Strength Training Postpartum: What It Can Look Like and How to Get Started

This week we have a guest blog post from the wonderful Alyssa Dunn, Founder of Solas Fitness and Pre&Postnatal Fitness Specialist. Alyssa writes;

Becoming a mum changes everything: your routines, your priorities, and of course, your body. And while returning to exercise after having a baby can feel exciting, it can also feel overwhelming. What’s safe? What’s too much? Where do you even begin? The truth is: everyone’s postpartum fitness journey is different. No two pregnancies, deliveries, recoveries, or bodies are the same. And that’s exactly why postpartum strength training should never be a one-size-fits-all approach. But with the right support, solid foundations, and realistic expectations, strength training can help you feel strong, capable, and confident in your body again.

First Things First: Clearance & Support

Before you start moving, it’s really important that you:

1. Get medical clearance

Usually this happens around 6–8 weeks postpartum, but it can be later depending on your birth and recovery.

2. See a pelvic floor physiotherapist (or have a Mummy MOT)

I highly recommend this for every mum, no matter your fitness background. Hailey one half of the G&G duo has just started offering Mummy MOT sessions and would love to offer you the support you might need. A pelvic floor physio can:

• Check how your pelvic floor is functioning

• Assess your healing

• Help you rebuild safely

• Identify any concerns early on

• Guide you on what movements are best for your body right now

Think of it as laying a strong foundation before adding layers—you’ll thank yourself later.

Why Strength Training Matters After Having a Baby

Strength training postpartum isn’t about “bouncing back.”It’s about:

• Rebuilding your foundations

• Supporting the physical demands of motherhood

• Reducing pain

• Improving your energy and mood

• Future-proofing your health

Let’s be honest you’re already doing strength training every day: lifting your baby, carrying the car seat, pushing the pram, bending, twisting, reaching… motherhood is movement.

There’s also a long-term benefit: bone density. From our thirties onward, it naturally declines, but resistance training is one of the most effective ways to protect it.

So the strength work you do now doesn’t just support you today, it supports you for decades.

Understanding Your Starting Point

Your starting point depends on several factors:

• Your fitness level before pregnancy

• How your pregnancy felt

• Your birth experience

• How your healing and recovery are going now

• Your pelvic floor function

• Whether you have diastasis recti and what the tension in your midline is like

A pelvic floor physio (hello Hailey again!) can help you check your diastasis and not just the width of the gap, but also how much tension you can generate through the midline. This is just as important as the gap itself.

Once you have this information, you can share it with your trainer or coach. With this knowledge, exercises can be adapted to support your recovery every step of the way.

So… What Now?

Now that you understand your body a bit better, the goal is to rebuild your mind–muscle connection and get your body used to moving in familiar patterns before adding load.

We want to progress only when:

• There’s no heaviness or bearing down in the pelvic floor

• There’s no leaking

• Movements feel controlled and stable

• You’re breathing and bracing well

Progress happens at your pace not anyone else’s.

Your First Steps: What Early Postpartum Exercise Can Look Like

After you’ve been medically cleared, you might start with gentle activation and reconnection exercises such as:

Diaphragmatic breathing

Helps reconnect your core and pelvic floor.

Pelvic tilts & gentle mobility

Kegels (only if advised by your physio)

Light walking

A brilliant way to ease back into movement without overloading the body.

Basic bodyweight exercises, like:

• Glute bridges

• Bird dogs

• Standing hip hinge practice

• Gentle squats All while incorporating your connection breath (see my blog post on how to do this).

Avoid for now:

• High-impact activity

• Running

• Heavy lifting

• Jumping

• Anything that causes pelvic floor symptoms

Stay hydrated, stay fuelled, and rest when you need it.

Training All the Movement Patterns: The Postpartum Blueprint

Once you’re ready for more structured strength work, a great approach is to train the body’s major movement patterns:

• Squat

• Hinge

• Lunge

• Push

• Pull

• Carry

• Rotation / Anti-Rotation

These patterns prepare you for real life: lifting your baby, getting up off the floor, carrying shopping, pushing the buggy, twisting to grab something behind you.

When you train these patterns, you’re not just working out…you’re building practical strength that makes everyday motherhood easier.

What Returning to Strength Training Might Look Like

Here’s a rough roadmap (remember, your journey might look different)

1. Reconnect

Breathing, pelvic floor awareness, gentle walking, mobility.

2. Rebuild

Bodyweight movements, resistance bands, light dumbbells. Focus on form, alignment, and control.

3. Reload

Gradually reintroduce heavier weights (kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells) when your foundations feel stable and symptom-free.

4. Thrive

Progressive overload, structured training, stronger lifts, and goals that excite you.

A Gentle Reminder

Some weeks you’ll feel strong and ready. Other weeks you’ll feel tired and need rest. Both are normal. Both are valid. Postpartum recovery isn’t linear. There’s no rush. There’s no “should.” The goal isn’t to get “back” to who you were before. It’s to move forward and become stronger, more resilient, and more connected to your body than ever.

Not Sure Where to Start?

If you’re feeling unsure about how or when to get back into strength training, you’re not alone. It can be confusing trying to figure out what’s right for you. At Solas Fitness, I’m here to support you every step of the way. If you’re unsure how or when to return to strength training, please know you’re not alone. Postpartum exercise can feel confusing, and it’s completely normal to need guidance. Together, we can chat about where you’re at right now, what your goals are, and how to build a plan that feels safe, realistic, and empowering for your stage of recovery. Every journey is different, and you never have to navigate yours on your own.

Get in touch with me, and let’s take that first step together.

With strength,

Alyssa

solasfitness.com

alyssa@solasfitness.com

@solasfitness