Running With Your Baby: How to Safely Use a Jogging Stroller
No matter how experienced you are at jogging or running, like everything else in life after having a baby, jogging is going to be different, and something you may have to relearn. Even if you’ve chosen one of the best jogging stroller choices available, you are going to have to change your gait to accommodate it, learn the best way to push a stroller while you jog, and learn the essential ways to keep your baby—and yourself—safe while you jog.
When is it Safe for a Baby to Ride in One of the Best Jogging Strollers?
Babies should not be placed directly into a jogging stroller until around eight months old. Before that time, a typical infant will not have proper control of their head and neck. Before eight months old, babies can safely ride in strollers with car seat inserts, but at no faster than a brisk walk. As your baby grows, you can transition to a jogging stroller without a travel system insert. The best jogging strollers will recline nearly flat for young infants. You can slowly raise the incline as your baby develops head and neck control, and increase your walk to a jog or run when your baby reaches eight months old and has strong muscle control.
How Can I Ensure My Baby’s Safety in a Jogging Stroller?
- Reject the Recline: Your baby should not be reclined during your jog. When the seat is reclined, the jogger is more likely to accidentally hit the stroller with their knees while running, causing instability.
- Give Your Bag the Sack: Studies have shown that many jogging stroller accidents occur when heavy diaper bags or purses are hung on the handlebars of a stroller, throwing off the balance. This is especially true when babies are small and lightweight. Instead of bringing a diaper bag along on your jog, pack a stroller side pocket with a couple of diapers and a travel pack of wipes, and any other items you may need. Packing the storage pockets on both sides of the stroller can aid in balancing.
- Use Your Wheel Lock: The best jogging stroller options come with front wheels that can be switched from swivel to lock. When on swivel, the stroller has increased maneuverability so when you are simply strolling you can navigate around obstacles. When you jog or run, however, your front wheel should be locked for greater stability.
- Use Your Harness: You should always have your baby strapped into the stroller seat with the five-point harness included with the best jogging strollers. This is essential both to protect the baby from falling out, but also to add greater support to your baby’s body while you jog.
- Always Brake During a Break: When you stop your jog or walk for any reason, be sure to engage your stroller’s parking brakes. The best jogging strollers are lightweight and streamlined to ensure a smooth jog, which means they can easily roll away unexpectedly if the brake is not engaged.
- Get the Strap: An important accessory to purchase for your jogging stroller is a safety wrist strap. These are designed to attach the parent’s wrist to the stroller handlebar to eliminate the possibility of the stroller becoming separated from the parent.
- Use Your Sun Canopy: Children should always be protected from the elements, such as wind and UV rays, with a sun canopy. Many of the best jogging strollers come with extendable sun canopies with parent peek-a-boo windows so you can see through to your baby if the baby is facing away from you.
- Choose Your Route: It’s also important to consider the safety of the route you intend to jog or run. Heavy traffic areas should be avoided, and trail running shouldn’t be attempted until your baby is well able to sit upright and support themselves through rough terrain. Dedicated jogging paths or bike paths are the best options for jogging with young babies in a jogging stroller. Always have your phone charged and with you in case of emergencies.
The best jogging stroller can feel like a lifeline to a new mom. Even an experienced mom with two children in a double jogging stroller may view her stroller as a sanity-saving tool that gets her and her toddlers out of the house and into the fresh air and sunshine. You can even stash a bottle, a few diapers, and other just-in-case essentials in the undercarriage. A mom can stay in shape—both physically and emotionally—while jogging, and meanwhile, her children are out in the fresh air, enjoying the stimulation of the outdoors.
Resources— FitnessMagazine.com, MapMyRun, FitnessCenter
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