Post Partum Workouts
Returning to training after giving birth is one of those topics that gets a massive range of answers depending on who you ask. Doctors, trainers, social media influencers, everyone has their own opinion, and a lot of them contradict each other. Some will tell you to jump right back in, others will tell you to wait months before doing anything. So how do we actually make sense of this? Being a trainer for over a decade, I’ve worked with a lot of women at different stages. Before pregnancy, during, and after. But more recently, I’ve seen this first hand at home as well. My wife just had a baby, and watching her go through the recovery process gave me a completely different perspective on what post partum training actually looks like day to day. Not in theory, but in real life, with sleep deprivation, time constraints, and everything else that comes with it. For the purpose of keeping this blog straightforward, I’m going to gear this towards the majority of people reading this, someone who has been cleared by their doctor to return to exercise and just wants to feel better, regain strength, and get back into a routine. Not someone trying to rush a “bounce back”. First thing that needs to be said, your body just went through something major. There’s no way around that. Muscles, joints, hormones, and especially your core and pelvic floor have all been affected. So if you’re expecting to pick up exactly where you left off, you’re setting yourself up for frustration right away. One of the biggest mistakes I see, is trying to find that line between doing nothing and doing too much. And that line is extremely important, especially when it comes to the pelvic floor. There’s a bit of a sweet spot here. On one side, if you completely neglect it and avoid using those muscles, you’re delaying recovery. On the other side, if you go too aggressive too early, whether that’s heavy lifting, high impact movements, or even overdoing specific pelvic floor exercises, you can actually make things worse or cause complications. That’s why the approach needs to be controlled and gradual. A lot of people assume more is better when it comes to rebuilding strength, but with the pelvic floor, that’s not the case. These muscles are already under stress from pregnancy and delivery. Hammering them every day without proper recovery isn’t speeding things up, it’s just adding more strain. So where do you start? Just like anything else, keep it simple. Focus on: Controlled breathing and core engagement Light pelvic floor activation (not max effort every time) Low impact movements Light resistance training Short, manageable workouts From what I’ve seen both in the gym and at home, the people who do best are the ones who stay patient and consistent, not the ones who try to fast track the process. Another thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is fatigue. Not just physical, but mental as well. Lack of sleep plays a massive role in recovery, coordination, and overall performance. I’ve seen workouts that would normally feel easy become a challenge simply because of broken sleep the night before. This is where adjusting expectations becomes important. Progress in this phase isn’t measured the same way it was before. It’s not about pushing intensity or hitting personal bests. Sometimes a successful workout is simply showing up, moving your body, and not making things worse. Consistency vs intensity becomes even more important here. I would take someone doing 20-30 minute workouts, 2-3 times a week consistently, over someone trying to go all out once a week any day. Especially post partum. Your body will respond much better to gradual, repeatable effort rather than random spikes of intensity. Lifestyle also plays a massive role. You’re not just fitting workouts into your schedule anymore, your entire routine has changed. Some days things will go smoothly, other days they won’t happen at all. That’s part of the process, not a failure. One thing I’ve noticed watching my wife go through this is how easy it is to second guess everything. Am I doing too much? Am I not doing enough? That’s where understanding that “sweet spot” becomes important. If something feels off, whether it’s discomfort, pressure, or just not feeling right, that’s your body telling you to pull back a bit. On the flip side, if everything feels good, gradually building from there is the right move. The goal here isn’t to rush back to where you were before. It’s to rebuild properly so you don’t create bigger issues down the road. Like most things in fitness, there isn’t one perfect answer that applies to everyone. There are too many variables involved. But if you take anything away from this, let it be this, there is a balance between doing too little and doing too much. Find that middle ground, stay consistent, and give your body time to recover. Everything else will fall into place. Until then, enjoy your workouts.