When Can You Start Exercising After Baby? A Guide for New Moms

You had a baby—congratulations, mama! You’re likely eager to get back to feeling strong and moving your body again. But how soon can you safely start exercising after giving birth? The truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. Your postpartum recovery timeline depends on factors like whether you had a vaginal or C-section delivery, as well as any complications during childbirth. With patience and consistency, it’s possible to return to the activities you enjoyed before having a baby. Taking the time to establish a strong base of strength and reconnect with your pelvic floor and core will set you up for long-term success. In this post, I’m here to guide you through understanding when it’s safe to start exercising and how to begin with confidence. By the end, you’ll feel ready to take those first steps toward rebuilding your strength. Plus, I’ve got a free First Postpartum Workout to help you get started!

The Importance of Rest and Recovery in the Early Weeks

After nine months of pregnancy and the physical demands of childbirth, your body needs time to heal. Think about all the changes your body went through: your organs shifted to make room for your growing baby, your diaphragm was pushed upward, your pelvic floor endured intense pressure, and your abdominal muscles stretched significantly. And that’s not even including everything your body experienced during delivery. Now, you’re likely spending hours each day holding, feeding, and soothing your baby—all while navigating sleep deprivation.

It’s essential to give yourself grace and patience during this recovery period. Healing from childbirth isn’t a race, and there’s no prize for bouncing back quickly. For most women, it can take anywhere from 9-12 months or more to feel like they’ve reached a new “normal.” And that’s okay! Everyone’s recovery timeline is different. The goal is to focus on gradual healing and rebuilding a strong foundation, so you can regain your strength and enjoy all the activities you love.

When Is It Safe to Start Exercising?

One of the most common questions postpartum women ask is, “When can I start exercising again?” The answer varies based on your individual experience and delivery type. You can start very gentle mobility exercises and breathwork while you are still in the hospital, as long as it feels good and you didn’t experience any complications during pregnancy or delivery. If you had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, you might feel ready to begin a gentle exercise routine as early as one week postpartum. Typically, when you feel ready to move your body more than just walking around your house and taking very short walks around your neighborhood, you can start with simple mobility movements like lower trunk rotations, cat-cow stretches, and diaphragmatic breathing. These exercises help get your body moving again in ways it couldn’t during pregnancy and help you reconnect with your core and pelvic floor muscles. The first step to regaining strength through your pelvic floor and core is having the control to activate and relax those muscles when you want.

For those who had a C-section or experienced complications, it’s generally advisable to wait a bit longer—around 4 weeks or more—before starting any exercise routine. It’s always a good idea to consult with your OB-GYN for personalized advice on when to begin, especially if you had any complications during pregnancy or delivery. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests that if you had a healthy pregnancy and no complications during delivery, you may begin gentle exercise as soon as you feel ready, even just a few days after giving birth.¹

You don’t need to wait until your 6-week postpartum checkup to start moving your body, but any exercise before 6 weeks should be low-impact, gentle, and pain-free. Walking is a great way to ease into movement; start with short, gentle walks around your house or neighborhood and gradually increase the duration as you feel comfortable.

How to Tell If You’re Pushing Yourself Too Hard

It’s crucial to listen to your body during postpartum recovery, as doing too much too soon can set you back. Here are some signs that you might be overdoing it:

Increased bleeding: Heavier bleeding can indicate that your body needs more rest. If you notice this, reduce the intensity or duration of your activities.

Pelvic floor heaviness or pain: A feeling of heaviness or discomfort in your pelvic area may signal that your pelvic floor isn’t ready for certain movements. Consider scaling back on exercises or focusing on gentler, pelvic floor-friendly options.

Core doming or coning: If you notice coning or doming in your abdomen during exercises, your core muscles aren’t yet ready for that level of demand. Modify your movements and reduce the intensity.

Leaking during exercise: This can be a sign that your pelvic floor muscles need more time to strengthen before taking on high-impact activities.

As your body heals, you can gradually increase the difficulty and intensity of your workouts. Start with low-impact, bodyweight exercises and progress to more challenging, weighted movements as your strength improves. Before jumping into high-impact activities like running, jumping, or CrossFit, make sure you’ve built up sufficient strength in your core, glutes, hips, and pelvic floor.

Recovering from childbirth is a journey that requires patience, consistency, and listening to your body. In this post, you’ve learned when it’s safe to start exercising postpartum, the importance of gentle movements in the early weeks, and how to recognize when you might be pushing yourself too hard. By taking small, intentional steps, you can safely regain your strength and return to the activities you love.

Remember, your body is strong and capable of healing. Every woman’s journey is unique, and there’s no rush to get back to intense workouts. The goal is to build sustainable, long-term strength. To help you get started on your postpartum fitness journey, grab my free First Postpartum Workout! It includes step-by-step exercises designed to safely ease you back into movement. Let’s work together to help you feel strong and confident in your body again!

1. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-after-pregnancy ↩︎