Maternity fitness series: Can postpartum fitness begin right away?

Posted: April 18, 2025

This is the third blog in a series that aims to empower you throughout your pregnancy and postpartum journey by debunking common myths.

After having a baby, you might want to get back into the gym right away. The experts at Sanford Sports in Sioux Falls are debunking the myth that postpartum fitness can begin immediately.

Generally, you should wait six weeks before returning to your fitness routine. You may need to wait longer depending on the type of delivery you had and if there were any complications. Talk to your provider before starting a postpartum fitness routine. 

Take it slow

Once your doctor has given you the OK to start exercising again, it can still take your musculoskeletal system up to three months to fully recover.

“Even when you’re cleared at six weeks following a normal pregnancy and a normal delivery, those muscles and ligaments still aren’t fully recovered,” athletic trainer Jenny Dalland said. “It’s very important to ease into exercising.”

If you choose to breastfeed, pregnancy-related hormones can linger and affect your muscles too. 

“The hormones that are released during pregnancy and during delivery promote relaxation of the muscles and ligaments,” senior strength and conditioning coach Kaity Soukup said. “Many women experience weakness through their hips or tightness in their hamstrings or hip flexors. Returning to activity too fast, too soon can increase your risk for injury.”

If your body isn’t ready to get back into the gym, try going for a walk. But it’s still important to take it slow.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, even on a walk,” Dalland said. “Listen to your body. If you go for a walk and you notice you have heavier bleeding after going for 30 minutes, that’s your body saying, ‘Hey, you overdid it. We’re not ready for this yet.’ Try a 10- or 15-minute walk next time.”

Start with pelvic floor exercises

Dalland and Soukup recommend seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist before getting into a postpartum fitness routine. 

“You can see them before you see your doctor at six weeks, if you’re trying to get on top of strengthening your pelvic floor or figuring out where your body’s at after delivery,” Soukup said.

“They’re great resources for assessing your core strength and pelvic floor strength,” Dalland said. “They’ll give you the right guidelines to get you back to activity. Pelvic floor tightness, ligamentous changes and other factors can happen, and by getting a good assessment by a pelvic floor specialist, they’re going to be able to get you back in the gym safely.”

Direct access allows patients to use physical therapy services without a doctor’s order, although some insurance plans may require a referral.

Progress into more intense workouts

Getting back into high-intensity exercises should be a gradual experience, especially if you had a C-section.

“Those moms are still waiting for their scar to heal,” Soukup said. “Some say after four weeks your scar has healed, but because of how deep the cut is, it may not be fully healed the way that you want it to. Yes, it’s closed from the outside, but it could still be healing the deeper tissues inside. That’s something to consider before going all in on exercising. Your body will tell you when you’ve done too much, and you need to be OK with listening to it. You may need to hold back for a little bit longer and ease into it.”

Sanford Sports Performance has resources to help you progress.

“If you were a runner and were unable to run during your pregnancy, or if you were running but want some guided assistance, we have a postpartum return to run program,” Dalland said. “You’ll get a comprehensive list of exercises to guide you back to running using an anti-gravity treadmill.”

Reach out to our team to see what other resources are available depending on your needs.

Team up with a coach

Sanford Sports Performance will help you create a postpartum fitness routine after you see a pelvic floor physical therapist. 

“We can take information from that visit and create a more comprehensive program to your needs,” Dalland said. “Can we still do things without that? Yes, but it helps us understand any underlying issues that we can’t assess.”

A coach will schedule a consultation with you to discuss your needs, schedule and how your postpartum journey is going.

“We also take into consideration what they were doing pre-pregnancy and what they like doing,” Soukup said. “We want it to be an enjoyable time. If they’re only taking 30 to 60 minutes out of their day to focus on themselves, we want them to have fun.”

Balance rest and exercise

Sleep is crucial for everyone, but especially for a new mom who’s still recovering from labor.

“Being physically active is important, but rest is just as equally important,” Soukup said. “If you need to take a nap instead of working out, that might be what’s best for your body that day.”

Take time to manage your mental health, too.

“We’ve talked about the physical changes that occur in the body postpartum, but there are psychological changes too,” she said. “It’s important to take care of your mental health and get help if you need it.”

Give yourself grace

Every pregnancy, delivery and baby are different. If you feel like your recovery is taking longer than you’d like, be kind to yourself.

“No journey is the same, and most of the time it doesn’t go the way you planned,” Soukup said. “Give yourself grace and understand that sometimes it just takes a little more time to get back into your fitness routine. I know it can frustrate people but just know that eventually you’ll get to where you want to go.” 

At Sanford Sports Performance, we want you to feel empowered through your postpartum journey. When you’re ready, our coaches and trainers can help you create a customized postpartum fitness plan that fits your goals, needs and schedule. Contact us to get started.