Pregnancy & Postnatal · 03 Aug 2026
Postnatal Exercise in Greenwich: A Practical Guide for New Mums
There is no single date when every new mum is automatically ready to return to exercise. This practical guide covers walking, pelvic-floor work, strength training, caesarean recovery, warning signs and how to find suitable postnatal exercise support in Greenwich.
After having a baby, you can often begin gentle movement such as short walks and pelvic-floor exercises when you feel ready. Returning to structured strength training, running or high-impact exercise should be gradual and based on your individual recovery, symptoms and type of birth.
There is no universal date when every new mum becomes “cleared” for everything.
Your body has been through pregnancy and birth. You may also be dealing with broken sleep, feeding, healing, childcare and a daily routine that changes without warning.
A useful postnatal exercise plan has to account for all of that.
When can I start exercising after giving birth?
It depends on the activity and your recovery.
After an uncomplicated birth, some women feel comfortable beginning gentle walking, breathing exercises and pelvic-floor work relatively soon. Others need more time.
A caesarean birth, also known as a C-section, is major abdominal surgery. Assisted deliveries, significant tearing, blood loss, pain or other complications can also change the timeline.
Rather than treating six weeks as a switch that changes from “no exercise” to “anything goes”, think of recovery as a gradual process.
Start with what feels manageable. Monitor how you feel during the activity, later that day and the following day. Then build slowly.
If you had complications, have ongoing symptoms or are unsure what is appropriate, speak to your GP, midwife, health visitor or a pelvic-health physiotherapist.
Does the six-week postnatal check mean I am cleared for exercise?
Not automatically.
Your postnatal check is an opportunity to discuss your physical and mental recovery, but it is not always a detailed assessment of your readiness to run, lift weights or return to high-intensity exercise.
Ask specific questions if you have concerns.
Tell the healthcare professional if you are experiencing:
Heaviness, dragging or bulging in the vagina
Urine or faecal leakage
Pelvic or lower-back pain
Persistent abdominal pain
Problems with a caesarean wound or scar
Bleeding that increases with activity
Dizziness, unusual breathlessness or extreme fatigue
Anxiety or low mood that is affecting daily life
These symptoms are not something you have to accept as the price of becoming a parent.
They may indicate that you would benefit from further assessment before increasing your training.
What exercise should I start with after having a baby?
A gradual return may begin with:
Short, comfortable walks
Gentle pelvic-floor contractions and relaxation
Breathing and ribcage movement
Basic mobility
Controlled sit-to-stands
Light pulling and pushing movements
Simple core-control exercises
There is no prize for moving through these stages quickly.
The right exercise should feel appropriate for your body today, not for the body you had before pregnancy.
The 2025 Canadian postpartum physical activity guideline recommends building towards a mixture of aerobic and resistance exercise during the first year after birth, alongside daily pelvic-floor muscle training. It also makes clear that activity should be individualised and progressed according to recovery.
You do not need to hit the full guideline in your first few weeks. Some movement is a starting point.
Is strength training safe after giving birth?
Strength training can be a valuable part of postnatal recovery when it is introduced appropriately.
Life with a baby involves lifting from the floor, carrying a car seat, holding awkward positions, pushing a pram and repeatedly getting up while holding something precious.
Training can prepare you for those demands.
A postnatal strength programme might gradually include:
Squatting to a box or bench
Hip hinging and lifting from an elevated surface
Rows and other pulling exercises
Supported pushing exercises
Split stances and step-ups
Carries
Progressive core and trunk work
The load, range of movement and exercise selection should reflect your recovery.
Strength training should not simply be your old programme restarted at a lighter weight.
What changes after a caesarean birth?
A caesarean section involves healing from abdominal surgery as well as recovering from pregnancy and caring for a newborn.
Early priorities may include comfortable walking, breathing, circulation, wound care and gradually returning to everyday movement in line with medical advice.
Do not rush back to heavy lifting or intense abdominal work because a calendar says six weeks have passed.
Watch for wound redness, discharge, opening, increasing pain, fever or feeling unwell. Seek medical advice promptly if you are concerned.
