Returning to Exercise after Pregnancy
Returning to Exercise After Pregnancy: A Guide to Moving Safely and Confidently
Pregnancy and birth bring incredible changes to your body, and while many new mums are eager to return to exercise, it’s essential to do so in a way that supports healing and recovery. Whether you’re looking to regain strength, return to your favourite activities, or simply feel more like yourself again, here’s what you need to know about exercising safely postpartum.
When Can You Start?
Every birth experience is different, so your return to exercise will depend on factors like your delivery type, any complications, and how your body is healing. In general:
Gentle movements like breathing exercises and walking can begin as soon as you feel ready.
Pelvic floor and core activation can start in the early days postpartum.
For vaginal births with no complications, low-impact exercise may be introduced around 4-6 weeks.
After a C-section, a longer recovery time is needed—often 6-8 weeks before introducing structured exercise.
Always check with your healthcare provider before returning to more intense activities.
Key Areas to Focus On
Rather than jumping straight back into your pre-pregnancy workouts, it’s important to build a strong foundation first. Here’s where to focus:
1. Pelvic Floor & Core Rehab
Pregnancy places significant stress on the pelvic floor and core muscles. Many women experience weakness, diastasis recti (abdominal separation), or incontinence postpartum.
Start with gentle breathing exercises to reconnect with your core.
Practice pelvic floor activation (Kegels) but also learn how to relax these muscles.
Avoid heavy lifting early on, as this can increase pressure on healing tissues.
2. Posture & Alignment
Carrying, feeding, and holding your baby can lead to poor posture and aches, particularly in the back, neck, and shoulders.
Focus on postural awareness and gentle stretching.
Strengthen the upper back and glutes to support better posture and movement patterns.
3. Strength & Stability
Once you’ve regained core control, you can gradually build strength with low-impact exercises such as:
Bodyweight movements (squats, lunges, bridges)
Resistance band exercises
Mat Pilates or reformer Pilates for controlled core and full-body strengthening
Exercises to Avoid Early Postpartum
Certain movements can put excessive strain on healing muscles and tissues. Avoid the following until you rebuild core strength and stability:
High-impact exercises (running, jumping, HIIT)
Heavy lifting
Exercise around diastasis has changed, working the rectus abdominus early is encouraged but you want to make sure you lay the strong foundations with your breath and core activation!
Listening to Your Body
Recovery looks different for every mum, so be patient with your progress. Signs you may need to slow down include:
Increased pelvic pain or pressure
Urine leakage or heaviness in the pelvic area
Coning or bulging in the abdomen
Extreme fatigue or prolonged soreness
If you experience any of these, consider working with a physiotherapist trained in postpartum recovery to guide your return to exercise safely.
Final Thoughts
Returning to exercise postpartum isn’t about bouncing back—it’s about rebuilding strength, confidence, and function in a way that supports long-term health. Start slow, listen to your body, and remember that every step forward is a step towards feeling stronger. You will have some hard nights, and the last thing you want to think about is exercise, but I always encourage the Mum’s I work with to try to still come along. We do a shorter session, and they always leave feeling so much better for moving their body.
Need guidance on your postpartum recovery? Join our Move With Us Postpartum program or book a one-on-one physio session to get personalised support! 💙
Ally x