Feeling Left Out? How to Stay Active During Pregnancy & Postpartum | Parents.com

For many, self-care is one of the first casualties of pregnancy and early parenting. Once a baby arrives, it often feels like our bodies are suddenly off-limits—especially when it comes to staying active.

A recent study reveals just how significant this feeling is for new and expectant mothers. The report finds that more than half (57%) of pregnant people and parents of babies under one year old report feeling excluded or unwelcome when trying to stay active. The barriers are multifaceted: 46% of these parents are too tired, 38% struggle to find the time, and 21% have limited child care options.

However, experts emphasize that physical and emotional barriers don’t have to halt exercise. In fact, regular physical activity can offer substantial benefits, including lowered anxiety, improved sleep, and a boost in mood.

But why are so many new and expectant parents hesitant to prioritize fitness? And how can they safely reintroduce movement into their lives with a baby in tow?

Exercising During Pregnancy

The study, conducted by Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign, highlights that nearly a third of pregnant people worry about harming their baby through exercise, and 24% are unsure about what’s actually safe. This uncertainty is understandable, says Lindsey Gentile, a West Hollywood–based personal trainer specializing in prenatal and postpartum fitness. “While you may not be showing yet early on in your pregnancy, your nausea and fatigue can keep you glued onto the couch,” she explains. “Once you start to show, growing that baby bump will alter your center of gravity, negatively affecting your balance and posture and make certain types of workouts feel difficult, unstable, or uncomfortable.”

Alexandra Hamilton, MD, an OB-GYN at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, notes that physical changes can also contribute to body insecurity and new sensations, such as pelvic pressure, back pain, and breathlessness, which can be misinterpreted as signs of fragility. Some individuals fear that any movement could harm their baby—a concern particularly prevalent after a traumatic pregnancy or miscarriage.

However, Dr. Hamilton stresses that, with medical clearance and a thoughtful approach, exercising while pregnant can have numerous positive effects. Mahino Talib, MD, OB-GYN at NYU Langone Health, explains that biological changes can also deter people from exercise. “In early pregnancy, the cardiovascular changes that cause a significant increase in blood volume usually come along with shortness of breath with exertion,” she says. “This gets better in the second trimester and then increases again in the third trimester as the larger uterus physically makes the lung capacity smaller.”

Despite these changes, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, with medical clearance. Exercise during pregnancy can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean birth.

Tips for Pregnancy Exercise:

• Pregnancy is not the time to begin a vigorous new exercise routine. Start slowly and take things one day at a time.
• Avoid crunches, but consider other core exercises like diaphragmatic breathing, glute bridges, marches on a yoga ball, and modified planks.
• Strength training focusing on glutes, shoulders, upper back, and core, including squats, is beneficial. Swimming can also reduce joint load and ease back and pelvic pain.
• Set flexible routines and small goals: Short, regular sessions are more effective than all-or-nothing thinking.
• When in doubt, low-impact cardio and walking are safe options.
• Always check in with your health care provider for personalized advice.

Exercising Postpartum

Once a baby is born, getting back into personal fitness is often a low priority. “The barriers are plentiful,” admits Dr. Talib. “Most women with newborns suffer from exhaustion, poor sleep, lack of routine, and adjusting to motherhood. When a baby is feeding every two to three hours (sometimes more frequently), exercise seems like a lofty goal and totally unattainable.”

Confidence often takes a hit, with 39% of people reporting a loss of confidence in their body after birth. Hormonal shifts, physical recovery, and the identity changes commonly experienced by new parents further complicate matters. “So much about postpartum recovery is discovering a new version of yourself—your body is different, your priorities have totally shifted, your hormones are all over the place, and if you are breastfeeding, all of What we have is compounded,” says Dr. Talib.

Gentile agrees, adding that people need to give themselves grace during their recovery. “This proves so common to not feel like yourself after birth and it’s hard to get motivated,” she says. “You haven’t slept and sleep may be the priority at this time and that is OK.”

Physically, bodies need time to recover after any birth, especially those involving trauma, tears, or C-sections. Child care can also be a significant challenge. For the 1 in 5 experiencing a perinatal mental health condition such as anxiety or depression, exercise can feel like an afterthought. However, exercise can be a powerful tool for recovery. A 2025 study suggests that 80 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, can reduce the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms and the odds of postpartum depression.

Tips for Postpartum Exercise:

• Start small, with as little as five minutes a day, to ease into a postpartum fitness routine.
• Consider group classes that allow you to work out with your baby.
• Support your posture by focusing on the chest and strengthening the upper back to counteract the hunched posture from feeding, picking up, and carrying a baby.
• Walking is a great way to get out of the house, improve stamina, cardiovascular health, and mental well-being, and you can take your baby along.
• Work with a postpartum-aware physiotherapist or trainer for individualized programming, and reassurance.
• Always wait for clearance from your health care provider before resuming exercise.