Postpartum Fitness: Your Weekly Plan to Get Back on Track

After having a baby, there’s often a societal rush to get back into your pre-pregnancy jeans, but the real focus should be on feeling well in your own body again. 

The postpartum journey is deeply personal, and while society may celebrate a quick “bounce back”, it often overlooks the realities of healing, such as leaking when you sneeze or simply feeling exhausted. Your body has just performed an incredible feat, and returning to fitness requires a gentle , mindful, and progressive approach.

In this article, we share a structured weekly postpartum fitness plan that is designed to help you navigate your journey with confidence.

We’ll explore the importance of postpartum fitness, break down the core principles that should guide your movement, and offer a detailed, stage-by-stage exercise plan. This postpartum workout plan will help you rebuild your strength, feel more energy, and reconnect with your body in a way that honors your postpartum journey.

Always consult your physician before starting any recovery fitness program to ensure it’s suitable for your specific needs.

What Is Postpartum Fitness and Why Should You Care?

Postpartum fitness is about more than just losing weight – it’s a holistic approach to your physical and mental well-being after childbirth. It involves gradually reintroducing exercise to strengthen your body, improve your mood, and support your overall comfort.

Understanding Postpartum Weight Retention (PPWR)

Postpartum weight retention (PPWR) is the weight that remains after you give birth. It’s a common experience, with studies showing that 50-75% of women weigh more than their pre-pregnancy weight a year after delivery (1). While this is a normal part of the postpartum journey, significant PPWR can be associated with health risks.

The good news is that most physiologic weight loss – from the delivery of the fetus, placenta, and amniotic fluid, plus the loss of extra fluids – occurs within the first six weeks postpartum (2).

A combination of diet and exercise has been shown to be the most effective strategy for further postpartum weight reduction. A study found that programs combining diet and exercise were more effective than diet or exercise alone (3).

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Managing Postpartum Wellness According to Health Organizations

Leading health organizations emphasize a gradual and supportive approach to postpartum fitness. Third-party research:

• Recommends that postpartum care should be an ongoing process, not just a single visit. It is advised that you resume light physical activity soon after an uncomplicated birth and gradually progress toward at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. ACOG also notes that while breastfeeding can support gradual weight loss, it should be paired with balanced nutrition (4).
• Suggests that a gentle rate of weight loss while breastfeeding is about one pound per week, which can be achieved with a modest calorie deficit (around 500 calories per day) while still consuming at least 1,800 calories daily to maintain your milk supply (5).
• Stresses the importance of realistic expectations. While many breastfeeding parents naturally lose weight, every body is different. Sustainable habits are more important than quick fixes (5).

Read more: Postpartum Exercise Plan: Simple, and Effective Recovery for New Moms

Core Aspects of Postpartum Fitness

Before you jump into a workout routine, it’s essential to understand the foundational principles that will guide your journey.

While imagining a postpartum fitness plan, we borrow concepts from the Pilates “ABCs” and knowledge of myofascial lines.

The ABCs of Pilates for Postpartum Fitness Journey

Pilates is a low-impact form of exercise that builds strength, improves mobility, and emphasizes the mind-body connection. Its core principles, known as the ABCs, provide an excellent framework for postpartum fitness.

A – Alignment

Proper alignment is essential for restoring balance to your body. Joe Pilates famously said, “If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young (6).” 

Neutral alignment of the spine and pelvis ensures that your body’s natural curves act as shock absorbers, which reduces strain on your body. This is the optimal position for your body to recover and strengthen (7).

Pregnancy significantly impacts your posture and spinal alignment. Nine months of carrying your baby forward shifts your center of gravity and can create lasting postural changes (8). Proper alignment helps:

• Reduce back tension
• Support organ function
• Create space for transition
• Build efficient movement patterns

B – Breathing

Your breath is deeply connected to your pelvic floor and core health (9). Deep, intentional breathing stimulates a sense of calm and balance by supporting your body’s natural relaxation processes.  (10) This is invaluable for your postpartum journey.

