Gentle Postpartum Pilates Routines

After having a baby, movement can feel foreign—your breath is shallow, your posture is different, and your core may feel completely disconnected.

That doesn’t mean you need high-intensity workouts or bootcamp-style training.

It means you need the right kind of movement—intentional, supportive, and centered around reconnecting to your body from the inside out.

That’s where gentle core exercises come in—often grouped under the label of “postpartum Pilates.”

And while the word Pilates is everywhere these days (and honestly, used to describe everything from breathing on a ball to full-on HIIT sessions), we’re here to give you clarity on what’s actually helpful in early postpartum, why breath-led movement matters, and three powerful ab ball exercises you can start with at home.

Wait—Is This Actually Pilates?

Great question.

Joseph Pilates originally developed Pilates as a system of controlled movements to build strength, mobility, and body awareness. It was methodical, breath-driven, and precise.

Fast forward to today, and the term Pilates has stretched to include anything slow-paced or involving a small ball. You’ll see people calling ab rehab, corrective core work, and even mobility sequences “Pilates”—just because a ball or intentional movement paired with breath is involved.

So are the exercises below technically Pilates? In today’s usage? Sure. But they could also be described as corrective exercise, core rehab, heck— even ab strength exercises. 

But basically, they’re corrective core exercises, rooted in physical therapy and kinesiology. But because the word Pilates is now so widely used, many of the exercises you’ll find in our Ab Rehab program could look like Pilates—and that’s okay. What matters is that they’re safe, effective, and designed for real postpartum healing, from real post partum experts, pelvic floor therapists and physical therapists and recommended by doctors, nurses, PTs, midwives and more, worldwide. 

Why Gentle Core Work Is the Right Place to Start POSTPARTUM

After pregnancy and birth, your body needs more than time to heal.

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You’ve gone through:

• Abdominal wall stretching and separation (diastasis recti)
  
  
• Shifts in your diaphragm and breathing patterns
  
  
• Changes in posture and spinal alignment
  
  
• Possible pelvic floor dysfunction, weakness, or tightness
  
  
• And a complete loss of coordination in your core system
  
  

Doing too much, too soon can lead to doming, leaking, back pain, and delayed recovery. But doing gentle, well-structured movement helps:

• Restore core function
  
  
• Rebuild strength from the inside out
  
  
• Improve posture and breath mechanics
  
  
• Relieve pelvic floor symptoms
  
  
• Reconnect your brain and body
  
  

This is the entire focus of our Ab Rehab program inside the Natal app.

Thousands of women have used it to rebuild their core, flatten their belly, and feel strong again—without crushing themselves in the process.

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When Can You Start Gentle Core Work?

If you’ve had a normal, uncomplicated delivery, you can start as soon as you feel ready—even in those first few days postpartum. There’s no need to wait for a formal clearance if you’re easing into breathwork and low-impact core reconnection.

The key is listening to your body—not rushing it.

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3 Gentle Postpartum Ab Ball Exercises to Reconnect Your Core

These three movements use a small Pilates ball (also called an ab ball) to support alignment, enhance engagement, and provide sensory feedback. They’re simple, efficient, and highly effective.

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1. Bridge with Ball Squeeze

Targets: Glutes, pelvic floor, TVA, adductors

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat
  
  
• Place the ball between your knees
  
  
• Inhale into your ribs and belly
  
  
• Exhale: gently lift your pelvic floor and engage your deep core while pressing into the ball and lifting your hips into a bridge
  
  
• Hold for 2–3 seconds at the top, then lower with control
  
  
• Repeat for 10–12 reps
  
  

Why it works:

This move helps reactivate your glutes and deep core, trains your pelvic floor with the inner thighs, and supports spinal alignment—essential building blocks for functional strength and a flatter belly.

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2. Bird Dog with Ball Press

Targets: TVA, shoulder stability, cross-body core coordination

How to do it:

• Start in tabletop
  
  
• Place the ball under your right palm
  
  
• Inhale to prepare
  
  
• Exhale: press into the ball as you extend your left leg back behind you
  
  
• Maintain a neutral spine—no twisting or tipping
  
  
• Return and repeat for 1 minute per side
  
  

Why it works:

This variation of bird dog adds cross-body stability, helping retrain your core, glutes, and shoulder girdle to work together—something most postpartum bodies have to relearn.

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3. Modified Side Plank with Ball Squeeze

Targets: Obliques, pelvic floor, inner thighs

How to do it:

• Lie on your side, knees bent, ball between your knees
  
  
• Prop yourself up on your bottom elbow and bottom knee
  
  
• Inhale to prepare
  
  
• Exhale: gently lift your hips into a modified side plank while lightly squeezing the ball
  
  
• Hold for 2–3 seconds, then lower
  
  
• Repeat 8–10 reps per side
  
  

Why it works:

This is a lateral stability exercise that hits the side body, pelvic floor, and inner thighs all at once. The ball cue enhances core engagement and keeps the focus gentle but effective.

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What Makes These Core pilates Exercises Diastasis Recti-Safe?

All of these movements avoid:

• High intra-abdominal pressure
  
  
• Coning, doming, or bulging of the abdominal wall
  
  
• Forward flexion (like crunches)
  
  
• Advanced twisting or loaded spinal extension
  
  

They work with your healing body instead of against it—and build strength where it matters most: deep inside!

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Why We Recommend Ab Rehab Over Mainstream Pilates

While we appreciate what Pilates can offer, most mainstream classes:

• Move too fast for early postpartum
  
• Skip over breath retraining and pressure control
  
• Include exercises that aren’t diastasis recti-safe
  
• Don’t teach pelvic floor connection or proper alignment
• skip over teaching motor skills 
• skip over physical therapy modalities.
  
  

Ab Rehab is different.

Inside the Natal app, we walk you through:

• Breath re-patterning
  
• Pelvic floor coordination
  
• Progressive strength-building
  
• Postural realignment
  
• And real-world recovery strategies
  
  

It’s science-based, mom-tested, and built to work.

So yes—some people might call it “Pilates.”

But we call it rehab that gets results.

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Final Thoughts: Gentle Doesn’t Mean Weak

These early weeks postpartum aren’t about pushing—it’s about reconnecting.

And reconnecting to your core, your strength, and your confidence starts with intentional movement like this.

So whether you’re starting at 5 days or 5 weeks postpartum, trust that gentle exercises can still deliver powerful results—especially when backed by science, expert coaching, and real support.

Ready to Feel Strong Again?

You can start these exercises today—and get even more guidance inside our Ab Rehab program in the Natal app.

We’ll teach you:

• How to heal your core from the inside out
  
  
• How to flatten your belly without crunches
  
  
• How to move with confidence, control, and strength
  
  

Because recovery isn’t about bouncing back.

It’s about moving forward—with a body that works for you.

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[Start Ab Rehab in the Natal App today!]

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