Whether this is your first, second, or fourth trip around the postpartum block, there’s a good chance your post-baby body feels a lot different than your pre-pregnancy self (you did just birth a human, after all!).

But if you’re eager to get moving, you might be wondering when it’s safe to return to exercise and what types of workouts are best in the first few weeks and months after childbirth.

While your pregnancy, type of birth, and any complications you experienced during delivery will dictate specific exercise guidelines, the most important factor to consider is how you feel.

That’s because easing into any type of workout after giving birth is key to both the long-term success of your fitness plan and your overall health. In other words, try to be patient and realistic about what you’re capable of doing.

Postnatal exercise guidelines

In general, if you had a healthy pregnancy and delivery, you can start working out when you feel ready. For some women, this may be as soon as a week after giving birth. (But it’s OK — and perfectly normal — if you need longer!)

If you had a cesarean delivery or other complications such as diastasis recti or severe vaginal tears, you’ll need to work with your doctor to determine a timeline for when it’s safe to begin exercise again. In general, you’ll need to wait several weeks to return to an exercise program — so enjoy some guilt-free rest, recovery, and… relaxation? (As much as is possible with a newborn, that is!)

When you do head back to the gym or hit the trails for a walk, aim to stay active by engaging in low-impact aerobic activity for 20 to 30 minutes a day. Add on 10 minutes of simple postpartum exercises that help strengthen your abdominal muscles and other major muscle groups such as your legs, glutes, and back.

If 20 minutes is too much, scale back to 10 to 15 minutes, two times a day. For example, go for a 15-minute walk in the morning, followed by 10 minutes of gentle yoga or abdominal strengthening exercises at night. You can add time or intensity as you get stronger and your body feels better.

Why post-pregnancy exercise is good for you

Exercise, at any point in your life, is one of the best ways to improve your mood, strengthen and tone muscles, and increase overall health. But during the postpartum period specifically, fitness has the potential to

• strengthen and tone abdominal muscles that were stretched during pregnancy
• boost your energy
• promote better sleep
• relieve stress
• help you lose any extra weight you gained

Light-to-moderate intensity aerobic exercise (such as walking) during the postpartum period also has the ability to improve mild to moderate depressive symptoms, according to a 2017 review of studies.

Best postpartum exercises to do right now

“The most important thing in the postpartum period is getting core strength back,” says Reilly. She recommends focusing on the diaphragm, transverse abdominis muscles, and the pelvic floor. “Cardio is fine, but I would keep it to lighter cardio and really focus on rebuilding the core strength,”

To whip your core back into shape, Reilly recommends staring with these five moves:

• Swiss bird dog holds
• Cat-Cow in tabletop
• Swiss ball glute bridge
• postpartum planks
• side plank leg lifts