Postpartum workouts: a first-year plan, from walking to lifting

The first postpartum workout is a walk and some pelvic floor exercises. Not a HIIT class, not a 6-week transformation, and not a plan that assumes your body owes anyone a deadline. The official guidance builds the first year in stages: gentle movement in the early weeks, low-impact work and light strength after that, and running and heavier lifting from around 3 months at the earliest, once your pelvic floor and abdominal wall are ready for it.

This post lays out that first year as a postnatal fitness plan, using only what the guidance actually says. When you want structure on top, exrsz, the AI coach, can build the weeks around your life, but the order below comes first.

Before anything else: check with your doctor, midwife or a pelvic health physiotherapist before you start or step up exercise after birth. Everything here assumes they've agreed. Nothing here is medical advice or a diagnosis.

Postpartum workout plan: what the guidance agrees on

Four sources do most of the work in this post, and they point the same way.

• ›ACOG says exercise routines may be resumed gradually after pregnancy as soon as medically safe, depending on the mode of delivery (vaginal or cesarean) and any medical or surgical complications. Some women can resume physical activity within days of delivery, and pelvic floor exercises can start in the immediate postpartum period (ACOG, 2020).
• ›The NHS says that after a straightforward birth you can start gentle exercise, such as walking, gentle stretches and pelvic floor exercises, as soon as you feel up to it. It suggests getting advice at your 6-week postnatal check before high-impact exercise such as aerobics or running, and talking to your midwife, health visitor or GP before anything strenuous if you had a more complicated delivery or a caesarean (NHS).
• ›The WHO recommends that postpartum women without contraindication do regular physical activity, at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity through the week, and a variety of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities (Bull et al., 2020).
• ›The return-to-running guideline by physiotherapists Tom Goom, Gráinne Donnelly and Emma Brockwell recommends a low-impact exercise timeline for the first 3 months, then a return to running between 3 and 6 months at the earliest (Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell, 2019).

Notice what's missing: a date when you're "back". The 150 minutes and the strength work are where the year is heading, not where week one starts. A full training week, like a women's 3-day split, comes back in stages too. And if you're thinking about the longer arc, strength training for women over 40 explained covers why lifting matters more as the decades go on.

Before you start: the 6-week check and a pelvic health assessment

The NHS says your postnatal check should happen 6 to 8 weeks after birth, to make sure you feel well and are recovering properly (NHS). It's a good time to ask about exercise. On its own, it isn't clearance for everything.

The return-to-running guideline goes further: it recommends that every woman, however she gave birth, gets a pelvic health assessment with a specialist physiotherapist, from 6 weeks postnatal. It also says the evidence base for returning to exercise after birth in general is limited, so its recommendations combine the best available evidence with clinical opinion (Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell, 2019).

The NHS lists a few things worth knowing before your first session (NHS):

• ›Your lower back and core abdominal muscles may be weaker than they used to be.
• ›Your ligaments and joints are more supple for a few months after birth, so there's an increased risk of injury if you stretch or twist too much.
• ›Your pre-pregnancy sports bra probably doesn't fit any more. Get measured.
• ›Your feet may have changed size and shape, so new shoes may be worth a fitting too.

Postnatal fitness plan, phase by phase

The guideline's Appendix 2 gives an example of exercise progression for the first 3 months. The authors say plans will vary with your birth experience and any issues, so treat the weeks as a rough order, not a schedule to beat.

If you trained through pregnancy, from first trimester exercises onward, you're not starting from zero, but the phases still apply. Pre-baby fitness is useful. It isn't a pass to skip ahead.

Source: Appendix 2, Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell, 2019.

On swimming, the NHS adds a specific wait: until 7 days after your postnatal bleeding has stopped (NHS).

Weeks 0–6: walking and the pelvic floor

This phase is short sessions and a lot of walking. The NHS suggests pushing the pram briskly with your arms bent and back straight, taking the stairs, and walking short journeys. Its pelvic floor routine builds up to 10 long squeezes and 10 short squeezes, at least 3 times a day (NHS). How to do them, and the gentle abdominal work alongside, is the subject of postnatal core work.

Weeks 6–12: low impact and light strength

After your postnatal check and with your care provider's OK, the guideline's example adds low-impact cardio, power walking and light resistance work. The deadlift is introduced as technique, at a weight no heavier than a baby in a car seat, because you're going to lift one of those dozens of times a day anyway.

