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Exercise After Miscarriage: how to safely resume exercise after pregnancy loss
Today I want to talk a little bit about returning to exercise after miscarriage.
A few weeks ago, I shared my miscarriage story, and I’ve wanted to be very honest and transparent about how I’m returning to exercise after going through such a traumatic experience.
Before we dive in, here are a few disclaimers:
- This is how I have chosen to resume my exercise routine after miscarriage, not a one-size-fits-all guide.
- I am a fitness professional, so what is right for me may be different than what is right for you.
- Always consult your doctor prior to returning to exercise after miscarriage.
When I found out I was pregnant for the third time, I continued with my normal exercise routine. This included regular Pilates workouts, short HIIT workouts and long walks. I knew that once the 6-week mark hit, I’d probably lose all motivation so I tried to stay consistent those first few weeks.
The morning of July 4th, my husband and I did an at-home HIIT workout before heading out to a parade & BBQ with our friends. The next day I started to miscarry.
(For the record, I do NOT think that exercise caused my miscarriage. I am simply sharing the date for the sake of the timeline.)
From that point on, I took a break from all exercise.
I rested as much as possible while my body did what it needed to do. I was weak and easily tired. Even when we went out with the kids, or ran errands, I took breaks and sat down as much as I possibly could.
I chose to take rest very seriously because the last thing I wanted to do was cause unnecessary complications.
After about a week I was feeling so achy and stiff from sitting around that I decided to do a very simple and gentle Pilates routine – only about 10 minutes long. But the next day, I felt like I had the flu. I was exhausted, achy, sick to my stomach, and I ended up in Urgent Care getting an IV for mild dehydration. The Pilates workout didn’t cause the trip to Urgent Care, but it definitely reminded me that I needed to take it slow and REST.
All in all, I took 2 weeks off of exercise. My #1 goal was to rest, recover and avoid complications.
At that point, I got the OK from my doctor to resume exercise. I had stopped bleeding. My tests showed that my body was returning to its “non-pregnant” state.
So about 3 weeks after the miscarriage I added gentle Pilates and yoga routines into my day. I did 10-20 minute Pilates workouts at home and a few Sarah Beth Yoga routines in an effort to ease back into movement, not overdo it, and listen to my body.
4 weeks after the miscarriage, I added in a little bit of steady state cardio (aka: low intensity) and kept my Pilates workouts to around 20 minutes.
5 weeks after miscarriage I finally started feeling like myself again. Last week I added a few HIIT workouts and felt great – a little out of shape, but no aches, pains or cramping to speak of. I’m now back to daily at-home Pilates workouts, occasional cardio workouts and continuing to listen to my body. If anything changes in the way I feel I will certainly listen and adjust my routine accordingly.
Now that I’ve shared my individual journey, here’s what I recommend for anyone who may be in a similar situation:
Tips for Resuming Exercise After Miscarriage
Consult your doctor.
Every miscarriage is different. Depending on your history, how far along you were, the procedures you had, etc., your journey may be very different. If you have any questions at all, speak with your doctor and don’t hesitate to ask questions.
Embrace rest.
Resting is the best thing you can do for your body during and after a miscarriage. Your body is undergoing a lot of physical change in a short amount of time. Your blood volume is changing, your hormone levels are adjusting, and your body is doing what it needs to heal. Do your best to support that healing process by resting. I know it’s hard – you’ve gained weight, you want to feel like yourself again, but take it from me, that time will come. Embrace rest for as long as you need.
Ease back into your routine.
There is no rush. Your body experienced a major event and it is okay to go slow. Start with low impact activities (like walking, yoga, or Pilates and gradually increase the intensity as you recover and re-gain your energy levels.
Pay attention to bleeding, cramping and other cues.
I waited until my bleeding had completely stopped to resume exercise. As you begin to exercise after a miscarriage pay attention to how your body feels and respond accordingly. As you feel more and more like yourself, exercise will help you as you continue to grieve and heal – physically and emotionally.
Exercise for the way it makes you feel and don’t stress about your weight.
This one is hard. It’s hard to gain weight with a pregnancy and then all of the sudden not be pregnant anymore. It’s hard mentally. But I’ve been really trying to focus on returning to exercise to re-build my strength, increase my energy levels and boost my mood rather than focusing on the number on the scale. I’m trusting that my body will find it’s normal state again soon and trying not to stress about its size – I hope you do the same too.
If you are going through a miscarriage of your own, I am so sorry. Know that you WILL get through this. You WILL be okay. And you are not alone.
xo,
Robin Long
Robin Long, founder and CEO of Lindywell, certified Pilates instructor, Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, and author of 'Well to the Core,' blends 15 years of expertise with a lifelong commitment to holistic health.
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19 thoughts on “Exercise After Miscarriage: how to safely resume exercise after pregnancy loss”
Thank you for the encouraging words. I experienced a miscarriage a few weeks back and my heart is still heavy. I try to put on a happy face but it tears me apart on the inside. I know time heals every situation I will just take my time.
We are so sorry for your loss, Jennifer! Please take care of yourself as you heal – we are thinking of you!
