Two weeks postpartum may feel like a lifetime and a blink of an eye all at once. Your body has accomplished something incredible, but you might be wondering when you can gently begin moving again. The desire to “bounce back” is natural, but understanding where your body truly stands in its recovery journey is essential for making smart decisions about exercise.
This comprehensive guide explores the reality of 2-week postpartum recovery, provides gentle exercise options, and helps you recognize the warning signs of doing too much too soon. Whether you delivered vaginally or via C-section, a general wellness-based approach will support your return to movement while respecting your body’s recovery timeline.
Remember, every postpartum journey is unique. What feels right for one person may not work for another, and that’s completely normal. Your recovery depends on factors like your birth experience, pre-pregnancy fitness level, and individual recovery patterns.
Always consult your physician before starting any recovery fitness program to ensure it’s suitable for your specific needs.
At two weeks postpartum, your body remains in the early stages of a complex recovery process. Understanding what’s happening internally can help set realistic expectations for what you can and should do physically.
Your uterus, which expanded dramatically during pregnancy, continues its journey back to pre-pregnancy size. This process, called involution, takes approximately six weeks to complete (1). At two weeks, you may still experience some bleeding (lochia), which is your body’s way of shedding the remaining pregnancy lining.
If you had a vaginal delivery, recovery around any tears or episiotomy should be progressing, though the area may still feel tender, puffy, or bruised (2). C-section recovery involves additional considerations – your incision site may feel numb and tender, with some discomfort when coughing, sneezing, or laughing being completely normal (3).
The hormonal shifts occurring in these early weeks can be intense. Your body is transitioning from pregnancy hormones to establishing either breastfeeding hormones or returning to pre-pregnancy levels. This hormonal rollercoaster often manifests as mood swings, heightened anxiety, or the “baby blues” – all completely normal responses to this massive physiological change (4).
These emotional fluctuations, combined with sleep deprivation and the overwhelming nature of caring for a newborn, can significantly impact how you feel about exercise and movement.
Your pelvic floor muscles, which supported your growing baby throughout pregnancy, may still be recovering from the stretching and potential trauma of delivery. Many women experience some degree of temporary urinary incontinence, particularly when sneezing, coughing, or lifting. This doesn’t indicate permanent damage – it’s a sign that these muscles need time and proper training to regain their function (5).
BetterMe: Health Coaching app helps you achieve your body goals with ease and efficiency by helping to choose proper meal plans and effective workouts. Start using our app and you will see good results in a short time.
One aspect of postpartum recovery that’s often overlooked is the internal reorganization happening in your abdomen. Your organs, which were displaced to make room for your baby, are literally reassembling within your abdominal cavity. This deep-level recovery process takes time and energy, even when you can’t feel it happening externally.
Whether you’re breastfeeding or not, your breasts have undergone significant changes. Nipple soreness, engorgement, and sensitivity are common experiences that can affect your comfort during movement and exercise (4).
Read more: Your 6-Week Postpartum Workout Plan
The answer is cautiously optimistic: you can start gentle movement, but with important caveats and considerations.
Most healthcare providers recommend avoiding structured exercise programs for the first six weeks postpartum (6), but this doesn’t mean you need to remain completely sedentary. The key is distinguishing between gentle, restorative movement and actual working out.
Gentle movement that focuses on awareness, breathing, and basic mobility is generally considered supportive for overall wellness. These activities support circulation, aid recovery, and help encourage relaxation and mood balance during a challenging time (7).
Your readiness for movement depends on several factors (8):
Your body provides clear feedback about what it can handle. Pay attention to how you feel during and after gentle movement. Increased bleeding, discomfort, excessive fatigue, or any concerning symptoms suggest you may mean it’s best to pause and rest.
These gentle exercises focus on awareness, breathing, and basic movement patterns that support your recovery without overwhelming your postpartum body.
Pelvic Floor: Pubic Bone Breathing
Deep Breathing Exercise
This diaphragmatic breathing pattern can help calm your nervous system and encourage relaxation and recovery.
Gentle Ankle and Foot Movements
These simple movements may help support circulation and can be done anywhere at any time.
These movements help ease puffiness and maintain basic mobility in your lower extremities.
Neck and Shoulder Releases
The physical demands of caring for a newborn – feeding, carrying, and constantly looking down – can create noticeable tension in your neck and shoulders.
Legs up the Wall
This restorative pose helps reduce temporary puffiness in your legs and promotes relaxation.
Pelvic Tilts
This exercise can help support core awareness and circulation.
Creating a structured routine from these gentle exercises can provide the benefits of movement while respecting your body’s current recovery needs.
