Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications Miscarriage What To Know About Exercise After Miscarriage When you get back to the gym after experiencing a pregnancy loss mostly depends on how you feel physically and emotionally and what your health care provider recommends. By Krissi Danielsson Updated on August 1, 2024 Medically reviewed by Jessie Rubin, MD In This Article View All In This Article Recovery After Miscarriage Returning to Exercise Low-Impact Exercises To Try Many people have questions about exercising during pregnancy. But what about exercising after a miscarriage? How long should you wait after miscarrying before getting back into an exercise routine, if you feel like that would make you feel better? Well, just as it is safe to exercise during pregnancy, in most cases, it is also typically safe to exercise after a pregnancy ends, even if it ends in miscarriage. When it comes to exercise after miscarriage, your health care provider will most likely recommend following whatever workout routine you had before pregnancy—or a lighter, modified version of it. In other words, if you weren't a marathoner before your pregnancy, it doesn't make sense to run dozens of miles during or immediately after a miscarriage. But if you regularly lift weights or attend yoga class, you're probably OK to continue those workouts shortly after a miscarriage. Even if you're not a regular exerciser, getting some light physical activity like a walk around the block after a miscarriage can support both your physical health and emotional well-being. Here's what to know about exercise after miscarriage including tips on when and where to begin. Paper Boat Creative / Getty Images Exercise and Your Body After a Miscarriage Though pregnancy loss can be physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging, your body will return to its pre-pregnancy state fairly quickly after a first-trimester miscarriage. As a result, doctors typically don't put any strict limitations on exercise once miscarriage-related bleeding has slowed or stopped. While physical recovery usually takes longer the further along the pregnancy was, in many cases, physical activity can resume soon after a second-trimester loss as well, provided that bleeding, cramping, and other symptoms are being monitored by a doctor and there are no complications. There is no medical reason why you can't return to your normal workout routine after miscarriage unless a health care provider has advised against it. How to Return to Exercise After a Miscarriage Just like you would during any other workout, listen to your body when getting back into the routine of exercise after a miscarriage. While it might be tempting to push yourself, let your body do what comes naturally. Start gently and work your way up from there. Don't feel any pressure or guilt if you can only do low-impact or leisurely exercises after a miscarriage—its not just physical, but emotionally recovery that you're doing at this time, and its normal to feel both anxiety and depression after the fact. You deserve an opportunity to rest and recuperate. One potential goal might be to engage in moderately intense exercise for at least 150 minutes a week. This goal can be divided into smaller segments (for example, five 30-minute sessions per week). Examples of moderate-intensity exercises include brisk walking, biking on flat ground, or golf. In addition, at least two days a week, you might try to engage in activities that strengthen your muscles like lifting weights or yoga. Tip If you are out of breath or can't speak while exercising, slow down. If you feel faint or sick, give yourself some water and a break. If you feel pain, stop. Should you notice any symptoms that concern you during or after exercise, give your doctor a call to discuss them. Low-Impact Exercises To Try After a Miscarriage If you want to start exercising again after a miscarriage but are afraid to push yourself too hard, you can try starting out with some low-impact exercises. The following are great exercises to start with: Walking: A short or long stroll can help you get moving. Choose somewhere scenic for an extra calming effect. You can also bring a friend or loved one for support.Yoga: Yoga and other stretching exercises can help tone your body and improve flexibility. Dim the lights and play some relaxing music to help you feel more at ease. Water aerobics: You don't have to do anything too strenuous, but being afloat rather than on land can help take pressure off of your body and your joints. If you don't feel like moving, start off floating and work your way up to more movement. If you are still concerned about your ability to exercise, bring a friend or hire a trainer to accompany and monitor you as you work out. Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, it is fine to resume your normal daily activities and exercise routine after a miscarriage as soon as you feel up to it. In fact, exercising may help relieve some of the grief, stress, anxiety, or depression that can accompany a miscarriage. It can also improve your energy levels and your sleep. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review. Cureus. 2023. Understanding Second Trimester Miscarriage. UC Davis Health. n.d. Healing the wounds of pregnancy loss. American Psychological Association. 2018. The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality and Sleep Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2023.