Gentle Postpartum Home Exercises: Where to Start Safely
Returning to exercise after having a baby is something almost every new mum thinks about, and almost as many feel unsure how to approach. The most important thing to know upfront is that postpartum training isn’t about jumping back into your old routine — it starts with rebuilding the foundation: your core and pelvic floor.
Before you start
Every postpartum recovery is different, and how soon it’s appropriate to begin depends on your delivery, your recovery, and any complications along the way. It’s genuinely important to get clearance from your doctor or midwife before starting any postpartum exercise programme — this is standard practice, not an overly cautious suggestion. Once you have that clearance, the moves below are a gentle, sensible starting point.
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing The true starting point for postpartum recovery
Lie on your back, knees bent, one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Inhale slowly through your nose, letting your belly rise while your chest stays relatively still. Exhale slowly, gently drawing your belly button toward your spine.
8–10 slow breaths.
Why it matters: this reconnects your breath with your deep core and pelvic floor, which is the foundation everything else builds on — it looks simple, but it’s genuinely the most important exercise on this list.
2. Pelvic Floor Activation (“Kegels”) Targets: pelvic floor strength
Lying or sitting comfortably, gently contract the muscles you’d use to stop the flow of urine, hold for 3–5 seconds, then fully release for the same count. Focus on a smooth, controlled squeeze rather than a hard clench, and make sure you’re not holding your breath.
8–10 reps, 2 rounds, ideally daily.
3. Heel Slides Targets: gentle core engagement without straining the abdomen
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Engage your core gently (as in the breathing exercise), then slowly slide one heel away from you along the floor until your leg is straight, keeping your lower back gently pressed down. Slide it back in with control.
6–8 reps each side, 2 rounds.
4. Glute Bridge (Postpartum Version) Targets: glutes and lower back, without pressure on the abdomen
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width apart. Engage gently through your core and pelvic floor, then lift your hips a small to moderate height — you don’t need a big range of motion here — squeezing your glutes, then lower slowly.
8–10 reps, 2 rounds.
5. Standing Postural Reset Targets: the rounded, forward-leaning posture common from feeding and carrying a baby
Standing tall, gently draw your shoulder blades down and back, lift through the crown of your head, and take 5 slow, full breaths in this position, keeping your core gently engaged throughout.
5 breaths, 2–3 times a day as needed.
A note on pacing
None of these exercises should cause pain, a dragging or bulging sensation in the abdomen, or leaking — if you notice any of those, stop and check in with a health professional, as they can be signs your body needs more recovery time or specific guidance before progressing further. This routine is intentionally gentle; it’s meant to rebuild your foundation, not to be a full workout.
Every postpartum body recovers at its own pace, and there’s no fixed timeline that applies to everyone. If you’d like a programme built around your specific recovery and goals, a proper postpartum assessment is the safest way to know exactly where to start and how quickly to progress from there.
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