A Beginners Postpartum Workout Routine (No Equipment Required)

Getting Fit. It is the first thing that many women think about the day after they’ve had their baby. Yet, in many cultures, over the span of thousands of years, women did NOT get right back to their daily duties after having a baby. Though the vital recovery period ranges anywhere from one month to two, six weeks is often the recommended period of rest time. It is also the amount I, and many women that I know (who’ve had 4+ children) recommend. In fact, the times I forced myself to rest the entire six weeks, I recovered faster! I stay in bed the first 2 weeks; then, the most activity I do the next four weeks is to make sure I get up frequently to walk about the house, and even then, I make sure not to overdo it. The main thing: listen to your body. For a more intense workout option for postpartum check out this post.

At six weeks postpartum, I begin my workout routine.

Workout Routine

Monday

Warm Up (3 rounds of the following)

10 Straight Leg Toe Touches

10 Air Squats or sit down on a chair, then stand up.

10 Arm Circles 

Workout

1-2 rounds of the following: 

20 seconds of Plank, 20 seconds of rest 

20 seconds of  Wall Sit, 20 seconds of rest

20 seconds of Plank, 20 seconds of rest

20 seconds of Step Ups, 20 seconds of rest

20 seconds of Plank, 20 seconds of rest

Rest 1-3 minutes in between rounds. 

Tuesday

Warm Up (3 rounds of the following)

10 Straight Leg Toe Touches

10 Air Squats or sit down on a chair, then stand up.

10 Arm Circles 

Workout

Walk ½-1  mile (If you have a rower or a bike, jump on one of those for 10 to 12 minutes)

You should be working hard enough to break a sweat, but not too hard that you cannot talk. 

Wednesday

Warm Up (3 rounds of the following)

10 Straight Leg Toe Touches

10 Air Squats or sit down on a chair, then stand up.

10 Arm Circles 

Workout

1-2 rounds of the following:

20 seconds of Air Squats, 20 seconds of rest 

20 seconds of  Push Ups (from the knees), 20 seconds of rest

20 seconds of Glute Bridges, 20 seconds of rest

20 seconds of Walking Lunges, 20 seconds of rest

10-20 seconds of Side Plank( 10 seconds each side), 20 seconds of rest

Rest 1-3 minutes in between rounds. 

Thursday

Warm Up (3 rounds of the following)

10 Straight Leg Toe Touches

10 Air Squats or sit down on a chair, then stand up.

10 Arm Circles 

Workout

Five minutes of Plank:

20 seconds of Front Plank, 20 seconds of rest

10 seconds of Side Plank on the left, 20 seconds of rest

10 seconds of Side Plank on the right, 20 seconds of rest

20 seconds of Backwards plank, 20 seconds of rest

(If 5 minutes is too much for you at this point, take a 1 minute break here and then, continue.)

20 seconds of Front Plank, 20 seconds of rest

10 seconds of Side Plank on the left, 20 seconds of rest

10 seconds of Side Plank on the right, 20 seconds of rest

20 seconds of Backwards plank, 20 seconds of rest

20 seconds of Front Plank, 20 seconds of rest

20 seconds of Backwards plank

Friday

Warm Up (3 rounds of the following)

10 Straight Leg Toe Touches

10 Air Squats or sit down on a chair, then stand up.

10 Arm Circles 

Workout

1-3 rounds of the following:

30 seconds of Step Ups, 30 seconds of rest 

30 seconds of  Leg Scissors (do slow and controlled), 30 seconds of rest

30 seconds of Alternating Lunges, 30 seconds of rest

30 seconds of Glute Bridges, 30 seconds of rest

30 seconds of Bear Crawl, 30 seconds of rest

Rest 1-3 minutes in between rounds. 

Notes: 

• Demo videos can be found online for all of the movements; make sure you are doing them correctly!

• I will usually go for another walk on Saturday. Sunday is the only day I do absolutely nothing but rest. 

• There is science out now that recommends women to eat 10-20 grams of a protein and 10-20 grams of a carbohydrate before you workout. I actually feel so much better if I do this and have noticed more weight loss, than when I had worked out on an empty stomach. 

• I will usually follow this routine for about 2 months, then I am ready for something harder, or a little more. Again listen to your body, be consistent, be patient, and remember it took your body nine months to grow a baby and for some, it may take a little longer than you’d like to get back to where you were, but your body will do it with a healthy lifestyle!