Walking Workouts: A Simple Start to Postpartum Fitness

Why Postpartum Walking Is the Smartest First Step

When you’re healing after pregnancy, your body doesn't need high-intensity exercise or pressure to “bounce back.” What you really need is intentional movement that meets your body where it is: healing, shifting, and rebuilding.

Postpartum walking is one of the most underrated yet effective forms of gentle exercise that restores strength, supports mental health, and lays the groundwork for a full recovery. But it’s not just about walking, it’s about how you walk and what your body is doing while you move.

This is where our walking version of the Ab Rehab routine comes in. You’ll use three key techniques: Ab Rehab diaphragmatic breathing, TVA holds, and TVA minis—all while walking. It’s designed specifically for moms in the early stages of recovery who want to safely reconnect with their core and pelvic floor.

Let’s break down the why, the how, and what makes this less than 10-minute routine a total game changer.

The Science Behind Gentle Postpartum Exercise

According to ACOG, light to moderate activity such as walking can begin soon after an uncomplicated birth for most women. But not all walks are created equal. What transforms walking into a beginner workout with long-term benefits is intentional core activation, breathing mechanics, and posture alignment.

During pregnancy, your transverse abdominis (TVA), the deep core muscle that wraps like a corset around your midsection, stretches and weakens. Without proper rehab, it often remains underactive, leading to:

• Diastasis recti (ab separation)
  
  
• Pelvic floor dysfunction
  
  
• Incontinence
  
  
• Persistent lower belly pooch
  
  
• Back or hip pain
  
  

Walking while integrating rehab-based breathing and core control retrains these systems from the inside out. It’s not flashy, but it works.

What Is the Ab Rehab Walking Routine?

The Ab Rehab walking version is a 10-minute, stroller-friendly series that integrates therapeutic core techniques while walking. You can listen to it via audio in the Natal app, making it ideal for multitasking moms.

You’ll learn how to:

• Breathe using Ab Rehab diaphragmatic expansion
  
  
• Stabilize your core with TVA holds
  
  
• Build endurance with TVA minis
  
  
• Improve posture and optimize alignment while moving
  
  

No equipment, no jumping, no screen required. Just you, your breath, and a gentle paced walk (and even while pushing a stroller). 

Step 1: Ab Rehab Diaphragmatic Breathing (3 Minutes)

What it is:

A foundational breathing technique that improves ribcage mobility, resets the nervous system, and reconnects the diaphragm to the pelvic floor.

‍

How to do ab rehab diaphragmatic breathing while walking:

1. Inhale through your nose and imagine your ribcage expanding in all directions: sides, back, and down into your pelvic floor.
   
   
2. Visualize your ribs opening like an umbrella.
   
   
3. Exhale slowly and gently lift through the pelvic floor, drawing the core up and in from the bottom.
   
   
4. Imagine closing the umbrella over your core (not just your spine).
   
   
5. Repeat for 3 minutes while walking at a steady pace.
   
   

Why it matters:

This technique helps reactivate a more optimal pressure system between your diaphragm, TVA, and pelvic floor. It’s a must for postpartum healing.

Step 2: TVA Hold (3 Minutes)

What it is:

A sharp, quick breath and hold that helps your core respond reflexively to sudden pressure changes (like sneezing, lifting, or coughing).

‍

How to do it while walking:

1. Inhale deeply into your 360 breath.
   
   
2. On the exhale, perform a sharp, audible exhale- release about half your air forcefully.
   
   
3. Immediately hold that partial exhale and sustain your core and pelvic floor engagement for 5 seconds.
   
   
4. Then complete the rest of your exhale slowly and fully release.
   
   
5. Repeat this process with each breath cycle.
   
   

Why it matters:

This trains your core to stabilize during sudden movement or intra-abdominal pressure spikes. It’s crucial for reducing leaking, pressure, and doming.

