Postpartum Cardio: How to Get Your Heart Rate Up Again After Baby

Carrying a baby and giving birth are amazing feats that come with a lot of drastic physical changes. If you stayed active during pregnancy, postpartum recovery is likely going to be easier, but if not, you can still support your body by returning to exercise gently, and in stages while you heal.

For a lot of people, postpartum cardio begins with a slow walk around the block within days of giving birth, then builds gradually based on symptoms. As a certified pre and postnatal exercise specialist, I can tell you that when it comes to postpartum and exercise, the timeline is different for everyone, but there are some guidelines that can help.

What Is Postpartum Cardio?

Postpartum cardio exercise is any aerobic activity (movement that keeps your heart rate and breathing up for a sustained stretch) done in the first year after having a baby. While technically everyone who's had a baby during their lifetime is postpartum, the weeks and months directly after giving birth are unique because your body is making some huge changes to recover from pregnancy.

Pregnancy and birth stretch your pelvic floor (the hammock of muscle holding up your bladder, uterus, and bowel) and abdominal wall, and those tissues take around four to six months to fully heal. It's crucial to pay attention to what's going on below the belt as you return to exercise.

Can I Do Cardio Postpartum?

You can do cardio after having a baby, and typically sooner than you'd expect. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says you can gradually resume exercise as soon as it's medically safe, which after an uncomplicated vaginal birth can mean within days. The 2025 Canadian postpartum guideline recommends that anyone without a medical reason to wait start light movement early and build toward 120 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous activity.

If you're breastfeeding, you can still do postpartum exercise since it doesn't affect milk supply or your baby's growth. It also lowers the risk of postpartum depression by about 45% and improves blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

You should get clearance before doing cardio if you had a C-section, a serious tear, heavy bleeding, high blood pressure, or anything else your care team flagged. Even then, you'll likely need to go a bit slower and possibly get advice from a pelvic floor physical therapist.

When to Start Cardio Postpartum

At your six week postpartum checkup, you might get the all-clear from your care provider, but they likely haven't checked your pelvic floor or abs. It's a good idea to book a pelvic floor physio, which I recommend for literally everyone who has given birth.

You can definitely start moving before the six week appointment if you're feeling up to it. Regular exercise before six weeks postpartum has no negative effect on pelvic floor strength, or on leaking, according to research. Also, doing low impact exercise early may reduce pelvic girdle pain. On the other hand, women who skip exercise might end up with worse leaking over time.

Tip: If you've had a C-section, you'll want to wait a couple of weeks longer and stick to shorter walks on flat ground until your incision feels ok.

How to Do Postpartum Cardio

Connect Your Pelvic Floor and Core

Before every session, do ten slow connection breaths. Inhale through your nose and let your belly and ribs expand, then exhale like you're fogging a mirror while gently lifting your pelvic floor and drawing your lower belly in. It's the simplest postpartum recovery exercise there is, and doing it before your workout teaches your core and pelvic floor to fire together again.

Key Fact: Daily pelvic floor training cuts the odds of urinary leaking by about 37%.

Start With Walking

Walking is the most popular postpartum activity by a mile, with over 90% of new moms walking again by six weeks. It's low impact, you can bring the baby, and walking 90 to 120 minutes a week improves mood in moms dealing with postpartum depression.

Start with 10 to 15 minutes on flat ground, adding five minutes every few days until you reach about 45 minutes max for the first six weeks. If the weather isn't cooperating, a treadmill works just as well (the Strive™ Curved Treadmill is a nice option here since there's no motor and your stride sets the pace). If you're breastfeeding, feed or pump before you head out (full breasts and a brisk walk are a bad combo), and be sure to drink plenty of water.

Build Toward 120 Minutes a Week

Aim for 120 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity spread over four or more days, which you can build up to gradually over the first few months. Moderate activity is like a 6 or 7 on a 1 to 10 effort scale. You should be able to talk in short sentences the whole time.

Even getting 80 minutes per week of brisk walking (or similar activity) can really help ward off depressive symptoms. You can do a bit at a time during baby naps or whenever you can squeeze in a few minutes.

Read more: What is Zone 2? The Science Behind Low-Intensity Training

Wait 12 Weeks Before Adding Impact

Running and jumping send a lot of force through the pelvic floor, so most experts say to wait until at least 12 weeks postpartum, and some say longer. Experts recommend starting with a walk-run protocol and increasing duration before adding more intensity. If you notice any symptoms during or after a run, return to low-impact work for a couple of weeks and try again.

