Stroller running linked to lower overuse injury rates for new parents

Anyone who has run while pushing a stroller knows stroller running can feel cumbersome and hard on the body. But does it increase the risk of injury? According to a new study from researchers at Penn State Berks, the answer appears to be no.

The study, published TODAY (Aug. 12) in the journal PLOS One, found that parents who ran with a stroller were less likely to sustain an overuse injury during the first three years after becoming a parent compared to those who ran without a stroller. For every 1,000 miles run, parents who ran with a stroller saw a 55% lower injury rate compared to those who ran without a stroller.

This study is among the first to look at injury patterns in parents who run. We saw that running with a stroller is safe and can help sustain physical activity during early parenthood.”

Allison Altman-Singles, senior author, associate professor of kinesiology and of mechanical engineering at Penn State Berks

According to the researchers, previous studies have shown that running with a stroller alters the way a person runs. Stroller runners tend to have shorter strides, lean forward more, twist less through the torso and run slower. In this study, the researchers explored if and how running with a stroller influenced running habits and injury risk compared to running without a stroller.

The researchers recruited participants who had been a parent to children aged 0 to 3 within the last 20 years, who ran more than five miles per week before becoming a parent and who ran when their child was between six months and three years of age. Using a web-based survey, participants reported their running mileage from the time their child was born until age 10 and any injuries suffered during the first three years after becoming a parent.

The parents were then separated into two groups – those who ran regularly with a stroller and those who didn’t. The two groups were similar in age, height, weight, age when they had their first child and number of children. Most participants were female, particularly among the stroller running group.

Among 196 stroller runners and 53 non-stroller runners included in the final data analysis, 30% of those who ran without a stroller reported an overuse injury, compared to 19% of those in the stroller running group. The rate of injury for every 1,000 miles run was lower among stroller runners, too. Non-stroller runners were also more likely to experience multiple injuries during the first three years after becoming a parent.

“When you run with a stroller, you unweight the body a little bit, taking away some of the downward force by pressing on the handlebar, so you experience lower vertical loading,” Singles said. “This change in biomechanics may relieve some of the stress on weight-bearing joints, which may explain why we see fewer injuries among stroller runners, particularly knee injuries, which are common among runners.”

Prior research, led by Singles, found that running with a stroller decreases the force and impact of each step. The researchers explained that running with a stroller may also encourage parents to regulate their pace and run with a consistent cadence, or steps per minute – both of which are associated with lower injury risk, Singles said.

Both groups did report a high incidence of plantar fasciitis, a condition where the connective tissue along the bottom of the foot becomes inflamed, accounting for 15% of all reported injuries in the stroller-running group and 16% of all reported injuries in the non-stroller-running group. Given that most participants in both groups were women and were the birthing parent, Singles said that the incidence of plantar fasciitis may potentially be linked to physiological changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period, rather than the act of running with a stroller. For instance, factors like weight gain as well as hormonal shifts during pregnancy and the postpartum period, which can affect elasticity of connective tissues, could increase injury risk.

The study also tracked how running mileage changed based on a child’s age. Between birth and six months, neither group ran much, but by one year, both groups were running similar mileage. Stroller use peaked when children were between six months and three years old before declining as the child got older.

“The stroller also allowed people to run more when their child was between 6 and 12 months old,” Singles said, with stroller runners logging 34% more miles than non-stroller runners. “The stroller can help runners get out and exercise.”

The research team noted several limitations to the study including the relatively small study population for an injury study. The survey didn’t tease out factors that could potentially contribute to injury risk such as breastfeeding status and whether participants had additional children during the study period.

The research team plans to continue to investigate issues related to stroller running such as the motivational factors that influence whether or not someone chooses to run with a stroller. They will also continue to investigate the biomechanical changes associated with running with a stroller.

First author Houn “Grace” Kim was an undergraduate student at Penn State Berks during the time of the research and received her undergraduate degree in 2025. Andrew Friesen, associate professor of kinesiology at Penn State Berks, also contributed to this paper.