For nine months your body did something extraordinary — and after the birth, many mothers quickly face the question: when am I allowed to train again? Between the Instagram mums who are back out jogging six weeks after giving birth and the fear of doing everything wrong, there is a sensible middle path. This article shows how to return to training after pregnancy safely: from postnatal recovery to the diastasis recti check to a step-by-step build-up of load.
What happens to the body during pregnancy and birth
The abdominal muscles and pelvic floor have been stretched and heavily loaded for months, hormones keep the connective tissue softer for months after the birth, and in almost all pregnant women the straight abdominal muscles have separated by the end (diastasis recti). Add to that lack of sleep, breastfeeding and a completely new daily routine. In short: the body isn't "broken" — but it deserves a planned rebuild rather than a cold start.
The phases of returning to training
Phase 1: the first weeks (week 0 to 6–8) — recovery and gentle activation
The first weeks belong to healing. Already sensible: conscious breathing, gentle pelvic floor awareness while lying down, short walks depending on how you feel. Not sensible: abdominal training, jumping, heavy lifting (apart from the baby — that's hard to avoid, so lift in a back-friendly way and exhale as you do).
Phase 2: postnatal recovery (from around week 6–8, after your medical check-up)
After the postnatal check-up, a guided postnatal recovery class is the ideal starting point. The focus is on pelvic floor activation, breathing, the deep abdominal muscles and posture. This phase isn't a tiresome obligation but the foundation for everything that follows — skipping it often means paying later with incontinence or prolapse symptoms. You can go deeper into the basics in our article on pelvic floor training.
Phase 3: building basic strength (around month 3 to 6)
Now you can build in a structured way: bridges, quadruped exercises, lunges, light machine work, brisk walking. The rule: increase the load as long as no warning signs appear (see below) — and build the trunk from the inside out.
Phase 4: returning to impact and load (from month 3–6 at the earliest, individually)
Jogging, jumping and heavy strength training make sense again once the pelvic floor can handle the load — not once a particular date has been reached. Our courses teach the principle that high-impact sessions are not yet recommended during the breastfeeding and postnatal recovery phase; strength training with appropriate weights, by contrast, is expressly encouraged. Practical criteria before your first run: 30 minutes of brisk walking without symptoms, single-leg balance, 10 single-leg bridges per side, hopping on the spot without leaking urine and without a feeling of downward pressure. After that, the rule is: increase slowly — our 8-week plan for beginner runners is a good structure for coming back, too.
Diastasis recti: check it rather than fear it
Diastasis recti — the gap between the straight abdominal muscles — is initially a normal adaptation. In most women it narrows considerably during the first few months. Here's how to check it yourself (from about week 6):
- Lie on your back with your legs bent. Lift your head and shoulders slightly.
- Using two or three fingers placed crosswise, feel along the midline above, at the level of, and below the navel.
- What you can feel is the width (how many fingers fit into the gap?) and the tension (does the base spring back firmly or does it give way softly?).
More than two finger widths and a soft base after month 3 to 4: have it looked at by a specialized physiotherapist. Function matters more than the gap width — can the midline build tension? Until then the rule is: choose exercises that don't make the midline bulge out visibly (no "doming"). Classic crunches and long planks only come back once the deep muscles are carrying the load.
Training with a baby and little sleep: staying realistic
The best plan is useless if it doesn't fit into your day. What has proven itself: short, frequent sessions (3×15 minutes beats 1×60), training with your child instead of against the clock — you'll find ideas in our article "Training with a child" — and being kind to yourself in phases of bad sleep: less sleep means less load, not more discipline. Incidentally, breastfeeding is no obstacle to moderate training either; drinking enough and a well-fitting sports bra are all it takes.
Warning signs: time to dial it back
- leaking urine under load (even a few drops count)
- a feeling of downward pressure or of something being in the way ("something is falling out")
- visible bulging of the abdominal midline during effort
- pain, increased bleeding or persistent exhaustion after training
These signs don't mean "exercise is forbidden", but: adjust the load and get professional support — pelvic floor physiotherapy is well established in Switzerland and can be prescribed by a doctor.
Course tip from update Akademie: Mum-fitness, classes close to postnatal recovery and safe group formats are among the most sought-after offerings there are. The Grundlagen Gruppenfitness programme at update Akademie gives you the methodological foundation to lead classes professionally and responsibly. If you want to work specifically with pregnant women and mothers, the Schwangerschaft und Sport workshop at update Akademie provides the medical foundation for it — from the changes to the organs and the pelvic floor through to the guidelines for fitness training after the birth.
Frequently asked questions about training after pregnancy
When can I do sport again after giving birth?
Gentle activation and walks as soon as you feel up to it in the first weeks; structured training after the medical check-up (usually week 6 to 8); impact sports such as jogging from month 3 at the earliest, in many cases only from month 6 — and for as long as you are breastfeeding, restraint applies to high-impact sessions anyway. What counts is not the calendar but the load criteria. After a caesarean, longer timeframes tend to apply — what counts is your individual healing.
How long does postnatal recovery take?
The course typically runs 6 to 10 weeks — the actual recovery of the tissue takes 9 to 12 months. It's worth keeping pelvic floor and trunk work in your training for that whole period.
Can I train with diastasis recti?
Yes — correctly dosed, training is in fact the therapy. Build up via breathing, the deep abdominal muscles and increasing load, while avoiding doming. With a large, soft gap: get physiotherapy support.
Is strength training compatible with breastfeeding?
Yes. Moderate training has no negative effect on the quantity or quality of your milk. Practical tips: breastfeed or pump before training, drink enough, and don't keep your energy intake too low.
Conclusion
The way back into training goes step by step, not in leaps: first healing and postnatal recovery, then the basics, then load and impact. If you allow your body this sequence, you won't come back more slowly — you'll come back more sustainably, without incontinence and setbacks. And: asking for help is a strength, not a weakness — specialized professionals and good classes make the difference.