Step 3: TVA Minis (3–4 Minutes)

What it is:

A progressive endurance technique that challenges your deep core to stay engaged during low-intensity movement.

‍

How to do it while walking:

1. Inhale through your nose into your pelvic floor using the 360 breath.
   
   
2. Exhale and engage your pelvic floor and TVA to 30-40% intensity.
   
   
3. Keep walking and take a half breath in while maintaining that light brace.
   
   
4. Exhale again, increasing your core engagement by about 5%.
   
   
5. Repeat this progressive ramp-up, increasing in 5% increments every few breaths.
   
   
6. Stop and reset if you feel disconnected, your glutes tense, your pelvic floor disengages or if your shoulders lift.
   
   

Why it matters:

This exercise teaches your core to stay engaged over time. You’re building strength and control, not just activation.

Posture and Alignment Cues While Walking

Postpartum alignment is often off due to pregnancy compensation patterns, weak core, and fatigue. Fixing your posture during walking allows your core to engage correctly.

Use these cues as your checklist:

• Head over shoulders (not looking down)
  
  
• Ribcage stacked over pelvis (no flaring forward or tucking under)
  
  
• Pelvis in neutral (slight anterior tilt is common postpartum—correct it by gently lifting the pubic bone)
  
  
• Arms relaxed and elbows close to your body
  
  
• No slouching into the stroller (if you're walking with one)
  
  

Correct alignment supports core engagement and reduces the risk of back pain or pressure symptoms.

How Often Should You Do This Routine?

We recommend doing this 10-minute postpartum walking workout 4+ days per week during your early recovery phase. It’s ideal for:

• Moms in the first year postpartum
  
  
• Women healing diastasis recti
  
  
• Anyone feeling disconnected from their core
  
  
• Those experiencing leaking or lower back pain
  
  

It can also be stacked with our other workouts as a warm-up or cooldown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this routine safe in the early postpartum period?

Yes, as long as you’ve been cleared for light activity by your provider. Many women feel ready to start gentle breathing, movement and walking exercises within 1–6 weeks postpartum.

What if I don’t feel anything during the breathing?

That’s common early on. Core and pelvic floor awareness is like a muscle, if you haven’t used it in a while, it takes time to “wake up.” Stay consistent and patient. Our audio guidance in the Natal app helps you tune in and coaches are just a message away to give you coaching and guidance.

Can this help with diastasis recti?

Absolutely. The combination of diaphragmatic breathing, TVA recruitment, and alignment makes this a cornerstone routine for closing the gap and restoring core function.

What if I start leaking while doing this?

Take a break, reset your posture, and return to 360 breathing. Leaking means your body is compensating or not managing pressure well yet, this is a sign you’re doing the right kind of rehab, not the wrong one.

Why This Postpartum Walking Routine Works:

You don’t need intense workouts to heal postpartum. In fact, they often set you back if your deep core system isn’t functioning properly.

The TVA, diaphragm, and pelvic floor form a pressure system that needs to be retrained before loading with impact or resistance. Walking is an ideal way to pair movement with this retraining.

And most importantly? This is real rehab. This is what helps moms go from leaking to laughing without worry, from weakness to strength, and from “I don’t feel like myself” to “I feel like me again.”

Your Next Step: Join the Ab Rehab Program

This walking routine is just the beginning. If you want a full recovery plan that progresses through deep core activation, stability, dynamic strength, and functional movement, the Ab Rehab postpartum healing program is your clear roadmap!

With natal Ab Rehab, you’ll get:

• Structured 4-phase progression tailored for postpartum bodies
  
  
• Daily routines with follow-along videos and walking audio
  
  
• Expert coaching from DPTs, pelvic floor therapists, pre/postnatal specialists, and strength trainers
  
  
• Real results in flattening your belly, closing diastasis recti, and regaining strength
  
  

Start where you are. Walk your way to a stronger core and a confident, functional body postpartum and beyond!

‍

Join Ab Rehab today and make your postpartum recovery intentional.

‍