What Cardio Can I Do Postpartum?

Safe cardio exercises for new mothers share one trait, and that trait is low impact. The best cardio for postpartum recovery includes walking, incline treadmill walking, cardio machines like a stationary bike, elliptical, or rower, swimming once bleeding has stopped and stitches have healed, and sled pushes (underrated for low impact leg work).

It's better to wait before running, jumping rope, burpees, box jumps, trampolines, or HIIT with jumping. If you notice any of the following, your tissues aren't ready for the load yet and you should see a pelvic floor physio for advice:

• Leaking
• Feelings of heaviness or dragging in your vagina
• Pelvic or low back pain
• Doming down the middle of your abs
• Bleeding that returns after exercise

Postpartum Cardio and Strength: Do Both

Cardio is certainly important, but strength training is vital for making cardio safe. Stronger glutes, hips, and deep core muscles will better absorb impact and keep your pelvis stable. Experts recommend centering postpartum exercise around strength training, with two to three full body sessions per week. You can stick to bodyweight, or add light dumbbells to do exercises such as box squats, glute bridges, split squats, and bird dogs.

Postpartum Cardio Workout Plan

Here are three sample postpartum cardio workouts that progress with you. Move to the next phase only after a couple of symptom-free weeks in the current one.

Phase 1 (Weeks 1 to 6): Easy Walk

• Breathe: 10 slow connection breaths
• Walk: 10 to 30 minutes on flat ground at a 3 to 4 out of 10 effort
• Frequency: most days as energy allows, capped at 45 minutes

Phase 2 (Weeks 6 to 12): Low-Impact Intervals

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy on the bike, elliptical, or incline treadmill
• Intervals: 2 minutes at a 6 to 7 effort, 2 minutes easy, repeated 4 to 5 times
• Cool down: 5 minutes easy walking
• Frequency: 1 to 2 times per week, with easy walks on other days

Phase 3 (Weeks 12+): Walk-Run

• Warm up: 5 minute brisk walk
• Intervals: 1 minute easy jog, 2 minutes walk, repeated 6 to 8 times
• Cool down: 5 minute walk
• Progress: add 30 seconds to the jog each week

From 12 weeks on, if everything feels good, you can add one short high-intensity session of 10 to 15 minutes a week (bike or rower sprints, no bouncing required).

Takeaway

You can start postpartum cardio sooner than you might think, as long as you start slowly and learn to breathe correctly. Pay attention to your symptoms and back off if anything doesn't feel right. Every little bit counts, but don't forget to be gentle with yourself, you've just gone through something miraculous.

FAQs

When can you exercise after childbirth?

After an uncomplicated vaginal birth, you can start gentle walking and pelvic floor work within days, as long as you feel up to it. Build gradually from there, and wait until at least 12 weeks before adding running or jumping. If you had a C-section or any complications, check with your care provider first.

Can I workout 6 weeks postpartum?

You can workout 6 weeks postpartum if your birth was uncomplicated and you feel ready, you can walk, do light strength work, and start easy low-impact cardio at six weeks, and many people start sooner.

When can I start running after having a baby?

Most experts recommend waiting until at least 12 weeks postpartum and starting with a walk-run plan. Before your first run, you should be able to walk 30 minutes, do 10 single-leg calf raises and 10 single-leg sit-to-stands per side, and hop on one leg without leaking, heaviness, or pain. If any of those show up, spend a couple more weeks on walking, strength, and pelvic floor work. A pelvic floor physiotherapist can test you and clear you with far more confidence than a calendar can.

Does cardio affect breastfeeding?

No. Moderate and even hard exercise doesn't change milk volume or nutrient content, and a large review found no effect on infant growth either. Very intense sessions can briefly raise lactate in your milk, which may change the taste for about an hour and has no effect on your baby's health. Feed or pump before you train for comfort, drink plenty of water, and wear a bra that supports you.

Is cardio safe with diastasis recti?

Low-impact cardio like walking, cycling, and swimming is safe with diastasis recti and can be part of your recovery. High-impact exercise can aggravate the back pain and pelvic floor problems that tend to come with it, so save running and jumping for later. Watch for doming down the center of your belly during exercise, exhale on effort, and focus on core and pelvic floor work until the doming stops.