If you’re a new mom, you’ve probably wondered: When can I start working out postpartum? Whether you’re eager to return to your favorite fitness class or simply want to feel stronger carrying your baby, the journey back to exercise after childbirth can feel overwhelming. Between conflicting advice, fear of injury, and changes in your body, it’s easy to lose confidence.
At Moment of Truth Physical Therapy, we help women navigate this exact season. The truth is: you absolutely can work out postpartum, and with the right guidance, exercise can be one of the most powerful tools for healing, strength, and confidence.
Why Working Out Postpartum Feels Scary
Many women are told to “just wait” or avoid exercise altogether after giving birth. Others are cleared at their six-week checkup but left with no direction about how to safely rebuild strength. This creates fear, confusion, and hesitation.
Some common worries we hear:
- What if I cause a prolapse?
- What if I start peeing when I run?
- What if lifting weights makes things worse?
- What if the pain I feel means I’ve damaged something?
These fears are valid, but the reality is most women can return to exercise safely with a thoughtful, gradual approach.
How Pregnancy Changes Your Body
Pregnancy shifts your posture and movement patterns in ways that often linger long after birth. For example:
- Sway back posture: As the belly grows, the hips shift forward and the shoulders lean back for balance. This posture can persist postpartum, especially when holding or nursing your baby.
- Carrying baby on one hip: Most moms favor one side (often the left), creating hip and back imbalances.
- Quad dominance: Many women already rely heavily on their quads, and postpartum changes amplify this, leaving the glutes under-recruited.
These imbalances can lead to hip pinching, low back discomfort, and trouble with movements like squatting. Without addressing them, moms often feel weak, unstable, or even afraid of injury.
Debunking the Myth: Can You Work Out Postpartum?
Yes! You can, and should, work out postpartum. Movement is essential for recovery, long-term health, and confidence. The key is how you start.
We use a staged approach:
- 0–2 weeks: Gentle mobility, breathing, and awareness.
- 2–6 weeks: Light core and pelvic floor activation.
- 6–8 weeks: Adding functional strength (bodyweight squats, carries, light resistance).
- 8–12 weeks: Building toward heavier lifting, running, or higher-impact activities, if your body is ready.
Download our Free Guide to the First 12 Weeks Postpartum
New research (including the 2025 postpartum fitness guidelines) shows that risks of exercise are far lower than the risks of inactivity. The real secret is tuning in to your body, progressing slowly, and knowing when to get extra help.
Red Flags to Watch For
While some soreness is normal, pain or symptoms are signals to pause and adjust. Pay attention to:
- Bleeding that restarts after stopping
- Sharp pelvic floor pain or intense cramping
- Leaking, heaviness, or pelvic pressure
- Hip pinching or joint pain
- Recovery that feels much slower than expected
If you notice these, scale back, not stop, and give your body more time at your current level.
Building Confidence Through Strength
One of the most empowering parts of postpartum recovery is regaining strength. We want women to:
- Squat their body weight without pain
- Deadlift more than their body weight safely
- Carry half their body weight split between both hands (farmer’s carry)
These aren’t just gym goals, they’re markers of longevity and functional health. Strength training helps moms feel capable again, whether that’s lifting a stroller, carrying a toddler, or returning to the workouts they love.
How a Pelvic Floor PT Can Help
The pelvic floor is made of three layers of skeletal muscle, just like your quads or rotator cuff. Yet most women are never taught how it works, let alone how to rehab it after childbirth.
At Moment of Truth PT, we:
- Perform thorough evaluations to identify weaknesses, tightness, or imbalances
- Teach safe core and pelvic floor engagement (without over-tightening)
- Provide individualized starting points and progressions
- Use tools like shockwave therapy when scar tissue (from a C-section or tears) is slowing recovery
Even women who are active or fitness instructors often need guidance to rebalance their bodies and move with confidence again.
When to Call a Professional
You don’t have to wait until something is “wrong.” If you have questions, pain, or simply want reassurance that you’re moving safely, a pelvic floor PT can help at any stage postpartum. Many women find it especially helpful between 4–12 weeks, when healing is still happening but they’re eager to get moving again.
The Bottom Line
Working out postpartum isn’t about “bouncing back.” It’s about reconnecting with your body, rebuilding strength, and feeling confident in movement again. With the right support and awareness, exercise becomes a powerful tool, not something to fear.
If you’re ready to start working out postpartum, or if you’ve been hesitant because of pain, fear, or uncertainty, reach out to Moment of Truth PT. We’d love to help you feel strong, supported, and confident in your body again.
0 comments