gentle
20-Minute Postnatal Return to Exercise
A gradual, informed return to exercise after birth is one of the most important investments a new mother can make in her long-term physical health.
20 min · Kit: Yoga mat
The session
- 15 min: Pelvic floor awareness — breathing, gentle activation and release
- 25 min: Diaphragmatic breathing with gentle rib cage movement
- 35 min: Heel slides, dead bug (modified — one limb at a time, no challenge of lower back)
- 45 min: Seated exercises — shoulder rolls, gentle neck stretch, gentle thoracic rotation
Worth knowing
- Return to exercise post-birth could follow the 6-week check but really could be guided by a women's health physiotherapist assessment
- Symptoms to watch for: leaking, heaviness in the pelvis, pelvic pain — any of these mean stop and seek guidance
- This session is genuinely appropriate from 6–12 weeks postnatal and could be a starting point, not a full program
- Babies can be beside you on the mat — involving them makes it more sustainable