When you return to structured exercise, a coach should know that you had a caesarean and ask about your current symptoms. They should be willing to modify positions, loads and movements without making you feel as though you are failing the workout.
What is abdominal separation, and can I exercise with it?
The abdominal muscles naturally lengthen and separate to accommodate pregnancy. This is commonly called diastasis recti.
The size of the gap alone does not tell the whole story. Function, tension, symptoms and how you manage pressure also matter.
Many women can exercise with abdominal separation, but the appropriate starting point varies.
Signs that an exercise may need adjusting include pain, pronounced bulging or doming through the midline, breath-holding or difficulty controlling pressure.
Avoid blanket lists that label particular exercises as permanently forbidden. A pelvic-health physiotherapist or suitably qualified postnatal professional can assess how you are functioning and help you progress.
What about pelvic-floor exercises?
The pelvic floor needs both contraction and relaxation.
Pelvic-floor exercises are commonly recommended after birth, but more squeezing is not always the complete answer. Some people have muscles that are overactive, painful or poorly coordinated rather than simply weak.
Seek individual assessment if you experience leakage, pain during sex, pelvic heaviness, difficulty emptying your bladder or bowels, or symptoms that worsen as exercise increases.
Pelvic-floor symptoms are common. They should not be dismissed as normal and untreatable.
When can I return to running or high-impact exercise?
Running, jumping and high-intensity classes place greater demands on the pelvic floor, abdominal wall, joints and overall recovery.
Readiness should be based on more than the amount of time that has passed since birth.
Before returning, it is sensible to progress from walking and controlled single-leg work towards calf raises and basic hopping drills without pain, leakage, heaviness or worsening symptoms.
If running is an important goal, a pelvic-health physiotherapist can provide a more individual assessment.
Build impact gradually. Your first run back does not need to be the distance or pace you managed before pregnancy.
Can I bring my baby to an exercise class?
That depends on the provider, but dedicated mum-and-baby exercise classes are designed around the reality of having a baby with you.
Before booking a postnatal class in Greenwich, ask:
Can I feed or change my baby during the session?
Is it okay if my baby cries?
Is there space for a pram or car seat?
How old does my baby need to be?
Does the coach hold a recognised pre- and postnatal qualification?
How many people are in the class?
Will exercises be adapted to my birth and symptoms?
What happens if I miss a session because my baby is unwell?
A baby-friendly class should not expect your baby to follow the timetable perfectly.
You should be able to pause when you need to.
How do I choose a postnatal exercise class in Greenwich?
Greenwich has Pilates, yoga, buggy workouts, general fitness classes and specialist postnatal services.
Look beyond the class name.
“Low impact” does not automatically mean postnatal-specific, and “mum and baby” does not guarantee that the coach can assess symptoms or adapt exercise appropriately.
Ask about:
The coach’s postnatal qualifications and experience
Group size
How the class is progressed
Whether strength work is included
What happens when someone has symptoms
Whether the environment is genuinely baby-friendly
Whether the coach refers people to pelvic-health physiotherapists or medical professionals when needed
The right class should help you rebuild capacity, not pressure you to “get your body back”.
Your body did not go anywhere.
What if sleep and childcare make consistency impossible?
Postnatal consistency will not always mean attending the same number of sessions every week.
Think in minimums rather than perfect plans.
One week, you may manage a class and two walks. Another week, ten minutes of movement at home might be enough. As sleep and routine improve, you can build from there.
Exercise should support your life, not create another standard you feel you are failing to meet.
Postnatal and mum-and-baby exercise in Greenwich
Gather is a coaching-led gym in the Design District, close to North Greenwich station and the O2.
Our approach is centred on strength, confidence and realistic progress. We offer coached training, one-to-one personal training and mat Pilates, with options suitable for new mums and support to help you find the right starting point.
Because every birth and recovery is different, we recommend beginning with a conversation. We can explain the current mum-and-baby timetable, ask about your goals and help you decide whether a dedicated class, Pilates, one-to-one coaching or a later start would be most appropriate.
Contact Gather to book a quick call, or explore our Pilates classes in Greenwich.
If you have pain, pelvic-floor symptoms, concerns about healing or a complicated recovery, speak to an appropriate healthcare professional before progressing your exercise.