#100: Why Postnatal Workouts Didn’t Work — and What Actually Helps Now
“You can only train as hard as you can recover.
And real strength starts with restoring safety — not pushing through fatigue.”
After a C-section, it’s natural to want to rebuild your strength.
Most women I worked with are motivated. They’ve tried the recommended routes: core rehab, Pilates, physio, strength classes. Some return to exercise within a few months; others wait until their child is older and daily life feels more manageable.
But despite their best intentions, many of them reach the same point:
Their core still doesn’t feel strong or reliable
Their back, hips or SI joint ache after certain movements
They feel fatigued — not just post-workout, but constantly
And deep down, they sense something isn’t connecting
Not because they’ve been inconsistent.
Not because they’re doing it wrong.
But because the approach itself was incomplete.
Most postnatal programmes are based on general recovery protocols — not on what’s actually happening in a post-C-section body. They rarely account for the unique combination of factors involved: abdominal surgery, scar tissue, breath disruption, nervous system overload, and long-term fatigue.
When these layers are ignored, even well-designed workouts can become just another source of stress.
And when your body is already under pressure, more stress — even in the name of “getting stronger” — can move you further from the results you want.
C-Section Recovery Is Not One-Dimensional
After surgery, the body must adapt to much more than just a healing incision. Your core system — which includes the diaphragm, deep abdominals, pelvic floor, and fascia — has been disrupted. The coordination between these structures doesn’t automatically return just because time has passed.
Here’s what’s often missed in conventional postnatal advice:
Scar tissue can limit fascial gliding and interfere with the body’s natural movement patterns
Breathing mechanics change post-surgery, and this affects how pressure is managed through the core and pelvis
The nervous system often stays in a protective mode long after birth, limiting your ability to recruit deep stabilisers or recover properly
Fatigue isn’t just a lack of sleep — it’s often a sign your system is still in survival mode
When we treat the core as a group of muscles to be activated — without addressing the tension, pressure, and stress surrounding it — we miss the bigger picture.
This is why “doing more” can backfire.
Because when the system isn’t ready, the output becomes another demand the body can’t meet.
My Own Wake-Up Call
At six months postpartum, I was ready to get back into training.
Weights, circuits, the kind of workouts I loved before. I was cautious but committed.
I lasted two weeks.
Not because I wasn’t strong enough. But because I wasn’t recovering.
The fatigue hit differently — a kind of wired-but-worn-out exhaustion that sat behind my eyes. I didn’t feel energised after workouts. I felt drained. My back tightened up. My core felt hollow. And the more I pushed, the more I questioned whether I had lost my edge.
But this wasn’t about willpower or motivation.
It was about capacity.
I was still healing — not just physically, but neurologically and hormonally. And the body doesn’t rebuild under pressure. It rebuilds under safety.
So I changed direction.
I slowed down. Not out of defeat, but because I finally understood that recovery is not a race.
That we can only train as hard as we can recover.
I began focusing on the things that restore function and energy first — zone exercises, self-massage, breathing work, deep abdominal reconnection, and movement that calms the system rather than spikes it.
It wasn’t easy. Slowing down rarely is.
But it was effective.
What Actually Helps Now
If traditional workouts didn’t help — or made things worse — the solution isn’t to give up on exercise. It’s to change the starting point.
Here’s what makes a real difference post-C-section:
Rebuilding coordination, not just strength. The deep core system must relearn how to stabilise through breath, pressure, and posture — especially in motion, not just on the mat.
Treating scar tissue as an active element. Scar adhesions can create tension and restrict function — gentle hand work and proper fascial care are essential.
Working with, not against, your energy. If your body is tired, recovery-based movement (like walking outdoors, slow stretching, or breath-led exercises) will build capacity better than another set of reps.
Understanding that exercise is stress. When your nervous system is already overextended, adding intensity too early can lead to flare-ups, regressions, or burnout.
Layering in nutrition and lifestyle. Real food, hydration, rest, and nervous system resets (like 4-7-8 breathing or Epsom salt baths) are not “extras” — they’re essential inputs.
You’re Not Behind — You’re Ready for a Better Path
It’s frustrating when you’ve done everything “right” and still feel like your body hasn’t caught up.
But here’s the truth: what you did wasn’t wrong — it was just incomplete.
You were given a map that didn’t show the whole terrain.
The good news is: now you know.
Now you can choose a different way — one that honours where your body is and what it needs to truly rebuild.
You don’t need to start over.
You don’t need to be fixed.
You just need the right inputs — in the right order — at the right time.
And that starts with supporting your foundations.
Ready to rebuild energy and strength from the inside out?
👉🏽 Download your free guide:
6 Health Foundations to Rebuild Energy, Trust & Core Strength
Inside, you’ll find six evidence-informed practices that support your core, energy, and nervous system after C-section — even years later.
This isn’t another plan to follow perfectly. It’s a gentler, smarter way to begin.
No pressure. Just real progress, built from the inside.
With Love,
Karo