Your body just did something extraordinary. Before jumping back into burpees, here's what you need to know about moving safely after having a baby.
The Timeline (General Guidelines)
Everyone is different. These are starting points, not rules. Always get clearance from your healthcare provider.
Vaginal Birth
- Week 1–2: Gentle walking (short distances), pelvic floor activation (kegels), deep breathing
- Week 3–4: Longer walks, gentle stretching, posture work
- Week 6+: Light strength training, modified core work (after provider clearance)
- Month 3+: Gradual return to pre-pregnancy exercise intensity
C-Section
- Week 1–4: Very gentle walking only. No lifting beyond baby weight. Focus on healing.
- Week 6–8: Provider clearance appointment. Start with walking and pelvic floor work.
- Week 8–12: Gentle strength training with modifications. No crunches or planks yet.
- Month 4+: Gradual progression based on how incision and core feel
The Big Three to Address First
Before any "real" workouts, focus on these:
1. Pelvic Floor Recovery
Your pelvic floor supported a growing baby for 9 months. It needs rehab, not just kegels.
- See a pelvic floor physical therapist — this should be standard postpartum care (it is in France and Australia)
- Don't just do kegels — some pelvic floors are too tight, not too weak. A PT can assess
- Signs of pelvic floor issues: leaking when you cough/sneeze/jump, pressure or heaviness, pain during sex
2. Diastasis Recti (Abdominal Separation)
Most pregnant people develop some separation of the abdominal muscles. Before doing core exercises:
- Check for it: Lie on your back, lift your head slightly, feel along the midline of your abdomen. A gap wider than 2 fingers may need attention.
- Avoid: Crunches, sit-ups, planks, and heavy lifting until assessed
- Do: Diaphragmatic breathing, gentle core engagement, heel slides
3. Posture
Feeding, carrying, and staring at your baby all day creates postpartum posture problems: rounded shoulders, tight chest, sore upper back.
- Stretch: Chest doorway stretches, gentle neck rolls
- Strengthen: Upper back rows, shoulder blade squeezes
- Be mindful: Alternate which arm you carry baby with
Safe Postpartum Exercises
Walking — The most underrated exercise. Start with 10 minutes, build to 30–45.
Glute bridges — Safe from early on. Rebuild your posterior chain.
Bird dogs — Gentle core work that doesn't strain diastasis.
Wall push-ups — Progress to incline, then floor as strength returns.
Bodyweight squats — Start without weight, add gradually.
Resistance bands — Low-impact upper body and hip strengthening.
What to Avoid Early On
- Running — Wait until 12+ weeks minimum, ideally after pelvic floor clearance
- Jumping/plyometrics — Same timeline as running
- Heavy lifting — Build back gradually; don't go straight to pre-pregnancy weights
- Crunches/sit-ups — Until diastasis is assessed and recovering
- Any exercise that causes pain, pressure, or leaking — These are signals to scale back
For Support Partners
You can work out together. Even if your partner is doing modified exercises while you do full versions, the shared time matters. Watch the baby between sets. Be encouraging, not competitive.
And if your partner says something hurts — believe them. Postpartum bodies are recovering from a major physical event.
