that respects the recovery. For a coach who works with postpartum women, having a staged progression and knowing which symptoms mean stop is a genuine competence upgrade.
The most valuable habit here is progressing on symptoms and readiness rather than the calendar. The "6-week check" myth causes a lot of harm because it gets treated as a finish line, when it's barely a starting point. Building the foundation first, staging impact, and being willing to slow down or stop when symptoms appear is the responsible version - and it's also better coaching, because rushed impact tends to cause the setbacks that derail a return entirely.
A scope note, because this is health-sensitive. This is training-coaching guidance, not medical advice, and postpartum recovery sits close to a clinical lane. Pelvic-floor function, diastasis recti, prolapse, C-section or perineal recovery, pain, and clearance to exercise belong with a pelvic-floor physiotherapist and the client's physician. A coach programs the training progression within that clearance and guidance, refers out with a low threshold, and treats symptoms - leaking, heaviness, pressure, pain, coning - as a reason to reduce load and send the client to the right professional, not to program around.
So our version of her approach is: build the foundation before impact, stage the return to running gradually, progress on readiness and symptoms rather than a date, monitor for the warning signs - and coach it firmly within medical clearance and alongside a pelvic-floor physiotherapist, referring anything clinical out.
Stage the progression, watch the symptoms
A symptom-governed progression needs the stages laid out and the symptoms visible - both live in the platform. You build the staged return - foundation, low impact, gradual running - in the workout builder, so the client advances step by step rather than jumping to a run. The symptom and readiness signals you gate each stage on come back through check-ins - so a client reporting leaking, heaviness or pain surfaces immediately, you hold or regress the load, and you refer to their pelvic-floor physio. The system is Mundell's; the platform keeps the progression and the symptom-monitoring together so you coach safely and in scope.
For related women's and running coaching, the companion breakdowns on Debra Atkinson on strength after menopause and James Dunne on running form cover adjacent populations and the running itself.
The postpartum return-to-running stages (in scope)
A short staged progression for returning a postpartum client to running, with the symptom-and-referral guardrails built in. Progress on readiness and symptoms, never a date - and stay in the training lane.
Return-to-running stages
| Stage | Focus | Gate to advance |
|---|---|---|
| 0. Clearance | Medical clearance + pelvic-floor assessment | Cleared by the client's clinician/physio |
| 1. Foundation | Core, hips, lower-impact strength | Strong, symptom-free base |
| 2. Low impact | Walking, then graded impact drills | No symptoms under low impact |
| 3. Run progression | Walk-run, gradually building running | Tolerates load symptom-free |
| Any symptom | Leaking / heaviness / pain / coning | Reduce load & refer to pelvic-floor physio |
How to use it: only begin once the client is cleared by their clinician and (ideally) assessed by a pelvic-floor physio, build the foundation, then stage impact - advancing only when the client is symptom-free at the current load. Any warning symptom means reduce load and refer. Training-coaching guidance only, not medical advice; pelvic-floor and clinical matters go to a pelvic-floor physiotherapist and physician.
POSTPARTUM RETURN-TO-RUNNING STAGES (via Coachway) - progress on readiness + symptoms, NEVER a date; stay in the training lane - 0. CLEARANCE -> medical clearance + pelvic-floor assessment | gate: cleared by the client's clinician/physio - 1. FOUNDATION -> core, hips, lower-impact strength | gate: strong, symptom-free base - 2. LOW IMPACT -> walking, then graded impact drills | gate: no symptoms under low impact - 3. RUN PROGRESSION-> walk-run, gradually building running | gate: tolerates load symptom-free - ANY SYMPTOM -> leaking / heaviness / pain / coning | REDUCE load & REFER to a pelvic-floor physio HOW TO USE: Only BEGIN once the client is cleared by their clinician and ideally assessed by a pelvic-floor physiotherapist. Build the FOUNDATION, then STAGE impact - advancing only when symptom-free at the current load. ANY warning symptom (leaking, heaviness, pressure, pain, coning) means REDUCE load and REFER. TRAINING-COACHING guidance only, NOT medical advice. Pelvic-floor function, diastasis, prolapse, C-section/perineal recovery, pain and clearance belong with a pelvic-floor physiotherapist and physician. The 6-week check is not clearance to run.
