Johaug Eyes Potential Comeback โArmed with New Research & Elite Athlete Insights
Lausanne, Switzerland – As Therese Johaug prepares forโ motherhood, a growing body of research andโข the experiences of fellow eliteโค athletes like Marit โBjรธrgen and Anna Jรถnsson Haag โคoffer a โฃroadmap for maintaining peak physical conditionโ both during andโข after pregnancy. The โขquestion of whether Johaugโ can return to her championship-winning form is now fueled by scientific โขrecommendations and firsthand accounts of accomplished postpartumโ athletic comebacks.
Recent studies, โincluding one published inโฃ Frontiers in Physiology in May 2018 (Solli โGS, Sandbakk ร. Training characteristics Duringโ Pregnancy and Postpartum in the World’s Most Successful โขCross Country Skier. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00595), highlight the possibility of continued training โthroughout pregnancy and the postpartum period for elite athletes. these findings align with guidelines established by theโข IOC Expert Group Meeting in 2016/17, โsummarized in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Bรธ K, et al. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016/17 evidenceโ summaryโฆ. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097964).
Marit Bjรธrgen, aโ highly decorated โฃcross-country skier herself, successfully navigated pregnancy and returned to competition, demonstrating the viability of continued athletic performance. Anna Jรถnsson โHaag,a Swedish skier,shares her own experience,emphasizing the importance of a strategic approach. “Like myself, and I wantedโค to feel strong during but also after my child’s birth,” she explains. โ
Jรถnsson Haag’s journey involved adapting her โฃtrainingโค regimen. After her firstโ child,โ she began with walks and strength training, gradually reintroducing skiing, running, and moreโ intense โฃworkouts after six weeks. She found cross-training on a cross trainer particularly beneficial in the early postpartum period. Her second pregnancy allowed for โฃa more rapid return to training, noting she “felt stronger โคright away and could start working out more normally even if I was a bit careful with the running.” โค She adhered to recommendations of not pushing beyond โ90% of maximum heart rate during pregnancy.
Jรถnsson Haag believes a comeback โis entirely โpossible for Johaug, but stresses the individual nature โฃof the process.”I would say absolutely! But there are so many factors โyou need to take into accountโฆif everything goes well (orโฃ at least as much as possible) and you have theโฃ mental strength to stay focusedโฆthere are no โคlimits! Our body is amazing, and I feel like I’m a better person since I had my kids. I’m more focused when I work out or race, but I can also relax more and don’t care much about my results. So, โฃI would sayโค yes. I could โฃeven be stronger than before!”
Ultimately, the decision rests withโค Johaug. Though, the combination โคof scientific guidance and the proven experiences of athletes like Bjรธrgen and Jรถnsson Haag provide a strong foundation for a potential return to competitive skiing.