Months 3–6: running, if you pass the screen

The guideline says return to running is not advisable before 3 months postnatal, or beyond that if any symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction show up. At 3 months or more, after a screen of load and impact tests, it supports starting with around 1 to 2 minutes of easy running with walk breaks. The full progression is in the postpartum running plan explained, and it's deliberately slow.

Months 6–12: building toward the full week

This is where the WHO targets become the goal: regular moderate activity adding up to 150 minutes a week, plus muscle-strengthening work. Lifting heavier comes back gradually in this stretch, and a guide to postpartum strength training covers how. If you want to run with a buggy, the guideline recommends waiting until your baby is at least 6 to 9 months old, in line with manufacturers' guidance, using a buggy designed for running and starting with a two-handed technique.

A sample postnatal workout week

This is an illustration, not a prescription. It shows how one week around months 4 to 6 might look for someone whose physio has cleared running and progressive lifting. Your week depends on your birth, your recovery and what your care provider says.

The pelvic floor work continues daily throughout. Short sessions are fine: the WHO's guidance counts activity spread through the week, and its notes say some physical activity is better than none (Bull et al., 2020).

After a caesarean

Recovery after a caesarean takes longer, and the NHS says to talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP before starting anything strenuous (NHS). The return-to-running guideline notes that uterine scar remodeling extends beyond 6 weeks, and cites research finding that abdominal fascia has regained 51% to 59% of its original tensile strength by 6 weeks after a caesarean and 73% to 93% at 6 to 7 months (Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell, 2019). The same phases apply, just with more patience and your care team setting the pace.

Breastfeeding, sleep and mood

Breastfeeding. ACOG says regular aerobic exercise while breastfeeding has been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness without affecting milk production, composition or infant growth. It suggests feeding or expressing before exercise to avoid discomfort, and making sure you're well hydrated (ACOG, 2020).

Sleep. The return-to-running guideline calls sleep key for recovery from physical and psychological stress, and suggests daytime naps timed with your baby's sleep where you can (Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell, 2019). In practice: on a night of two hours' sleep, the walk counts and the hard session can wait.

Mood. The NHS says depression can be common in the months after having a baby, and that gentle exercise can help boost your mood. If you're worried about how you're feeling, it says to talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP (NHS). Exercise is something to do alongside that conversation, not instead of it.

Signs to back off or get help

The return-to-running guideline lists signs that make seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist especially important, quoted word for word (Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell, 2019):

• ›"Heaviness/ dragging in the pelvic area (can be associated with prolapse)"
• ›"Leaking urine or inability to control bowel movements"
• ›"Pendular abdomen or noticeable gap along the midline of your abdominal wall"
• ›"Pelvic or lower back pain"
• ›"Ongoing or increased blood loss beyond 8 weeks postnatal that is not linked to your monthly cycle"

It also says: "Heaviness, dragging, incontinence or moderate to severe pain may suggest excessive training distance or intensity." The guideline describes these problems as "common but not normal". Common enough that nobody should be embarrassed. Not normal enough to train through.

How exrsz handles this

exrsz builds a periodized plan from your goal, schedule, level and equipment, balances running and lifting in one plan, adapts each week to how you actually trained, and reshuffles missed sessions, which in the first year is a lot of them. It doesn't assess your pelvic floor or give medical advice. Check with your doctor, midwife or a pelvic health physiotherapist first, then build from where they say you are.

FAQ

When can I start a postpartum workout?

After a straightforward birth, the NHS says you can start gentle exercise such as walking, gentle stretches and pelvic floor exercises as soon as you feel up to it (NHS). After a complicated delivery or a caesarean, talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP first.

What should a postnatal workout plan include in the first 3 months?

The return-to-running guideline's example includes pelvic floor exercises, basic core work and walking first, then squats, lunges and bridges, low-impact cardio, and light resistance work from around 6 to 8 weeks (Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell, 2019). Plans vary with your birth and recovery.

How much exercise should I aim for after having a baby?

The WHO recommends postpartum women without contraindication work toward at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening activities (Bull et al., 2020). Build up to it gradually with your care provider's agreement.

Can I exercise while breastfeeding?

ACOG says regular aerobic exercise while breastfeeding has been shown to improve fitness without affecting milk production, composition or infant growth, and suggests feeding or expressing first (ACOG, 2020).

Is the 6-week check clearance for any postpartum exercise plan?

Not on its own. The NHS suggests getting advice at the check before high-impact exercise (NHS), and the return-to-running guideline recommends a pelvic health assessment from 6 weeks and no running before 3 months (Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell, 2019).