Postpartum return to running - FAQ
When can a postpartum client start running again?
There's no universal date, and the common '6-week check' is not a green light for impact - it's a starting point for a conversation, not clearance to run. Return to running is a graded progression that depends on the individual's recovery, their symptoms, and ideally an assessment of pelvic-floor and core readiness. Some are ready to build toward impact sooner, others need much longer, and rushing it risks pelvic-floor and other issues. Jessie Mundell's framing is a staged system: build the foundation, progress impact gradually, and let symptoms and readiness - not the calendar - decide the pace. And clearance to begin should come from the client's medical provider, not from the coach.
What symptoms mean a client should back off?
Signs that the current load is more than the recovering system can handle: urinary leaking, a feeling of heaviness, dragging or pressure in the pelvic floor, pain, or visible 'coning'/doming of the abdomen under load. These aren't things to push through - they're signals to reduce load, and to refer the client to a pelvic-floor physiotherapist for assessment rather than to program around them yourself. A coach's job is to build load gradually and watch for these signs; interpreting and treating them is a clinical role. If symptoms appear, back off the impact, and route the client to the right professional.
Is this medical advice for postpartum clients?
No - this is training-coaching guidance, and postpartum recovery sits close to a clinical lane, so the boundaries matter a lot. Pelvic-floor function, diastasis recti, prolapse, C-section or perineal recovery, pain, and clearance to exercise are matters for a pelvic-floor physiotherapist and the client's physician - not the coach. The coach's role is the training progression - foundational strength, staged impact, sensible load - delivered within whatever guidance the client's medical team has given, and with a low threshold to refer. Coaching a postpartum return to running responsibly means staying firmly in the training lane and sending anything clinical to the right professional.
What is the coach’s role versus the physiotherapist’s?
The physiotherapist assesses and treats: pelvic-floor and core function, symptoms, readiness for impact, and any rehab the client needs. The coach programs the training: building foundational strength, staging the return to impact, managing overall load, and coaching the running itself once the client is cleared and building well. The two work together, with the coach staying in scope and deferring to the clinical assessment. The best outcome for a postpartum client is usually a coach and a pelvic-floor physio on the same page - the physio confirms readiness and handles symptoms, the coach builds the capacity and the running progression around that guidance.
More women's-training and running breakdowns
- · Debra Atkinson on strength after menopause - training another under-served women's population.
- · James Dunne on running form - coaching the running the client is returning to.
- · The full library: fitness creator coaching breakdowns.
Coach under-served clients well
all guidesDebra Atkinson on Strength Training After Menopause (Coach Breakdown)
Debra Atkinson (Flipping 50) on ordering strength work for post-menopause clients, broken down for coaches: highest-demand power and compound work first while fresh, accessories and conditioning after, volume matched to a slower recovery curve. Training guidance, not medical advice.
Read the guideJames Dunne on Running Form (Coach Breakdown)
James Dunne (Kinetic Revolution) on running form, broken down for coaches: coach posture, cadence, footstrike under the centre of mass, arm carriage and relaxation as a film-and-drill skill - changed gradually. Technique coaching, not injury treatment.
Read the guideWill Harlow on Strength Training Over 50 (Coach Breakdown)
Will Harlow's minimum-effective-dose strength approach for clients over 50, broken down for coaches: a small, consistent dose focused on the movements that preserve independence, programmed scope-aware.
Read the guideFree tools for this: Running Pace Calculator · VO2 Max Calculator · Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Stage the return, in scope
A postpartum return to running is a symptom-governed progression - so the stages and the symptom-monitoring have to live together. In Coachway you build the staged plan in the workout builder and watch symptoms in check-ins, holding or regressing load and referring out when needed. Start your 14-day free trial and coach this client responsibly, alongside their physio.
