Parents Who Run With A Stroller Report Fewer Injuries, Study Finds

Pushing 30 extra pounds of toddler and gear for miles at a time sounds like a recipe for sore knees and aching feet. But a new study published in PLOS One found the opposite: parent runners who ran with a stroller reported fewer overuse injuries than parents who ran without one, upending the assumption that stroller running is the tougher workout.

For parents of young children, staying active can feel like solving a puzzle with missing pieces. Nap schedules, feeding routines, and the exhaustion of early parenthood can derail even the most committed runner. Many turn to jogging strollers as a practical workaround, letting them log miles while keeping their child close. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University wanted to know whether that solution came with a hidden cost to the runner’s body, and found the opposite: fewer reported injuries among the parents who pushed a stroller.

Across a sample of 249 parent runners, those who ran with strollers reported a lower rate of overuse injuries than those who ran without them. Among stroller runners, 19% reported getting hurt during the first three years of parenting, compared to 30% among non-stroller runners. Adjusted for mileage, stroller runners were injured at a rate of 0.19 per 1,000 miles, versus 0.42 per 1,000 miles for non-stroller runners, a numerical gap of about 55%. Neither comparison met the study’s threshold for statistical significance, so the difference should be treated as an observed pattern in this dataset, not evidence that stroller running reduces injury risk.

Most Runners in the Study Were Moms Pushing Jogging Strollers

Researchers recruited parent runners between May 2024 and November 2025 through running club emails and social media, asking them to fill out an online survey about their running habits and any injuries during their child’s first three years.

To qualify, someone had to be a parent for at least three years and have been running more than five miles a week at some point before having kids. Nearly 600 people started the survey, but only 249 answered enough questions to make the final cut.

Those 249 split into two groups: 196 who ran with a stroller and 53 who didn’t. The two groups looked similar on paper, matched in age, height, weight, and number of kids. But there was a gender gap. Ninety percent of stroller runners were women, compared to 73% of non-stroller runners, and every woman in the study was the one who’d given birth. That matters because pregnancy triggers hormonal shifts that can loosen connective tissue, which researchers say could shape injury risk on its own, separate from anything a stroller does.

Pace Control and Impact Transfer May Explain the Pattern

Prior research offers some clues, though this study did not measure them directly. Runners pushing a stroller tend to regulate pace more consistently, and some impact forces from each footstrike appear to transfer through the handlebar into the wheels rather than traveling entirely up through the legs. Both are proposed explanations that may plausibly ease the pounding joints and soft tissue absorb over miles of running.

Stroller runners also logged more mileage than non-stroller runners when their babies were six to twelve months old, likely because most jogging strollers aren’t recommended for infants younger than six months, before they can hold their heads up independently. Once that milestone passes, parents with strollers can get out more, while parents without one may still be struggling to find time to run solo.

Stroller use peaked when children were 12 to 36 months old, likely because toddlers handle the ride more comfortably at that stage. After that, stroller mileage gradually declined as children got older and parents shifted more running back to stroller-free miles, though 138 runners in the study still reported using one when their children were six to ten years old.

Plantar Fasciitis Hit Both Groups at Nearly Equal Rates

Despite the overall injury gap, both groups shared one common complaint: plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tissue band connecting heel to toes that causes sharp pain with each step. It made up roughly 15% of injuries in the stroller group and 16% in the non-stroller group.

Researchers think the high plantar fasciitis rates may trace less to stroller use and more to postpartum biology. Pregnancy-related hormonal changes can loosen connective tissue, potentially leaving the foot’s arch more vulnerable to stress, and irregular running schedules may compound that vulnerability. Beyond plantar fasciitis, injury types and locations were broadly similar between groups, with foot injuries most common in both, followed by hip, ankle, and knee problems.

Small Sample Size Keeps the Findings Preliminary

Researchers flagged real limitations here: the sample skewed heavily female, relied on people recalling injuries from up to 20 years ago, and the comparison group was small at just 53 runners. Factors like training intensity, shoe type, and running surface never entered the picture.

None of that means stroller running deserves credit for fewer injuries, or that skipping the stroller causes more of them. What this study offers is a first look at a question nobody had studied this way before: whether the practical choice millions of parents already make comes with a hidden cost to the body. The numbers leaned in the stroller’s favor, but not by enough to call it settled.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a peer-reviewed study and is intended for general informational purposes. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Parents with concerns about running-related pain or injury should consult a physician or physical therapist.

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