Frequency: 3-4 times per week, or as energy and time allow
Duration: 10-20 minutes total
Intensity: Very gentle, focusing on awareness rather than effort
Warm-up (2-3 minutes):
Main sequence (5-10 minutes):
Cool-down (3-5 minutes):
Notes:
Before you start any routine, assess your current state. Ask yourself:
If you’re feeling particularly tired, in discomfort, or notice increased bleeding, consider scaling back to just breathing exercises or gentle stretching.
Your routine should enhance how you feel, not deplete you. Scale back immediately if you experience:
This early postpartum period is about establishing awareness and connection, not building fitness. Focus on consistency over intensity. As you feel stronger and more comfortable, you can gradually extend the duration of your sessions or add more repetitions.
Remember that progress may not be linear. Some days you may feel great, while others may be more challenging. This variability is completely normal and expected.
Read more: The Real Postpartum Workout Routine Every Mom Needs
Understanding what to avoid is just as important as knowing what’s gentle. These guidelines help protect your recovery body from potential setbacks.
Don’t Attempt High-Impact Activities
Running, jumping, plyometric exercises, and high-intensity interval training place significant stress on your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. These tissues need time to recover and regain strength before handling impact forces (9).
High-impact activities also may increase your risk of injury when your joints are still loose from pregnancy hormones, and your coordination may not be fully restored (9).
Don’t Lift Heavy Weights
Your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor aren’t ready to handle the intra-abdominal pressure created by heavy lifting. Avoid weights heavier than your baby for now (10).
This includes household activities such as moving furniture, lifting older children repeatedly, or carrying heavy grocery bags. Ask for help with these tasks during your recovery period.
Don’t Ignore Discomfort
Discomfort is your body’s protective signal that something isn’t right. Never push through sharp or unusual discomfort, or any sensation that doesn’t feel normal.
This includes back tension, pelvic pressure, or any kind of “pulling” sensation around incision sites or recovery areas.
Don’t Focus on Intense Abdominal Exercises
Traditional crunches, sit-ups, planks, and other intense abdominal exercises can worsen diastasis recti (abdominal muscle separation) and put excessive pressure on your pelvic floor recovery (10).
Your core system needs gentle retraining before it can handle these demanding movements.
Don’t Compare Your Recovery to Others
Social media and well-meaning friends may share stories of quick returns to exercise, but every recovery is different. Factors such as delivery type, complications, pre-pregnancy fitness, and individual recovery rates all influence your timeline.
Comparing yourself to others can lead to pushing too hard too soon, potentially causing setbacks in your recovery.
Don’t Neglect Professional Guidance
While gentle movement is generally appropriate for most people, don’t hesitate to consult your healthcare provider if you have concerns. This is particularly important if you had complications during delivery, have ongoing discomfort, or feel unsure about what’s appropriate for your situation.
Reasons why BetterMe is a safe bet: a wide range of calorie-blasting workouts, finger-licking recipes, 24/7 support, challenges that’ll keep you on your best game, and that just scratches the surface! Start using our app and watch the magic happen.
Understanding the potential consequences of exercising too intensely too early can help motivate appropriate caution during your recovery.
Returning to intense exercise before your pelvic floor has adequately recovered can place added pressure on the area and contribute to discomfort or temporary leakage (11). These conditions can become difficult if they’re not properly addressed, potentially requiring more intensive treatment later.
Intense physical activity can slow the recovery process and cause bleeding to increase or restart after it starts to lighten (12). This setback can prolong your overall recovery time.
Inappropriate exercises can worsen the natural separation of abdominal muscles that occurs during pregnancy (13). Without proper recovery and retraining, this separation may persist, leading to ongoing core weakness and potential back discomfort.
Pregnancy hormones continue affecting your joints and ligaments for several weeks postpartum (14). Combined with changes in your center of gravity and potentially altered movement patterns (15), this may make your joints feel less stable or more prone to strain.
Your body requires significant energy for postpartum recovery, milk production (if breastfeeding), and adjusting to hormonal changes (16). Intense exercise too soon can divert energy from these essential processes, potentially slowing your overall recovery and leaving you feeling depleted.
While exercise typically benefits mental health (17), pushing too hard too soon can create feelings of failure, frustration, or inadequacy if your body can’t perform as expected. This can have a negative impact on your emotional well-being during a time that is already challenging.
The consequences of exercising too intensely too early often require more time and potentially professional intervention to resolve than simply waiting for appropriate recovery time initially.
Learning to recognize when you’ve pushed beyond your current capacity is essential for protecting your recovery and long-term health. Here are some signs you may need to slow down (18):
You Experience Increased or Resumed Bleeding
If your lochia (postpartum bleeding) increases in volume, becomes bright red after lightening, or restarts after stopping, this often indicates you’ve exceeded your body’s current capacity (12). This is one of the clearest signs to reduce activity immediately.
