3 Tips for Returning to Group Fitness Classes Postpartum

My journey in fitness and wellness started in group fitness. Before I became a trainer, I certified in Les Mills RPM and Mad Dogg Spinning and shortly after I certified in Les Mills CXWorx- a 30 minute core class. I was on my way to a million more group fitness certifications when I got pregnant with my son, but I LOVED group fitness. And though my jam is more weight training at home now, I spent years teaching and participating in group fitness classes, taught through the majority of my pregnancy with my son and current pregnancy, and returned to classes entirely too early after Eli was born.  

It was easy to hold myself accountable to an instructor, the music was always great, the energy was high, and I made some great friends in class. So many moms feel the same about group fitness classes and want to return to them after baby, but many group fitness classes just aren’t set up for early postpartum bodies. 

Not knocking them, just saying there should be a few first steps before returning to traditional group fitness classes. Yes, there are some instructors who understand the postpartum body and can recommend modifications, but many are not trained to do so. I have a dear friend and colleague, Megan Ormon, who is in the process of changing this, particularly for her iStroll members, so the tides are changing my friend. 

So, how can you set yourself up for a strong return to group fitness postpartum?

Know that even if you feel ready, your body probably still needs time before adding intensity

I wish I could go back and say this to my former self, who walked into a spin class at 5 weeks postpartum and went all out. 

I hear so many women say they feel great weeks out from birth and I don’t deny they do. With my first, I felt like a train hit me for an entire month. With my second, I felt completely back to normal several weeks after he was born, ready to get back into it even. Knowing what I know now, my brain was VERY ready but my body was not. Many group fitness classes lead with intensity. Coaches instruct you to work hard, to go all out and many times without options on what to do if your body isn’t feeling quite right. Basically the class will look the same for someone 6 weeks postpartum and someone who hasn’t ever had a baby. 

Yes, there are some mom-specific classes out there, but many that I’ve seen still include running with a stroller, burpees, planks, crunches, and things that aren’t really appropriate for an early postpartum body. They may offer more options, but if you’re the kind of person who is a bit competitive and wants to keep up- or gets carried away because the energy is there to do so- you may not be listening to or choosing those options. 

Your body needs time, rehab, and recovery before adding intensity. Even if you take the allotted time off, it is important to intentionally return to fitness with a plan for core and pelvic floor recovery and a solid retraining phase under your belt. More on this in a few points. 

Work up to high impact, load, and advanced core work, don’t start there

I touched on this last point. Loading the body gradually after having a baby is super important. Why? Well because you just happened to grow and birth an entire human being. Your body has been through A TON of changes.

Everything doesn’t just snap back or go back to normal like we are lead to believe. Your body has a lot of adjusting and healing to do. Even things like being on your feet all day or having an intense cleaning session can be a bit too much for an early postpartum body. 

Jumping back into things like high impact, high load, and advanced abdominal work are likely too much for your body at 6 weeks postpartum and may even be too much for your body at 3 months postpartum without the proper re-introduction. 

Lemme tell you why: over the 9 (10) months you were pregnant, your body shifted in many ways. Center of gravity, alignment, posture, movement patterns, breathing patterns, etc. and in the early postpartum period (which doesn’t end after your 6 week checkup BTW), your body is thrown into a place where it needs to reconfigure itself again because it has literally been figuring this shit- I mean the changes- out for quite a while. 

When you jump back into high-demand activity, your body is like “whoa sister! WTF is happening?!”- not only that but your hormones are whack, you aren’t getting great sleep, and you’re under a tremendous amount of physical and emotional stress trying to figure out a tiny person who communicates by crying and needing you ALL THE TIME. 

I get how returning to high demand exercise may give you a sense of self again, but so can returning to less demanding exercise, core and pelvic floor rehab, and retraining. Ya dig?

Fourth trimester focus on core and pelvic floor recovery and rebuilding strength

Which brings me here, to my last point. You don’t have, and you shouldn’t, just sit there and wait for your body to be “ready” to return to group fitness classes or anything else you want to do. What you should do is start focusing on core and pelvic floor recovery and rebuilding strength in the fourth trimester. 

Not only can this help you return back to the activities you love quicker and with less chance of injury, but it can also help you prioritize yourself and your health in a much needed way during that phase that can often feel like you’re prioritizing everything other than you. 

What do I mean by core and pelvic floor recovery and rebuilding strength? A lot of this I cover in my FREE guide 5 ways to heal your pelvic floor and strengthen your core post-birth, but basically what it means is taking the time to reconnect with your core and pelvic floor, retrain daily life movements, and basic strength training circuits that are designed to fit where you are in your journey and have a big focus on rest, recovery, and watching for any signs and symptoms that could become a potential issue. 

This step, my friends, can be boring if you’re the go-getter, all-out type. But I can tell you it will help you return to what you love faster. If you’re new to fitness, this is the perfect place to start after baby, no matter how far out from birth you are. 

So there you have it, 3 tips for returning to group fitness classes in the postpartum period. While returning to an instructor-led class seems like a no brainer, there really are some important steps to take before going back to spin, bootcamps, Pump, or any other type of group fitness setting. If the accountability is what you need and crave, hiring a postpartum trainer who can work with you in-person or remotely can be very he;pful to keep you motivated and accountable to your exercises. If that sounds like you, check out my online 1:1 and group training options here.