A new mom going for a walk outdoors with her baby in a stroller.

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How Soon Can You Start Working Out Again After Giving Birth?

While everyone’s postpartum recovery timeline looks a little different, there are some signs that your body might be ready to exercise again.

By Kathleen FeltonJanuary 28, 2025

Once you feel ready, there are lots of good reasons to start working out again after giving birth. Exercise is as beneficial for postpartum people as it is for everyone else—and working out in the postpartum period can help boost your energy, promote better-quality sleep, relieve stress, and help strengthen your muscles, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). There’s even some research to suggest that exercise helps prevent postpartum depression. Not to mention, many new moms find that working out is a powerful tool for starting to feel like “themselves” again.

So it’s understandable if you’re eager to jump back into your fitness routine and wondering when, exactly, you can start exercising after birth. But it’s also understandable if you’re nowhere near mentally or physically ready to work out right now. After all, it took 40 weeks for you to grow and deliver your baby, so it will take at least that long for your body to fully recover, says Christie Cobb, MD, a board-certified OB/GYN in Little Rock, Arkansas. “Caring for yourself and a baby and focusing on managing the new balance is rigorous enough,” she adds.

Here, everything new moms need to know about restarting their exercise routine after giving birth, plus a few red-flag signs that your body might not be quite ready yet.

When Can You Start Exercising After Birth?

First: There’s a huge range of “normal” when it comes to postpartum recovery. Some new moms feel comfortable and energetic enough to start walking or doing light movement shortly after a vaginal birth. But others, particularly those who had a C-section or are recovering from painful delivery complications like vaginal tears, might struggle to sit up in bed during those first few days and weeks.

That’s why leading expert groups like ACOG aren’t super specific about the “right” time to exercise after giving birth. If your pregnancy was healthy and your delivery was straightforward (meaning you didn’t have a C-section or any complications), ACOG says you might feel comfortable lightly exercising within a few days. Still, this will be far too soon for others, Dr. Cobb notes. For many new parents who’ve just given birth, “six weeks is a good general timeline,” she says, with some gentle walking being possible before then.

“I believe the absence of an absolute timeline from ACOG for resuming exercise postpartum is based on the recognition of individual needs,” Dr. Cobb says. In other words, your delivery experience, how often you exercised before and during pregnancy, as well as how you’re currently feeling are all worth considering as you decide when to ease back into a fitness routine.

And speaking of your fitness routine: Not all forms of exercise are beneficial in these early days. “The abdominal wall and your pelvic floor muscles need time to recover,” Dr. Cobb points out, “so high-impact exercise is not the best idea for the first six weeks.” And even after that, you might feel best doing slower, gentler postpartum workouts at first, such as pelvic floor exercises, Pilates, yoga, and barre (the latter three of which you can find on the Peloton App). 

Generally, ACOG recommends starting with simpler exercises to help strengthen your abdominal and back muscles (both of which were pushed to their limits during pregnancy), then gradually working up to more moderate- or vigorous-intensity workouts. (And, when you’re ready, make sure to check out Peloton’s postnatal programs and workouts specifically designed for new moms.)

When in doubt, consult your OB/GYN, midwife, or family physician at your next postpartum checkup. (ACOG recommends having at least one face-to-face appointment with your provider within the first three weeks after giving birth, then staying in regular contact with them until 12 weeks postpartum.) Touching base with your OB/GYN before exercising is especially important if you had a C-section, experienced any childbirth complications, had a vaginal tear during birth, or simply if anything isn’t feeling quite right. 

Signs You May Be Ready to Ease Back Into Exercise

There’s no specific criteria you need to meet to start exercising again after giving birth. But asking yourself these questions may help you determine if you feel ready:

1. Did You Have a Vaginal Delivery or a C-Section?

Folks recovering from uncomplicated vaginal deliveries might feel ready for exercise sooner, and don’t necessarily need a green light from their OB/GYN first, ACOG says. (Everyone has different experiences though, and even new moms who experienced the most “straightforward” of vaginal births might find they need longer than six weeks until they’re up for exercise.) 

If you had a C-section, though, ACOG recommends checking in with your doctor before starting to work out again. That’s because a C-section is a major surgery, and your body needs time to recover before you do anything too strenuous. Your doctor will want to check that your incision is healing and that you don’t have any complications before giving you the green light for exercise.

2. How Are You Feeling?

While experts say it’s generally considered safe for new moms to start lightly exercising a few days after a complication-free vaginal birth, that doesn’t mean everyone will physically feel ready that soon. Experiencing any kind of pain, soreness, or discomfort, particularly if you’ve had stitches that are still healing or any other delivery complications, is a sign to stop or slow down. 

3. Are You Feeling Rested?

Obviously, you’re exhausted—you have a newborn!—but while exercise is beneficial, so is rest, Dr. Cobb notes. Before you work out, she recommends asking yourself if your body might benefit more from sleep than exercise. If the answer is yes, consider saving your spare 20 minutes for a power nap instead.

4. Is the Thought of Exercise Making You Feel Excited and Motivated, or Stressing You Out?

It’s true that exercise can help relieve stress. But for some new moms, the idea of exercise can also be stressful, such as if you’re feeling like you should work out despite being totally exhausted and not quite yet feeling up for it. 