Very nice article. I misscarried 9 days ago, still bleeding a little bit. Due to the risky pregnancy I had to stop all kind of exercice, plus, I had an light injury before getting pregnant…all together, 3 months without exercicing. My body feels so week and so tied…horrible! I have decided to wait until I stop bleeding to resume yoga, first I will do short routines at home and after that I will go back to the yoga center to do 3 times a week. My wonder is…I was practicing crossfit 3 times a week and yoga 1 time a week before getting pregnant. A small knee injury made me stop crossfit (but I kept on doing yoga)…and right that month that I stoped crosffit, I got pregnant (after 8 months not successful) …my doctor told me to quit crossfit in order to try again since it might interfere with my fertility or “help to the implantation”..what do you think? It would be so bad if I have to quit something I love, who knows, maybe for 8 months more…if my doctor is wrong and it was just coincidence…
Hello! Thank you for your message – we are so sorry to hear about your loss – we will be thinking of you as you heal! It’s difficult to make a personalized recommendation, so we always recommend following the advice of your doctor – or seeking a second opinion if you feel it’s appropriate! Please take care!
Thanks for your story.
Great advice….I know myself I love and miss cardio but will ease back after miscarriage at 12 weeks.
Thank you!! I miscarried a week ago and the first thing I tried to do was get back to my practice. I very quickly learnt that I was not capable of this and have felt very disheartened. A lot of articles focus on rest, but forget about those who’s practice is part of their daily life. Obviously rest is extremely important, as I found out the hard way, but to give somewhat of a time line as to when I can continue my practice has bought me tears of relief! Thank you for sharing your story. Sending you peace and healing.
Hi Jo! We’re so sorry to hear about your loss. We’re so glad you found this post, and we hope it continues to encourage you. Take care as you heal, and know we’re cheering you on. <3
Thanks for writting this. I miscarried at 7 weeks. Bled for a week, waited 6 days without bleeding and jumped right back into my old routine. I went to Pilates on Tuesday, then did a light weight training session on Wednesday and back again to Pilates on Thursday. By the time Thursday’s class was done, I was bleeding again, heavily, and have been bleeding the last 3 days. A big emotional and physical set back in my healing journey. I think I jumped back in too fast! Gotta slow down and take the time to heal. You can’t jump back in and pretend it never happened!
It can be hard when we want to get back to feeling like ourselves again! But a good reminder to listen to your body. Full healing will come. It will just take time. Hang in there my friend! xoxo
Thanks. This has been a perfect post. I miscarriage yesterday and am so full of sadness. Its so difficult. And I was wondering because Im a person who does too much too soon. Thanks and God bless.
We are so sorry for your loss, Andrea. Take care of yourself during this time.
Hi. I am. Sorry for all those who underwent a miscarriage. I miscarried on April 11, 2021 and after 2 weeks (21 April) i started very light exercise and tried to take an appropriate amount of protein snacks after that. I drink water whole time between exercise. But from yesterday that was my 2nd day od exercise, i have got an extreme fatigue attack that my whole body is surprisingly achy and i am feeling extensively lethargic and took a painkiller. I think starting exercise 2,3 weeks after miscarriage, just because our bleeding has stopped amd we are feeling better is not a wise idea. I am feeling that my body still lacks energy even when i am regarly taking multivitamin supplements and folate rich foods. I think we need to be patient at leadt for 4 to 6 weeks before thinking of shedding extra pounds.
Thank you for taking the time to share this, Ami. We’re thinking of you and are sorry to hear about the challenges you’ve been experiencing. We hope you can take time to rest and give your body the gentle care you need. ❤️
Hi, I miscarriage after 8 weeks like after two months 🙁 only I pray if it was not good God give it back in the normal way, my question is that as all we know how much two months belly was, n how I reduced it please help me out, I m doing ok but its a lifetime pain….. You always remember it!!
We are thinking of you and are here to support you however we can. ❤️
I am currently in the middle of what I (and my midwife) are 90% positive is a miscarriage after 9 weeks. I had blood work done yesterday, and am still waiting for the results. My morning sickness disappeared seemingly overnight about a week and a half ago, along with one evening of extremely painful stomach cramps. No bleeding, though. The cramping has been on and off since then, and 4 days ago I started lightly spotting/bleeding. It’s been consistent, but not heavy yet.
This post was definitely encouraging to me, as well as challenging, because I haven’t excersised really at all since I started spotting. Not because I’ve been feeling bad physically, just as precaution. It’s good to know that even light excerise when you’re feeling good can have consequences later.
That being said, would you definitely recommend no movement at all until everything is over, or are things like stretching alright?
Hi Lydia – We’re so very sorry to hear what you’re going through and are sending you thoughts of healing.? Because every body and situation is unique, we encourage you to listen to your body and to speak to your health care provider to determine what is best for you. We also encourage you to take all the time you need to rest and heal.?
I needed to read this. I had my second miscarriage almost two weeks ago. I so badly want to resume exercise, but because i lost so much blood i am now anemic and my hemoglobin is 8. My husband keeps telling me i need to rest, but i want to go back to some sense of normalcy. I’m glad i saw this post. I need to be gentle with myself.
We’re so incredibly sorry to hear of your recent miscarriage, Sofia! Our team is thinking about you during this difficult time. It sounds like you have a very supportive and wise husband and we’re so glad that you’re giving yourself grace to be gentle with yourself. ?
I wanted to share with you this blog post Robin wrote when she had a miscarriage. She found a lot of healing knowing that she was not alone and it helped her to hear others stories: A move and a miscarriage https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/a-move-and-a-miscarriage/.
We encourage you to continue to listen to your body and give yourself all the time you need to rest and recover, both physically and mentally. We hope that you start to feel a little better with each day.?