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Written by

Gina Conley, MS

Postpartum Leg Workout: Strength & Stability After Birth

  • Fitness, Postnatal

Table of Contents

Welcome to the MamasteFit Blog! If you’re looking to rebuild strength and stability after childbirth, this postpartum leg workout is designed with you in mind. Today, we’re diving into a lower-body workout inspired by part A of Workout #17 from our Postpartum On-Demand Program. This session includes 3 rounds of dumbbell box squats, lateral step-ups with crossover step-downs, and pelvic floor-focused exercises with a mini band. In this detailed guide, we break down each movement to help you reconnect with your body, restore pelvic floor function, and regain single-leg stability—all at your own pace.

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What You’ll Need

Before you start, gather these simple pieces of equipment:

  • Light to medium weights: Use dumbbells to add resistance to your squats.

  • A sturdy box or elevated surface: This will serve as your target for squats and step-ups.

  • A mini band: Ideal for engaging your glutes during the standing hip shift.

  • Optional support: A wall or chair can provide extra balance when needed.

These tools help modify each exercise to match your current strength level and allow you to progress over time.

The Postpartum Leg Workout

1. Dumbbell Box Squats

Purpose:
Build lower-body strength while keeping your movements controlled to protect your pelvic floor.

How to Do It:

  • Setup: Stand in front of a box or elevated surface holding your dumbbells at shoulder level.

  • Movement: Inhale and lower your body until you gently touch the box. Keep your weight in your feet to avoid “sitting back” onto the box. Continue for 30 seconds.

  • Key Cue: Exhale while lifting up and engaging your pelvic floor.

  • Modification Tip: If you feel pelvic heaviness, adjust the box height, reduce the weight, or simply focus on your breathing rhythm.

Explore Our Postpartum Fitness Programs

2. Lateral Step-Up and Crossover Step-Down

Purpose:
Enhance single-leg stability and activate your hip muscles through dynamic movement.

How to Do It:

  • Setup: Position yourself beside the box or step-up surface.

  • Movement: Step up onto the box with the food closest to the box. For a crossover, have your trailing leg step down and then move behind your body. If you’re new to this, try a simpler lateral step-up—just stepping up and down without the crossover movement. Continue for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

  • Key Cue: Keep your movement controlled and focus on your balance.

  • Switch Sides: Repeat the same steps on the opposite side to maintain muscle balance and coordination.

3. Pelvic Floor Release and Standing Hip Shift (with Mini Band)

Purpose:
Improve glute activation and hip stability while offering a gentle pelvic release.

How to Do It:

  • Setup: Place the mini band just above your knees.

  • Movement: Shift your weight to one leg while stepping the other leg back. Press the knee of your trailing leg out, engaging your glutes. Hold for 30 seconds and then move into the fire hydrants before switching to the other side.

  • Key Cue: Think about rotating your belly toward your thigh to maximize the stretch and activation.

  • Variation: If the mini band feels too intense, perform the movement without it until you build strength.

4. Standing Fire Hydrant

Purpose:
Focus on isolated glute activation, supporting overall hip stability.

How to Do It:

  • Setup: Stand firmly with support if necessary (using a wall or chair).

  • Movement: With weight on your supporting leg, lift the other leg out to the side and then slowly bring it back in. Continue for 30 seconds.

  • Key Cue: Maintain a steady balance throughout and ensure your knee remains aligned with your ankle.

  • Tip: If balance is a challenge, use support until you feel more confident.

Programs that can help
App program · 16 weeks Postpartum Return to Fitness Sixteen weeks of rebuilding, four strength sessions a week, with a vaginal or cesarean recovery track and follow-along videos for the first six weeks. Learn more Video course · 3+ hours C-Section Scar Mobilization Over three hours of video on scar mobilization technique and movement for recovery, plus a live webinar every other month you can attend or watch back. Learn more App program · 16 weeks After C-Section Recovery Workout Sixteen weeks of cesarean-specific rebuilding with scar mobilization included — developed with physical therapist and two-time c-section mom Casey. Learn more

Putting It All Together

For today’s workout (labeled as Part A), perform 3 rounds of this sequence:

  1. Box Squats: Begin with the dumbbell box squats. Focus on controlled movement—inhale as you lower down, exhale as you engage your pelvic floor to rise.

  2. Step-Ups: Move to lateral step-ups with a crossover step-down, maintaining stability and focus on hip rotation. If this movement is too much, focus only on lateral step-ups and step-downs.

  3. Pelvic Floor Release with Mini Band: Integrate the standing hip shift to engage your glutes, adding a mini band for an extra challenge.

