Post C Section Exercises: A Week-by-Week Guide

A caesarean is major abdominal surgery, and you are recovering from it while caring for a newborn on very little sleep. No wonder so many mums tell me they have no idea what they should or should not be doing, or when. This guide lays out post C section exercises week by week, from the first days in hospital to around 3 months, so you can see the road ahead and move at the right pace for you.

Please read this first: this is a general guide, not medical advice. Every recovery is different. Follow what your midwife, GP and physio tell you, and check with your GP before moving on to anything more strenuous. If anything hurts, stop.

What the NHS and local physios say

The NHS says recovery from a caesarean takes longer than after a vaginal birth, and that you should talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP before starting anything strenuous (see the NHS page on keeping fit and healthy with a baby). Your postnatal check with your GP is usually around 6 to 8 weeks after the birth.

The postnatal physiotherapy leaflet from Whittington Health in North London adds some useful detail: you can usually start pelvic floor exercises the day after delivery, support your scar when you cough or sneeze, avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby in the first few weeks where you can, avoid sit-ups until your 6-week check, and wait until around 3 months before high-impact exercise.

Post C section exercises: a week-by-week guide

Days 1 to 7: rest, breathe, move gently

• Deep breathing: breathe in slowly through your nose, letting your ribs and belly expand, then breathe out through pursed lips. 5 breaths, several times a day. This helps your lungs after surgery.
• Ankle pumps and circles: point and flex your feet 10 times, every hour or so while awake, to help circulation.
• Short walks: get up and walk around the ward or your home as advised by your midwife, a little more each day.
• Pelvic floor squeezes: gentle squeeze and lift, hold for a few seconds, relax fully. Start with a few at a time.
• Scar support: hold a small pillow or your hands over the wound when you cough, sneeze or laugh.

Weeks 2 to 4: build daily movement

• Walking: short walks with the pram, gradually building towards 20 to 30 minutes at an easy pace.
• Pelvic floor exercises: work up to 3 sets a day of 10 slow squeezes (hold up to 10 seconds) and 10 quick squeezes.
• Deep tummy activation: lying on your side or back with knees bent, breathe out and gently draw your lower tummy in towards your spine, hold for a few breaths, relax. 5 to 10 reps.
• Pelvic tilts: lying on your back with knees bent, gently flatten and then arch your lower back. 10 slow reps.

Weeks 4 to 6: gentle strength

• Brisk walking: build up the pace and, if comfortable, the time.
• Glute bridges: breathe out, lift your pelvic floor and squeeze your bottom to lift your hips. 2 sets of 8 to 10.
• Heel slides: lying on your back, slide one heel away and back while keeping your tummy gently drawn in. 8 each leg.
• Sit to stand: stand up from a chair without using your hands, then sit back down slowly. 2 sets of 8.
• Wall push-ups: 2 sets of 8 to 10.

Before driving again, check with your insurer. Whittington Health says this is usually around 4 to 6 weeks after the birth.

Weeks 6 to 12: after your postnatal check

Once your GP has checked you, your scar has healed and you feel ready, you can gradually add:

• Swimming, once you have had 7 days without bleeding and your scar has fully healed.
• Light strength training: bodyweight squats, split squats holding a chair, band rows, and light kettlebell deadlifts. 2 sessions a week, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12.
• Low-impact cardio: exercise bike, cross-trainer, brisk hill walks.
• Core progression: dead bugs, bird dogs and side planks on your knees, as long as there is no doming of the tummy.

From around 12 weeks: building back up

If your pelvic floor feels strong, you have no leaking or heaviness and your tummy is coping well, this is often when people start to reintroduce higher impact work such as jogging, skipping and jumping. Do it gradually, and ideally after a check with a women’s health physio. My post on running after having a baby covers this step in detail.

Warning signs: stop and get help

Stop exercising and contact your GP, midwife or 111 if you notice:

• The wound becoming red, hot, swollen, painful or leaking
• Heavier bleeding or bright red bleeding returning after it had settled
• A fever or feeling unwell
• Pain or swelling in your calf, or chest pain or breathlessness (call 999 for chest pain)
• Leaking urine or a feeling of heaviness or dragging in your vagina

For more on how the tummy muscles recover, see my post on tummy gap after pregnancy, and for the bigger picture read my earlier guide to exercise after a C-section.

Where a bootcamp class fits

A group class is not a first-6-weeks thing. But once you have been cleared by your GP, are a few months on and want structure, a small coached class can be a great next step. In my classes every exercise has an easier option, I will ask about your birth and recovery, and you never have to do anything that does not feel right. My SYP Unlock hip and back mobility class is a gentle place to start, particularly if feeding and carrying have left your back and hips stiff.

FAQs

When can I start exercising after a C-section?

Gentle movement like breathing exercises, pelvic floor squeezes and short walks can usually start in the first days. More strenuous exercise should wait until your GP has checked you at your postnatal review, usually around 6 to 8 weeks, and high-impact exercise often waits until around 3 months.

What exercises can I do 2 weeks after a C-section?

Walking, pelvic floor exercises, deep breathing, gentle tummy activation and pelvic tilts are the usual options at this stage. Avoid sit-ups and lifting anything heavier than your baby.

How do I strengthen my core after a C-section?

Start with deep tummy activation and pelvic floor exercises, then progress to heel slides, glute bridges and dead bugs. Avoid crunches early on, and get a physio check if you see doming or have a large tummy gap.

When can I lift heavy after a C-section?

In the first few weeks, try not to lift anything heavier than your baby. After your postnatal check, build up gradually with light weights over a few months, and ask your GP or physio if you are unsure.

Book your first class

When your GP has given you the all-clear and you are ready for more, I would love to help. SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes indoors in Archway N19, with a maximum of 10 people and every exercise adapted to you, at £15 a class. Book your £15 class here or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215 if you want to chat first. If you would rather start 1-1 with a coach who works carefully around injuries and recovery, see my injury-safe personal training in Archway.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.