For parents with young kids, getting back into running often means pulling out the jogging stroller. Pushing a big stroller might feel harder and change the way you run, but a new study from Penn State Berks shows that running with a stroller can actually reduce the impact on your legs, which may lower your chance of getting hurt.

The study, published in PLOS One, found a small trade-off. While running with a stroller reduces the impact with each step, it increases the twisting forces on your feet as you push off the ground. These twisting forces aren’t as clearly linked to injuries as step impact is, the researchers said.

“While a lot of research looks at running effort, this is the first study to see how forces on the body change when running with a stroller,” said Allison Altman Singles, the lead author. “Understanding this trade-off can help with stroller design, coaching, and preventing injuries for stroller runners.”

Almost 8 out of 10 runners get injured each year, the study notes. Researchers wanted to see how running with a stroller changes forces on the body that are linked to common injuries, like knee pain, stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis.

They measured two main things: vertical loading (the force going up into your body with each step) and torsional loading (how much your foot twists when you push off the ground). High vertical loading is strongly connected to overuse injuries, while high torsional loading may also contribute but is less studied.

For the study, 38 healthy men and women who ran at least five miles a week ran both with and without a stroller over a special force plate that measured impact with each step.

The results showed that running with a stroller reduced vertical loading by 8% to 17%, meaning less impact per step and a lower chance of injury. “When you run with a stroller, your hands and arms help support some of your weight,” Singles explained. “This takes pressure off your legs.”

However, torsional loading increased a lot—sometimes more than four times—because holding the stroller limits natural rotation in the upper body. This makes the feet twist more to keep moving the stroller forward in a straight line.

Even though torsional loading increased, it’s not as strongly linked to injuries as vertical loading, and better stroller design or running tips could help reduce it.

“The main point is that stroller running is safe,” Singles said. “In many cases, it may even lower your risk of overuse injuries.”

The research team is continuing to study stroller running to learn more about these body mechanics and what kinds of injuries stroller runners might get.