The postpartum period is often framed around “getting back” to exercise. A more helpful approach is thinking about rebuilding capacity step by step.
Your body has gone through significant change — hormonal, musculoskeletal, neurological, and fascial. Recovery is not just about time passing, but how progressively you reintroduce load.
Healing is only part of the equation
Yes, tissues need time to recover. But capacity also depends on:
- Pelvic floor coordination under load
- Abdominal wall function and pressure management
- Glute and lower limb strength
- Nervous system tolerance to impact and fatigue
You can be “healed” but still not ready for higher-level demands like running or jumping.
Common pitfalls
Two extremes often show up;
- Doing too much too soon due to motivation or expectations
- Doing too little due to fear of symptoms or injury
Both can slow progress.
A better approach: graded exposure
Return to movement is most effective when it is progressive and structured. This often looks like:
- Early stage: walking, gentle strength, breath and pressure control
- Mid stage: loaded strength training, dynamic control, impact prep
- Late stage: running, jumping, sport-specific demands
Progress is guided by symptom response, not just time.
Key signs you may need to slow down
- Heaviness or dragging sensations
- Urgency or leakage with activity
- Abdominal doming or poor control under load
- Excess fatigue or delayed symptom flare-ups
The goal
Not just to “return to exercise,” but to rebuild a system that can tolerate life, parenting, work, and training without breakdown.
Recovery is not linear, but it is trainable.
General Physio / Injury (MSK)
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