As physical therapist Julie Wiebe describes, the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and deep abdominal muscles (transversus abdominis) work together like a piston. Proper breathing allows the diaphragm to move freely, which enables the pelvic floor and core to function optimally (11).

For new moms, proper breathing also:

• Gently supports your body’s natural relaxation response, helping you feel calm and balanced
• Supports core muscle coordination

C – Centring

Centring refers to engaging your deep core for stability and control. After pregnancy and childbirth, reconnecting with these muscles is a crucial first step. Pelvic floor awareness is key – you can’t strengthen muscles you can’t connect to (12).

Postpartum centering involves:

• Pelvic floor awareness and strengthening
• Deep abdominal muscle reactivation
• Coordination between breathing and core engagement

The Myofascial Lines

Your body is a network of interconnected tissues that are called fascia. A C-section can disrupt these myofascial lines, which run from the soles of your feet to the crown of your head. This can block movement messages and divert muscle awareness (13). 

Understanding this helps explain why a holistic, full-body approach to a postpartum journey is so important. Gentle, mindful movement helps to re-establish these connections and restore function (14).

For more information, check out our article on basic postpartum fitness tips.

Weekly Postpartum Fitness Plan

This postpartum workout plan is divided into stages to help you progress safely. Always listen to your body and consult your healthcare provider before you start any new exercise program.

Weeks 1-3: Gentle Exercises and Breathing Techniques

What to Expect: The first few weeks are a time of adjustment and change. You may experience night sweats, mood swings (or baby blues), and discomfort from a C-section scar or pelvic floor trauma. Your body is working hard to return to its pre-pregnancy state, and rest is your top priority (15).

Postpartum-friendly  Exercises:

Pelvic Floor Awareness

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands on your belly and breathe deeply.
3. As you exhale, gently engage your pelvic floor muscles by imagining you’re trying to stop the flow of urine or hold back gas.
4. Visualize lifting the muscles from your tailbone toward your pubic bone.
5. Inhale and completely relax the muscles. Repeat 10 times.

Legs Up the Wall

1. Sit on the floor with your hips close to a wall.
2. Swing your legs up the wall as you lie back, resting your head on a pillow if needed.
3. Allow your legs to feel heavy and completely relaxed.
4. Place your hands on your belly and focus on deep, calming breaths. Stay here for as long as is comfortable.

Ankle Circles and Foot Flexes

1. While sitting or lying down, slowly circle your ankles 10 times in each direction.
2. Point your toes away from you, then flex them back toward your shins.
3. Repeat this 10 times to improve circulation.

Pubic Bone Breathing

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your fingertips resting on your pubic bone.
2. Inhale for a count of seven, imagining the breath traveling down toward your pelvis.
3. Exhale with a soft “haaa” sound for a count of eleven, feeling your abdomen soften.
4. This exercise helps release tension in the jaw and pelvis.

Weeks 4-6: Core Engagement and Light Strengthening

What to Expect: Bleeding should have stopped by now, and your uterus has likely contracted back to its pre-pregnancy size. You may still feel some scar discomfort, and your belly may still look pregnant due to stretched abdominal muscles (15). 

Postpartum-friendly Exercises:

Pelvic Tilts

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent.
2. Imagine your pelvis is a bowl of soup. As you exhale, gently tilt your pelvis to tip the soup toward your belly button, pressing your lower back into the floor.
3. As you inhale, tilt your pelvis the other way, creating a small arch in your lower back.
4. Find the middle point where the “soup” is level. This is your neutral pelvis.

Seated Forward Roll

1. Sit cross-legged on the floor.
2. Inhale to lengthen your spine.
3. Exhale and slowly roll forward, stretching your back and gently engaging your abdominals.
4. Hold for a breath, then roll back up to a seated position.

