The “6 week all clear” has done a lot of damage. For most women, it’s interpreted as a green light to return to whatever they were doing before pregnancy, but the evidence tells a more nuanced story.
Here’s what we actually know, and how to build a smart, gradual return.
The 6-week check is a starting line, not a finish line
Tissue healing doesn’t follow a calendar. The uterus continues remodelling for around 6 weeks, but the pelvic floor and abdominal wall take much longer and a caesarean scar can take 6+ months to regain meaningful tensile strength. Layer in sleep deprivation, breastfeeding, hormonal shifts and load bearing infant care.
“Cleared for exercise” is far from “ready for impact.”
What the evidence says
Tension matters more than gap width. Diastasis recovery is about restoring force transfer through the linea alba, not closing a number. Exercises that generate tension, including abdominal crunches are part of the toolkit.
The pelvic floor responds to load. Like any muscle group, it adapts when challenged appropriately. Long-term avoidance is associated with worse outcomes, not better.
Strength training is foundational. Postpartum resistance training is associated with reduced incontinence, improved bone health, better mood and faster return to function.
Running readiness is about capacity, not a date. Screening tests – single-leg balance, single-leg squat, single-leg hop, jog on the spot – tell you far more than “how many weeks postpartum am I.”
Symptoms are data. Leakage, heaviness, doming or pain aren’t reasons to stop training forever, they’re a signal that the current load needs adjusting.
Where to start: principles, not prohibitions
Rather than a list of off-limits exercises, think in terms of capacity-building:
Start with breath and connection. Diaphragmatic breathing, pelvic floor coordination, gentle abdominal engagement (including curl-ups). Foundational, not “easy.”
Add load early, progress gradually. Bodyweight strength, then external load.
Train the whole system. Hips, glutes, back, upper body. Postpartum strength isn’t a core program; it’s a strength program.
Let symptoms guide progression. If something provokes leakage, heaviness or pain, regress a variable (load, range, tempo, volume) – don’t abandon the movement (& seek assistance)
Screen before impact. Functional readiness tests, not weeks on a calendar.
Around 6 weeks is a good time for an assessment with a Women’s Health Physiotherapist
Reach out for assessment if you notice:
Postpartum return to exercise should be progressive, individualised, and guided by symptoms, not by a date on the calendar. Start gentle, rebuild capacity, screen before impact and work with a Women’s Health Physio and Exercise Physiologist where possible.
Written by Annie Daly, Senior Exercise Physiologist
