When and how to start exercising after birth is one of the commonest questions new mothers ask. Two NHS pages, “Your post-pregnancy body” and “Keeping fit and healthy with a baby”, give the steps and counts for pelvic floor exercises and a deep stomach exercise, how to check tummy muscle separation yourself, and when to restart exercise. After a straightforward birth, walking, gentle stretches and pelvic floor exercises can start when you feel up to it; high-impact exercise such as aerobics or running waits until you get advice at your 6-week postnatal check.
1. Pelvic floor: long squeezes up to 10 seconds + short squeezes, up to 10 of each, at least 3 times a day.
2. Deep stomach exercise: on your side, draw in your lower stomach and hold for a count of 10, up to 10 times.
3. Tummy muscle separation usually goes by about 8 weeks — still obvious at 8 weeks, see a GP. Avoid sit-ups, planks and high-impact exercise at first.
When to start again — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward birth | Walking, gentle stretches, pelvic floor exercises when you feel up to it | — |
| High-impact | Aerobics or running after advice at your 6-week postnatal check | — |
| Complicated birth or caesarean | Recovery takes longer — check with your midwife, health visitor or GP first | In Korea, your obstetrician (ours) |
| Swimming | Once postnatal bleeding has stopped for 7 days | — |
| Postnatal check | Around 6 to 8 weeks — a good time to raise physical or mental health problems | — |
Take care — NHS
- Your lower back and core may be weaker.
- Ligaments and joints stay more flexible for a few months, so injury is more likely.
- Don’t rely on your pre-pregnancy sports bra; your feet may have changed size, so consider new trainers.
- When lifting, bend your knees, not your waist.
Pelvic floor exercises — how and how often
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Which muscles | Squeeze and lift around your bottom, vagina and urethra — as if stopping a wee | — |
| Long squeezes | As long as is comfortable, up to 10 seconds, then relax | — |
| Short squeezes | Squeeze quickly and release straight away, until the muscles tire | — |
| How many | Build up to 10 of each, at least 3 times a day | 10 × 3 = at least 30 a day of each (our sum) |
| Position | Lying, sitting or standing — anywhere once practised | — |
| Technique | Breathe normally; don’t pull in your stomach | — |
| Reminder | On the toilet helps you remember — but after you’ve finished | — |
Pelvic floor exercises as a treatment for incontinence (at least 8 at a time, 3 times a day, at least 3 months) are in pelvic floor exercises. Different NHS pages, different numbers.
Deep stomach exercise — six steps
- Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent.
- Relax your tummy and breathe in gently.
- As you breathe out, gently draw in your lower stomach, narrowing your waist.
- At the same time, squeeze your pelvic floor.
- Hold for a count of 10, breathing normally, then release gently.
- Repeat up to 10 times.
Tummy muscle separation — checking yourself
The growing womb stretches and weakens the tummy muscles, so separation is common in pregnancy — typically about two finger widths, the NHS says. It usually returns to normal by about 8 weeks after birth.
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Position | On your back, knees bent, feet flat | — |
| Measure | Lift your shoulders slightly; use your fingertips to feel the gap above and below the belly button | Check regularly to see if it narrows |
| Still obvious at 8 weeks | Contact your GP — risk of back problems; some have tummy pain or discomfort | — |
| Treatment | GP referral to a physiotherapist; pelvic floor and deep stomach exercises and good posture help | — |
| Avoid at first | Sit-ups, planks, high-impact exercise, straining on the toilet, heavy lifting | “At first” isn’t defined |
Other ideas — NHS
- Postnatal exercises and classes (some let you bring your baby), pushing the pram briskly, energetic games with older children, exercise videos at home.
- Gentle exercise can lift your mood — postnatal depression is common; talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP if you’re struggling.
- If you’re breastfeeding and overweight, a balanced diet and a brisk 30-minute walk every day can help you lose weight without affecting your milk.
Checklist
- ☐ Pelvic floor: up to 10 seconds and quick ones, 10 each, at least 3 times a day
- ☐ Deep stomach: hold for a count of 10, up to 10 times
- ☐ High-impact only after the 6-week check
- ☐ Swimming 7 days after bleeding stops
- ☐ Gap still obvious at 8 weeks — GP
Questions that remain
When can I do planks again?
The NHS says to avoid sit-ups and planks “at first” but doesn’t say when they’re fine. Track the gap and ask at your postnatal check (our note).
What about after a caesarean?
Recovery takes longer; check with your midwife, health visitor or GP first. Neither page gives a number of weeks.
Sources
- NHS — Your post-pregnancy body — source (page shows: reviewed 20 July 2026, next review due 20 July 2029; checked 22 October 2026). Pelvic floor exercises (10 seconds, 10 repeats, 3 times a day), the six-step deep stomach exercise, tummy separation (two finger widths, 8 weeks, self-check, GP, what to avoid), the 6 to 8-week check.
- Not read. Other post-birth body changes; the video.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean care gloss.
- NHS — Keeping fit and healthy with a baby — source (reviewed 20 April 2026, next review due 20 April 2029). When to start, the 6-week check, caesarean, ligaments and joints, sports bra and trainers, ideas, swimming after 7 days, postnatal depression, a 30-minute walk.
Where to check further
- Your obstetrician or postnatal check — the tummy gap and when to start.
Written on 22 October 2026. The content is from the NHS; the glosses are ours.