Standing Wall Push-Up

1. Stand facing a wall, about an arm’s length away.
2. Place your hands on the wall, slightly wider than your shoulder-width apart.
3. Keeping your body in a straight line, bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the wall.
4. Push back to the starting position. To make it harder, step further away from the wall.

Walking

1. Start with short, 10-15 minute walks and gradually increase the duration as you become stronger.
2. Walking is a fantastic low-impact exercise that gets your whole body moving.

Weeks 6-8: Moderate Cardio and Full-Body Workout

What to Expect: Sleep deprivation may be catching up with you, and feeling it in your back, neck, and shoulders is common (17, 18). This is a good time for your six-week postpartum check-up with your GP. Ask for a referral to a women’s health physiotherapist for a full assessment of your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.

Postpartum-friendly Exercises:

Swimming or Cycling

1. Introduce low-impact cardio such as gentle cycling or swimming.
2. If you have pelvic pain, avoid breaststroke, as this can put stress on the pelvic joints.
3. Aim for 20-30 minute sessions, a few times a week.

Shoulder and Chest Stretches

1. Lie on the floor with your arms out to the sides and your palms facing up.
2. Breathe deeply and allow your chest and shoulders to open and release. This helps counteract the “mom hunch” from feeding and carrying your baby.

Note: if you’re breastfeeding, it would be beneficial to perform this stretch after a feeding or pumping to minimize breast discomfort.

Gentle Abdominal Massage

1. Lie on your back and gently massage your abdomen in a clockwise motion.
2. This can help with digestion and bring awareness back to your core muscles.

Pelvic Tilts with Feet Push

1. In the pelvic tilt position, gently push through your feet as you tilt your pelvis.
2. This activates the core in a functional way that helps with load-bearing activities such as standing up.

Weeks 8-12: Advanced Exercises and Continued Progress

Postpartum-friendly Exercises:

Curl-Ups

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Exhale and lift your pelvic floor.
2. Gently lift your head and shoulders off the floor, keeping your chin tucked.
3. Inhale as you lower back down. This creates less intra-abdominal pressure than sitting up from a lying position. Wait until 12 weeks postpartum if you’ve had a C-section.

Curl-Ups with Leg Slide

1. Perform a curl-up as described above.
2. As you lift, slide one heel along the floor away from you, keeping your pelvis stable.
3. Bring the leg back in as you lower your head and shoulders.

Single and Double Knee Folds

1. Lie on your back in a neutral position. Exhale to engage your core.
2. Lift one leg to a tabletop position (knee bent at 90 degrees). Lower it back down.
3. Once you can do this without your abdomen doming, progress to lifting both legs one at a time to a tabletop position. This requires significant core control.

Glute Bridges

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Exhale, engage your core, and lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
3. Inhale as you slowly lower your hips back down.

Do you want more exercise ideas? Browse our library of postpartum fitness routines for beginners.

Four to Six Months

What to Expect: Tiredness from the repetitive movements of motherhood is common (18). Your periods may have returned, even if you are breastfeeding. Your body may be feeling more “normal”, but be mindful of your energy levels.

Safe Exercises:

• Continue with Pelvic Floor Exercises: Consistency is key.
• Glute Strengthening: Strong glutes support your pelvis and lower back. Add exercises such as squats and lunges.
• Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise: Continue with walking, swimming, and cycling. You can start to increase the intensity if you feel ready.
• Hip Flexor Bow and Arrow: From a high kneeling position, step one foot forward. Extend your arms forward. As you exhale, pull one elbow back as if drawing a bow, twisting your torso. This challenges balance and stretches the hip and shoulder.

Six Months to One Year

What to Expect: You may start to feel your mojo returning, but remember that everyone’s journey is different. Postnatal recovery isn’t always linear – setbacks are normal. Continue to focus on posture, breathing, and how you feel, rather than just weight loss.

Postpartum-friendly Exercises:

• Return to Pre-Pregnancy Activities: If you have no pelvic floor issues or diastasis recti, you can gradually return to higher-impact activities such as running.
• Mindful Movement: Continue to prioritize stretching, meditation, and deep breathing. These are invaluable for both your physical and mental health.
• Listen to Your Body: You’re more vulnerable to injury during this time. Be gentle with yourself and progress slowly.

