Are You REALLY Ready to Work Out After Having a Baby? Here’s How to Know.

Your six-week postpartum check-up is often treated as the “green light” to jump back into workouts, sex, and all your usual activities. But is your body actually ready?

Pregnancy and birth—whether vaginal or C-section—change your body in major ways. Your core, pelvic floor, posture, and even hormone levels have all been through the wringer. That quick six-week check-up? It usually focuses on making sure incisions, tears, and tissues have healed, but it doesn’t always assess whether your body is truly ready to handle impact, load, or high-intensity movement again.

So, before you lace up your sneakers and sign up for that bootcamp class, let’s make sure you have a strong foundation. Here are five key steps to safely getting back into fitness postpartum:

1. Advocate for Yourself at Your Six-Week Check-Up

Before leaving your appointment, bring up any concerns about your recovery. If you’re experiencing leaking, a feeling of heaviness in your pelvis, pain, or suspect you have diastasis recti (ab separation), ask your OB-GYN to assess you. If they dismiss your concerns with a “that’s normal” or “it’ll go away on its own,” ask when it should resolve—and request a referral to a pelvic floor physical therapist just in case. It’s much easier to have that resource in hand than to scramble later when symptoms persist.

2. Start Small: Build Your Foundation First

Your body just spent months adjusting to pregnancy, so give it time to rebuild. Start with:
✅ Breathwork
✅ Deep core and pelvic floor activation (and relaxation—yes, both matter!)
✅ Gradual endurance-building movements

Jumping straight into high-impact exercise without retraining these areas can increase your risk of injury—not just in your core and pelvic floor, but also in your hips, back, and knees.

3. Listen to Your Body (No, Really—Listen!)

Your body is constantly giving you feedback. Pay attention to these red flags:
🚩 Leaking pee when you sneeze, laugh, or jump
🚩 A feeling of heaviness or bulging in your vagina
🚩 Pain (in your back, hips, pelvis, or core)
🚩 A doming or bulging appearance in your abdomen

If any of these show up, that’s your sign to check in with a pelvic floor PT before pushing forward. Discomfort and weakness are normal early on, but pain and persistent symptoms shouldn’t be ignored.

4. Set Realistic Goals (Because, Let’s Be Honest, You’re Not Sleeping Much Yet)

Your recovery timeline is unique. If you’re breastfeeding, running on minimal sleep, or managing work and a newborn, your energy levels and recovery will look different than someone else’s. And that’s okay.
Instead of focusing on “bouncing back,” focus on progress—not perfection. Set goals that are SMART:

✅ Specific (I want to walk 3x a week without pain)
✅ Measurable (I want to lift my toddler without leaking)
✅ Attainable (I’ll start with core activation before jumping into weights)
✅ Realistic (My body needs time—slow and steady wins!)
✅ Timely (I’ll check in with myself every two weeks and adjust as needed)

5. Be Proactive: Work with a Pelvic Floor Therapist Postpartum

Seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist isn’t just for women with major symptoms—it’s for every postpartum woman. A specialist can assess how your body is moving, address weaknesses or imbalances, and give you the tools to return to workouts safely. Plus, the skills you gain in PT will serve you well beyond postpartum—they’ll help you stay strong and functional for life.

The Bottom Line?

Your six-week check-up is just the starting point. Returning to fitness postpartum should be a gradual, supported process—not a sprint. Give your body the time and care it deserves.

👉 Want expert guidance in your postpartum recovery?
If you are located in Miami, book a session at EM Pelvic Health to work with a pelvic floor physical therapist who understands exactly what your body needs. You deserve to feel strong, confident, and pain-free—let’s get you there!