You Feel Extreme Fatigue After Activity
While some tiredness after movement is normal, feeling completely drained or needing to nap immediately after gentle exercise suggests you’ve done too much. Appropriate activity at this stage should leave you feeling refreshed, not depleted.
You Experience Leaking or Pelvic Pressure
Urinary incontinence during or after exercise, or feelings of heaviness or pressure in your pelvis, may mean your pelvic floor isn’t ready for the current activity level. These symptoms are a signal to ease up on intensity and speak with a healthcare professional or pelvic health specialist for guidance.
You Notice Abdominal Doming or Coning
If you can see your abdominal muscles creating a ridge or dome shape during movement, this suggests your deep core muscles aren’t functioning properly yet. This is a sign to return to more basic exercises that are focused on awareness and gentle activation.
You Have Increased Joint or Back Tension
New or worsening discomfort in your back, hips, knees, or other joints after exercise suggests your body isn’t ready for that level of activity. Your joints can still be affected by pregnancy hormones, and altered movement patterns may increase the risk of injury.
You Feel Emotionally Overwhelmed or Discouraged
If exercise leaves you feeling frustrated, inadequate, or emotionally drained rather than accomplished or energized, you may be expecting too much from your body too soon. This emotional response often indicates a need to adjust your expectations and approach.
Recognizing these signs early and responding appropriately by scaling back activity can prevent more serious complications and support your long-term recovery.
For more targeted guidance on rebuilding your core strength gently, explore our comprehensive guide to the best way to lose postpartum belly fat and learn about addressing specific concerns in our article on how to get rid of mommy pooch.
The first two weeks postpartum are generally considered to be the most challenging both physically and emotionally. During this period, you’re dealing with the most intense physical recovery, hormonal fluctuations, sleep deprivation, and adjustment to life with a newborn. The “baby blues” commonly peak during the first week postpartum, coinciding with your milk coming in and the major hormonal shift after delivery (19). However, individual experiences vary significantly based on delivery type, support systems, breastfeeding success, and personal resilience factors. Your postpartum body looks different because of the significant physical changes that occurred during pregnancy and delivery. Your abdominal muscles may be separated (diastasis recti), your ribcage may be expanded, and your posture may have shifted to accommodate your growing belly (20). In addition, your skin may be looser, your breast size has changed, and you may be carrying different weight distribution than before pregnancy (21). Hormonal changes can also affect how your body stores fat and retains water. These changes are completely normal, and many improve over time with proper recovery and a gradual return to activity. At 2 weeks postpartum, your activity should focus on gentle, restorative movement rather than structured exercise (22). Walking is generally gentle and beneficial, but listen to your body and don’t push beyond comfort. Gentle stretching, breathing exercises, and basic pelvic floor awareness work are appropriate (22). Avoid high-impact activities, heavy lifting (nothing heavier than your baby), and intense abdominal exercises. The key is supporting your recovery process while maintaining basic mobility and circulation. Your activity level should leave you feeling refreshed rather than depleted. Rest is essential for postpartum recovery, with most experts recommending prioritizing sleep and recovery for at least the first 6-8 weeks (19). Ideally, aim for 8-9 hours of sleep per day, even if it needs to be broken into segments due to newborn care. During the first two weeks, plan for minimal activities beyond basic baby care and personal hygiene. Accept help with household tasks, meal preparation, and older children’s care. Rest doesn’t mean complete bed rest – gentle movement is beneficial – but avoid overcommitting to activities or visitors. Remember that a lack of adequate rest can significantly slow your recovery process and impact your milk supply if you’re breastfeeding. For additional support in your recovery journey, don’t miss our detailed guide to the best pelvic floor exercises to help rebuild strength in this crucial area of your core system.Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hardest week of postpartum?
Why do I look so different after having a baby?
How active should you be 2 weeks postpartum?
How much rest is needed postpartum?
Two weeks postpartum marks the beginning of your recovery journey, not a milestone for returning to intense exercise. The gentle movements and awareness exercises outlined in this guide serve as stepping stones toward eventually regaining and potentially exceeding your pre-pregnancy fitness level.
Focus on consistency over intensity during these early weeks. The habits you establish now – listening to your body, prioritizing rest, and respecting your recovery timeline – will serve you well throughout your entire postpartum journey. Remember that this period of gentleness isn’t about being weak or lazy, it’s about being strategic and intelligent with your recovery.
As you progress beyond the initial two-week period, you’ll gradually build upon these foundational exercises, eventually progressing through the stages of postpartum fitness: from awareness to functional movement to strength building. Each stage builds upon the previous one, and rushing through them often means having to circle back later to address issues that could have been prevented with patience early on.
Trust your body’s wisdom, celebrate small victories, and remember that taking care of yourself during this crucial period is taking care of your family too. Your future self will thank you for the patience and care you show your body during these transformative early weeks.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.
You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.