Return to Exercise Post Partum

One of the biggest shifts we are seeing in women’s health research is a move away from the old message of “just rest” after birth, and towards something far more empowering: women deserve structured, supported rehabilitation and a confident return to movement, strength, and sport.

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A recent paper by LaCross et al. (2026) highlights something that many postpartum women experience, but that is still too often overlooked: lingering pelvic floor injuries following vaginal birth, particularly in women returning to exercise and higher levels of activity.

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The paper describes how pregnancy and birth place significant demands on the pelvic floor muscles, connective tissues, and nerves. For some women, this can result in ongoing symptoms such as pelvic heaviness, urinary leakage, reduced confidence with exercise, or difficulty returning to running, strength training, or sport. Importantly, these symptoms are not always immediate and they are certainly not something women should simply be expected to “put up with.”

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One statistic from the paper is particularly striking: vaginal birth carries one of the highest musculoskeletal injury risks of any natural human activity. Yet despite this, postpartum recovery has historically lacked the same structured rehabilitation approach we would automatically provide after other musculoskeletal injuries.

At Beyond Physiotherapy, this really reinforces the philosophy that already sits at the heart of how we support women postpartum.

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Postpartum recovery is not about waiting six weeks and hoping for the best. It is about rebuilding confidence, restoring strength, improving load tolerance, and helping women feel capable in their bodies again. Whether that means returning to exercise classes, lifting children comfortably, getting back to running, or simply moving through daily life without fear or symptoms.

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This is exactly why our pelvic floor physiotherapy-led postpartum Pilates classes exist.

Our classes are intentionally small and bespoke, creating a supportive environment where women are individually guided through progressive movement and strengthening. Every exercise is carefully tailored to where each woman is in her recovery journey, helping them safely reconnect with their core, pelvic floor, breathing mechanics and whole-body strength.

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Importantly, the latest research continues to support what we see clinically every day: appropriately prescribed exercise is safe, beneficial, and encouraged postpartum. Women do not need prolonged rest and avoidance of movement. In fact, gradual, structured loading is often a key part of recovery.

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Postpartum Pilates provides an ideal bridge between early rehabilitation and returning to more demanding exercise because it allows women to:

• Rebuild pelvic floor and abdominal coordination
  
  
• Restore strength and control gradually
  
  
• Improve confidence with movement and exercise
  
  
• Develop better load tolerance for lifting, running, and strength training
  
  
• Reduce fear and uncertainty around returning to activity
  
  

But beyond the physical benefits, there is another part of postpartum recovery that matters deeply: connection.

The postpartum period can feel incredibly isolating for many women, and research consistently shows that both physical activity and social interaction can positively influence mood, wellbeing, and confidence after birth. One of the things we value most at Beyond is creating a space where women feel supported, understood, and encouraged, not just clinically, but personally too.

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Our classes are often filled with shared experiences, reassurance, laughter, and the reminder that recovery does not have to happen alone.

For many women, returning to strength training can feel daunting postpartum. Questions around leaking, heaviness, abdominal weakness, or “doing damage” can create a huge amount of anxiety around exercise. Our role is to help take away that uncertainty through education, assessment, progressive rehabilitation, and individualised guidance.

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Ultimately, this paper reinforces something we feel strongly about at Beyond Physiotherapy: postpartum women deserve the same quality of rehabilitation, strength rebuilding, and return-to-sport support as any other athlete recovering from injury. Recovery after birth is not simply about getting through the early weeks. It is about helping women return to movement feeling strong, capable, supported, and confident in their bodies for the long term. 

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If you would like to join a class of likeminded mums returning to exercise postpartum our class enrolment is continuous with a new block each school term. 

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See our the link for more details https://www.beyondphysiofitness.co.nz/babyandmumclass

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