“If exercise makes [stress] worse, back off,” Dr. Cobb says. If that’s the case, she suggests asking yourself if anything else would fill your cup and nurture your emotional wellbeing, such as spending some time sitting quietly outside, meditating, or watching your favorite TV show in peace. 

5. If You’re Breastfeeding, When Did You Last Nurse Your Baby?

Moderate exercise isn’t thought to impact your milk supply, and you can absolutely still work out if you’re breastfeeding. But ACOG recommends feeding your baby or pumping first to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of exercising with engorged breasts. Make sure you’re staying well hydrated too (more on that later).

A woman doing guided yoga on a mat at home. She's sitting cross-legged with her hands joined together above her head.

David Espejo / Moment via Getty Images

Signs You May Not Be Ready to Resume Your Workout Routine Yet

Had a C-section or any delivery complications? Dr. Cobb says you should wait until your doctor gives you the all-clear before exercising. Here are a few additional signs you might need a little more time before diving into your postpartum fitness routine: 

You’re In Pain

It seems obvious, but pain is a sign that your body needs to slow down. Bring it up to your OB/GYN or doctor at your next appointment if any aches or soreness continue. But if the pain is any worse than the usual soreness of starting a new exercise routine, call your doctor.

And let your practitioner know ASAP if you notice any red-flag postpartum symptoms such as heavy bleeding, a fever, pain in your leg, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, dizziness, or persistent headaches.

You’re Experiencing Joint Pain—Especially In the Pelvis

“The joint instability from relaxin [a hormone] released in pregnancy does not magically disappear after delivery,” Dr. Cobb says. If you’re experiencing this, it might mean you need to start with less-intense workouts.

You Feel Down-There Pressure, Discomfort, or Bulging

Pregnancy and childbirth can weaken your pelvic floor muscles, which are the connective tissues that support your bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum. This can sometimes lead to a prolapse, when one or more of those organs drops down into the vagina. A prolapse might feel like an uncomfortable pressure, ache, or fullness, and these symptoms can be triggered by exercise—so if you experience them, consult your doctor for an evaluation.

You Notice Coning or Doming During Ab Workouts

It’s very common for the rectus abdominis muscles (those muscles in the six-pack area) to separate during pregnancy, leading to a condition called diastasis recti. Abdominal separation may heal on its own, though some people with more severe diastasis benefit from working with a physical therapist to help close the gap.

In the meantime, look out for abdominal coning when you perform ab moves, as well as other possible symptoms like a bulge above your belly button, lower back pain, or a general feeling of abdominal weakness. If you have diastasis recti, you’ll want to focus on exercises that target the deeper core muscles while avoiding others (crunches and sit-ups can make the separation worse, for example). 

More Things to Consider as You Start Exercising After Birth

Whenever you do choose to resume exercise after birth, here are a handful of tips to keep in mind:

  • Fit in workouts when you can. Aiming for 20–30 minutes of physical activity a day is a great goal, ACOG says, but this won’t always be doable. When you don’t have time for a longer workout session, even 10 minutes of movement can be beneficial. The Peloton App can make it easier to fit in short bursts of activity too.

  • Look into local mommy-and-me classes. Exercise classes for postpartum moms often encourage you to bring your baby with you to class, which can help you avoid the issue of finding a sitter. These kinds of classes “can also help moms connect with other women at similar life stages and offer emotional support,” Dr. Cobb says.

  • Make sure you wear the right workout clothes. A good sports bra in particular is crucial, Dr. Cobb says. “Any breast or back pain can be signs to back off, lift or move less, and wear more supportive garments.” (Just keep in mind that if you’re breastfeeding, your sports bra should be supportive but not overly restricting, since too-tight clothing can up your risk of mastitis, according to La Leche League International.)

  • Stay hydrated. Everyone should make sure to drink plenty of water before and after a workout (and all day long, for that matter). If you’re nursing, though, your hydration needs go up: Breastfeeding parents need around 16 cups of water a day to compensate for all the extra H2O your body is using to make milk, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says.

  • Consider working with a PT. Anyone who’s recently given birth can benefit from working with a physical therapist to help strengthen their abdominal wall and pelvic floor, Dr. Cobb says. And a PT can be especially important if you think you might have diastasis recti or are experiencing pelvic pressure or pain, or if you’re noticing back pain from breastfeeding.

Finally, for many new moms, being physically or mentally ready to exercise is just half the challenge. Even if your recovery is progressing and your OB/GYN has given you the go-ahead, finding opportunities to work out amidst the relentless schedule of caring for a newborn can feel impossible, especially if you don’t have a strong support system to help you carve out this time. 

If prioritizing exercise just isn’t possible right now, give yourself grace—and remind yourself that this is a stage, and you’ll be back on the bike, treadmill, or yoga mat again before you know it. “Postpartum is special and short-lived,” Dr. Cobb says. “Take time to sleep, rest, heal, and savor this time.”

The Takeaway

Exercise is excellent, and there are plenty of very good reasons to start working out again after giving birth. But healing from this major event that just happened—and yes, even if you had a “normal” birth experience with no complications, it’s still major—is your first priority, Dr. Cobb says. “It is important to not expect to immediately return to pre-pregnancy levels of exercise intensity as the body heals and adjusts,” she cautions. Give yourself grace and time to recover (though everyone is different, six weeks is a good general guideline for many folks), and once you’re feeling up for it, start with gentle workouts like pelvic floor exercise, walking, yoga, and Pilates.

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This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.

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