Women’s Health Blog: Your Guide to Returning to Exercise Postpartum

About Postpartum

In the postpartum period, balancing physical recovery with the gradual reintroduction of exercise can present both opportunities and challenges, often leaving people who have birthed wondering where to start and how to approach it safely.

There are many factors that play a significant role in the safe return to exercise including pre-pregnancy exercise history, overall pregnancy experience, birth circumstances and recovery, and life commitments.

Benefits of exercise:

Much like exercise in pregnancy, there are many benefits to exercising postpartum that may assist with physical and psychological changes. This may include but is not limited to:

Enhancing energy levels
Improving cardiovascular health
Improving mental wellbeing, reducing stress and helping prevent or manage postnatal depression
Improving pelvic floor strength, reducing the risk of incontinence and POP (pelvic organ prolapse)
Reduces the severity of diastasis recti (abdominal separation)
Reduce lower back pain and pelvic girdle pain

(Victoria Department of Health, 2023) (The Royal Women’s Hospital 2024).

When to start exercising postpartum?

After giving birth, recovery and rest are the most important things to consider.

Before introducing any type of exercise postpartum, it is recommended to consult with your Doctor/Midwife and/or a Women’s Health Physiotherapist to ensure your body is healing well and exercise is suitable and safe to do so (The Royal Women’s Hospital 2024).

What exercise can you do?

Once you have received clearance from your Doctor/Midwife and/or a Women’s Health Physiotherapist to exercise, having an assessment with a Women’s Health trained AEP before starting and progressing any exercise load, duration or intensity is recommended (The Royal Women’s Hospital 2024). Progressing exercises are subjective to every individual based on factors such as type of delivery, recovery and exercise history (Inge et al., 2022) (Victoria Department of Health, 2023).

Please see below for an outline of what you can expect when commencing exercise postpartum.

Immediately Post Birth

Focus on resting and recovery, incorporating some light walking, pelvic floor exercises,
and light abdominal control exercises (Inge et al., 2022)

6 weeks Postnatal

Light resistance training may commence, focusing on breathing and technique, ensuring
correct posture
Low impact aerobic exercises such as walking and swimming (if bleeding has stopped)
Yoga & Pilates

12-16 weeks Postnatal

Exercise load, frequency and duration may be increased
Higher-impact exercises may be introduced

16 weeks +

Gradually increase exercise as appropriate (The Royal Women’s Hospital 2024)

What to consider when exercising postpartum?

Exercise should not hurt. If, when exercising, you experience any pain or unexplained symptoms, it is important to stop immediately and seek further assistance from your Doctor and/or Women’s Health Physiotherapist (Victoria Department of Health, 2023). Similarly, if you are feeling fatigued, overwhelmed or just not feeling it, sometimes rest is best, and that is okay! (Victoria Department of Health 2023)

‘Postnatal depletion’ is a term commonly used to describe the symptoms of nutritional depletion, sleep deprivation and the mental load that may arise as you enter this new role (Inge et al. 2022). Listen to your body, rest as required, and ensure to fill your body with nutrient-dense foods and hydration, especially before exercise (Inge et al. 2022).

It is also important to consider the support in the clothing you are wearing. As your breasts change, your pre-pregnancy bra will likely not fit as well, which may cause discomfort (Victoria Department of Health 2023). Depending on your birth circumstances, you may also need to consider wound/scar healing if you experienced any tears, stitches or caesarean section.

When to slow down:

If you experience any of the below, please stop exercising and consult your AEP for assistance and potential review with your Doctor.

Highly increased fatigue
Generally feeling unwell
Muscle aches, strains and pains
Breast lumps and/or tenderness
Colour change in postpartum vaginal flow (lochia) to pink or red
Heavier lochia flow
Lochia flow starts again after it had stopped

(Victoria Department of Health, 2023)

References and useful resources:

Philippa Inge, Jessica J Orchard, Rosie Purdue, John W Orchard. (2022). Exercise After Pregnancy. Australian Journal of General Practice[online]. 52, 1. Available From: https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2022/march/exercise-after-pregnancy

The Royal Women’s Hospital, (2024) The Royal Women’s Hospital,
https://www.thewomens.org.au/health-information/pregnancy-and-birth/your-health-after-birth/exercise-after-birth

Victoria Department of Health, (2023) Better Health Channel,
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/postnatal-exercise#the-benefits-of-postnatal-exercise

Written By: Shannon Colbourne and Millie Nixon