What Exercise Is Safe After Having a Baby?

One of the questions I hear all the time from new mums is:

“When can I start exercising again after having my baby?”

The answer is not quite as simple as “wait six weeks”.

Your body has been through pregnancy, childbirth and a huge amount of physical change. Your recovery will depend on your birth experience, whether you had a vaginal or caesarean birth, any tears or complications, your pelvic floor function, your abdominal recovery and the type of exercise you want to return to.

The good news is that movement is an important part of postpartum recovery, and you do not have to wait until you feel completely “back to normal” before you start.

The key is knowing what is appropriate for your body right now and how to progress gradually.

So, what exercise can you do after having a baby?

Walking

Walking is one of the easiest ways to start moving after birth.

You can begin with short, gentle walks and gradually increase the distance and pace as your body feels ready.

Walking can help with general fitness, circulation, strength and your mental wellbeing, while allowing you to gradually build your tolerance to activity.

If walking causes increased pelvic heaviness, bleeding, pain or other symptoms, that is a sign to ease back and get some advice.

Strength training

Strength training is an important part of postpartum recovery.

You do not need to be afraid of lifting weights after having a baby. Gradually rebuilding your strength can help you return to the activities you enjoy and cope with the physical demands of motherhood.

Start with movements that feel comfortable and manageable, such as:

Squats

Sit to stands

Bridges

Lunges

Rows

Gentle upper body strengthening

Functional lifting

Your baby’s weight counts too.

As your strength improves, you can gradually increase resistance, repetitions and complexity.

The goal is not to avoid loading your body. It is to build your capacity to handle load.

Pilates and gentle core exercises

Gentle Pilates and core exercises can be a great way to reconnect with your abdominal muscles, breathing and pelvic floor after pregnancy.

Rather than focusing on “getting your tummy flat”, postpartum core rehabilitation should be about function. We want your abdominal wall, diaphragm, back and pelvic floor to work together to manage pressure and movement. Exercises can be progressed over time as your body becomes stronger.

What about running?

This is where I encourage women to be a little more patient.

Running is a high impact activity and places considerably more demand on your pelvic floor and body than walking. That does not mean you cannot run after having a baby.

It means you want to build towards running rather than simply return to it.

Before returning to running, it is worth making sure you can comfortably manage lower impact activities and strengthening without symptoms such as:

Urinary or bowel leakage

Pelvic heaviness or pressure

Vaginal bulging

Pelvic or lower back pain

Abdominal pain

Significant symptoms that worsen during or after exercise

A pelvic health physiotherapist can assess your strength, pelvic floor function and impact tolerance and help you develop a gradual return to running plan.

What about the gym?

You absolutely can return to the gym after having a baby.

The important question is not “Can I lift weights?”

It is:

“What level of load can my body currently manage?”

You might start with lighter weights and controlled movements before gradually progressing.

As your capacity improves, you can return to heavier lifting, more challenging exercises and your usual gym routine.

Your pelvic floor is part of the picture

Your pelvic floor needs to respond to changes in pressure when you cough, sneeze, lift, jump and exercise.

Some women experience leaking or heaviness after childbirth. Others do not.

If you are experiencing symptoms, do not assume you simply need to do more pelvic floor squeezes.

Sometimes the pelvic floor is weak.

Sometimes it is overactive or tight.

Sometimes the issue is coordination rather than strength.

And sometimes there are other factors contributing to your symptoms.

That is why an individual assessment can be so useful.

What symptoms mean you should slow down?

Your body will give you clues when you are progressing too quickly.

Pay attention to:

Pelvic heaviness or pressure

A feeling of vaginal bulging

Urinary or bowel leakage

Pelvic, abdominal or back pain

Symptoms that are consistently worse later that day or the following day

These do not necessarily mean you have caused damage, but they are a reason to reduce the intensity or volume and consider getting some individual advice.

There is no need to rush your recovery

It is easy to compare yourself with other mums on social media who appear to be back running, lifting weights or doing intense workouts just weeks after having a baby.

Try not to.

Your postpartum recovery is not a competition.

The aim is not to get back to your pre pregnancy exercise routine as quickly as possible.

It is to build a body that is strong, resilient and capable of doing the things you love.

That might mean running a half marathon.

It might mean getting back to Pilates.

It might mean returning to the gym.

Or it might simply mean being able to lift your baby, carry the groceries and get through your day without pain or leaking.

All of those goals are valid.

When should you see a pelvic health physiotherapist?

You do not have to wait until something is seriously wrong.

A postpartum pelvic health assessment can be useful if you:

Want advice about returning to exercise

Are unsure whether you are ready to run

Experience bladder or bowel leakage

Feel pelvic heaviness or pressure

Have pelvic or abdominal pain

Have concerns about your pelvic floor

Want help rebuilding your abdominal and core strength

Are recovering from a tear, episiotomy or caesarean

Simply do not feel confident about what your body can currently do

Your body has done something incredible. Now let’s help it get strong again.

At Bump & Beyond Physio, I help women safely navigate pregnancy, postpartum recovery and their return to exercise.

Whether you are wanting to get back to running, the gym, Pilates or simply feel stronger and more confident in your body, your rehabilitation should be individualised to you.

Not sure where to start?

Book a postpartum pelvic health assessment and let’s work out what your body is ready for now and how to safely progress from there.