  4. Fire Hydrants: Conclude with the standing fire hydrants to fine-tune your hip stability and balance.

Remember, the quality of each movement matters more than the quantity. Feel free to take breaks, use modifications, and most importantly, celebrate every step of your progress.

Final Thoughts

Postpartum recovery is a journey, and each workout is a step towards reclaiming your strength and confidence. By following this carefully designed routine, you’re not only working on physical fitness but also honoring your body’s incredible ability to heal and transform.

If you liked this workout, checkout our 6-part Postpartum Core Workout Series! For more detailed workouts and guidance on your postpartum fitness journey, explore MamasteFit’s online programs and use code YOUTUBE10 for a discount on our online offerings, including prenatal programs, postpartum recovery, and educational courses.

Stay active, be kind to yourself, and enjoy every moment of your transformation!

Programs that can help
App program Train for a Marathon After Baby Progressive run workouts and strength training from 5K to the marathon finish — long runs, tempo work, easy miles, and a weekly pelvic stability session. Learn more App program · 64 days Postpartum Return to Running Sixty-four training days, four sessions a week, with plyometrics and running programming beginning at week seven — a structured way back to your first run. Learn more Membership · ongoing Beyond Postpartum Strength Training An ongoing subscription with a new training cycle every 6 to 10 weeks — strength endurance, max strength, then power, with deload weeks and running add-ons. Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 5-5-5 rule for postpartum recovery?
MamasteFit doesn't use the "5-5-5" label, but our early postpartum outline for returning to lifting after birth follows a very similar day-by-day rhythm. For the first 5 days, we want to be mostly in or on the bed — staying off your feet, managing pain, and starting diaphragmatic breathing in supported positions with gentle supine mobility. Days 6–10 are spent near the bed, slowly increasing activity around the house while you monitor your bleeding (around day 7–10 the placental scab detaches, so a few hours of heavier bleeding can be normal — if it persists, you may be doing too much). From day 10 on, you can start venturing outside for short walks and reintroduce gentle, floor-based core exercises.
What exercises should I avoid after birth?
During the first month postpartum, we strongly recommend avoiding structured, weight-bearing exercise — in weeks 2–4+ your body is laying down weak, disorganized collagen that can't tolerate heavy load yet, and overloading it can prolong healing, trigger repeated inflammation, and worsen pressure-management issues. Rest doesn't mean complete inactivity, though: short easy walks, gentle mobility, diaphragmatic breathing, and floor-based core connection exercises are all appropriate. We also want to avoid excessive spinal extension (arching), which shifts pressure forward and strains the pelvic floor. Our realistic postpartum return-to-exercise timeline breaks down each healing phase and what to focus on in it.
How soon can you workout after pregnancy?
The first few days postpartum are for rest — Gina stays in bed and prioritizes recovery, then after about five days begins moving around the house more, and by around ten days starts integrating short walks and gentle core exercises. Four to six weeks is a long time to do nothing, but it's also too short to rush back into intense workouts, so this period is about reconnecting and easing into movement gently. Early on, that can look like diaphragmatic breathing, thoracic mobility, side-body and rotational movement, and gentle hip stretching — see how to move gently in early postpartum recovery for the full routine. Every recovery varies, so it's okay if you don't feel ready yet.
Can I do squats 2 weeks postpartum?
In Gina's own return to fitness from birth to 2 months postpartum, the first two weeks were spent on breathing drills in supported positions and gentle mobility — not squats — to reconnect with the core and pelvic floor. Short walks and gentle core stabilization came in at 3–4 weeks once bleeding had really subsided, and she returned to the gym at 4+ weeks when bleeding stopped completely, starting with basic movement patterns to relearn the squat rather than jumping back to pre-pregnancy loads. Your bleeding is a helpful guide: if it increases after activity, that's a sign you're doing too much. There's no rush — your timeline may look different, and that's okay.
Am I fully healed 6 weeks postpartum?
Not necessarily — after birth you're rebuilding more than muscular strength, because your connective tissues and tendons (your passive support system) are still recovering well beyond the 6-week mark. That's why the MamasteFit approach generally keeps loads at roughly 50–70% of your max for the first six months postpartum, and for many clients heavier lifting starts to feel comfortable around four to six months — though that isn't a deadline, and some people need more or less time. Symptoms like pelvic heaviness, leaking, or a bearing-down sensation are feedback to reduce load or step back a progression, not failures. Our step-by-step postpartum return to squatting walks through how to rebuild gradually.