Finding your groove again with fitness after pregnancy can be a journey, to say the least, whether it’s your first pregnancy or your fourth. Your body, mind and sense of self have undergone monumental change and while some women feel empowered and excited when they’ve obtained clearance to exercise again, it’s also normal to feel disconnected from your own body and nervous about where to start.
Based on my years of experience as a personal trainer and my own return to fitness after the births of my two children, my aim is to help women rebuild their strength and embrace feel-good movement as they embark on this amazing chapter.
My top tip for postpartum exercise
My biggest piece of advice around postpartum exercise is to take the pressure off and prioritise habits that feel good for you each day.
Don’t set yourself super high expectations and instead focus on making exercise and movement accessible. Yes, it’s great to have intentions to train when your baby is asleep and being active can help to release all those feel-good hormones, but sometimes you need to focus on your own self-care and use that time for you to rest as well.
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You have just undergone such an incredible life-changing evolution and your body needs kindness and patience. If you just make small healthy choices each day without too much pressure or focus on hitting a specific target by a deadline, everything will fall into place.
When you do feel ready, following a postnatal-specific program can lift a huge weight off your shoulders by taking all the effort out of planning a workout and knowing what you should (and shouldn’t) be doing.
If you’re also experiencing significant internal shifts happening too, you’re not alone. While it can be scary, it’s also a beautiful opportunity to reframe your relationship with movement.
Many new mums find their relationship with their bodies and fitness shifts significantly after pregnancy. This can be a change in focus, goals, body image, sleep, mood and energy.
For me, the focus shifted from aesthetics to feeling strong and capable for daily activities like lifting a baby or handling new routines and disturbed sleep patterns. I now approach my limited training time with so much more intention and respect since having my two girls and am stronger and fitter than I’ve ever been.
A postpartum full-body workout to support your body
Warm up: 2x reps
Supermans: 12 reps
Split Stance Glute Bridges: 12 reps
Bear Hold Knee Taps: 6 reps
Bird Dogs: 12 reps
A 25-30 minute workout: 4x reps
Rest for 30 seconds between circuit exercises
Rest: 60 seconds between completed circuits
Squat Body Weight: 12 reps – 30 sec rest
One Arm Row Floor: 12 reps – 30 sec rest
Body Weight Good Mornings: 12 reps – 30 sec rest
Bicep Curls Alternating: 12 reps – 30 sec rest
Superset: 2x reps
Rest: 30 seconds between supersets
Wall Supported Banded Standing Kickbacks: 14 reps each side
Incline Push-Up Bench: 6-10 reps
Cool down
Child’s Pose: 60 sec
Sarah Smith is Sweat’s dedicated pre and postnatal trainer and has been a personal trainer and coach since 2014. With two daughters of her own, she is passionate about guiding and empowering women to feel strong and active through all stages of pregnancy and beyond, and so much of her passion for fitness, health and longevity is motivated by her family. Her two pre and postnatal programs are available exclusively in the Sweat app.