Learn more from our expert-led postpartum fitness training programs.

Read more: Busy Mom Pilates Challenge: Pamper Yourself for Those Little Stars!

Going Beyond Exercise for Postpartum Fitness

Consulting Healthcare Professionals

Throughout your postpartum fitness journey, it’s important to stay connected with your healthcare team. Your GP and a women’s health physiotherapist are your best allies – they can assess your individual needs, check for diastasis recti, and provide personalized guidance.

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Holistic Approach

Sustainable postpartum fitness isn’t just about exercise, it’s about creating a lifestyle that supports your new role as a mother:

• Sleep optimization: Prioritize rest when possible, even short naps.
• Everyday stress management: Remember to rest more to be ready for the challenges of motherhood.
• Social support: Connect with other mothers, join fitness groups, and lean on your family.
• Self-compassion: Be patient with your body and your progress.

Nutrition and Hydration

Your nutritional needs during the postpartum period are significant, particularly if you’re breastfeeding:

• Adequate calories: Don’t drastically restrict calories, particularly while breastfeeding.
• Protein priority: Include protein at every meal to support proper nutrition.
• Nutrient density: Choose foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals to support energy and your postpartum journey.
• Hydration: Drink water throughout the day, particularly before and after exercise.
• Meal timing: Eat regularly to maintain steady energy levels.

Sample Daily Nutrition Framework

• Breakfast: Protein + complex carbs + healthy fats
• Mid-morning: Protein-rich snack if needed
• Lunch: Large salad with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs
• Afternoon: Energizing snack combining protein and carbs
• Dinner: Balanced meal with family
• Evening: Light snack if breastfeeding overnight

Frequently Asked Questions

• What's a good postpartum workout schedule?

A good starting point is to aim for 10-30 minutes of activity, 3-5 days a week. This can be broken down into smaller 5-minute sessions. Start with gentle exercises such as walking and pelvic floor work, and gradually add more intensity as you feel ready. The goal, according to ACOG, is to work up to at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week.

• How soon can I exercise postpartum?

If you had a healthy pregnancy and a normal vaginal delivery, you can usually start gentle exercises such as walking and pelvic floor exercises a few days after giving birth, or as soon as you feel up to it. If you had a C-section or other complications, it’s essential to get clearance from your doctor before you start any exercise routine.

• What workouts should I not do postpartum?

In the early weeks, avoid high-impact exercises such as running, jumping, and traditional core exercises such as crunches and planks. These can put too much pressure on your healing abdominal muscles and pelvic floor. Also, be cautious with intense stretching, as the hormone relaxin can leave your ligaments more vulnerable to injury.

• How can I reshape my body after pregnancy?

Reshaping your body after pregnancy is a gradual process that requires a combination of consistent, targeted exercise and balanced nutrition. Focus on rebuilding your deep core and pelvic floor strength first. Incorporate full-body strength training to build lean muscle, which helps boost your metabolism. Patience and consistency are more effective than trying to do too much, too soon.

The Bottom Line

Your postpartum journey is unique, and so is your path back to fitness. This postpartum fitness plan is designed to be a guide, but the most important thing you can do is listen to your body.

The key to success lies in starting where you are, being consistent with small actions, and gradually building on your progress. Your body has done something incredible in creating and birthing your baby. Honor that achievement by treating yourself with the care and respect you deserve.

Remember that setbacks are normal and don’t mean failure. Life with a new baby is unpredictable, and your fitness routine will need to be flexible. What matters most is that you keep coming back to movement and taking care of yourself.

As you implement this postpartum fitness plan, keep in mind that you’re not just exercising for yourself, you’re modeling healthy habits for your family and showing your children that taking care of yourself is important. This mindset shift can be incredibly motivating during challenging moments.