Finding Strength Again: Getting Healthy Postpartum—Physically, Mentally, and Emotionally

LunaFit Fam with Support from Moms

Becoming a mom changes literally everything… your schedule, your priorities, your body, your brain, your ability to shower by yourself.

What no one really warns you about is just how heavy it can all feel. The exhaustion, the hormone rollercoaster, the pressure to “bounce back,” and the very real possibility of dealing with postpartum depression... all while trying to keep a tiny human alive.

For me, and for so many women I’ve worked with, movement was the beginning of feeling like myself again. Not in a “get your body back” kind of way, but in a hey, I remember her kind of way. 

Movement as Medicine

Let’s be honest, after having a baby, your body can feel like it’s been through a demolition and reconstruction project. Breastfeeding alone can make you feel like your body doesn’t even belong to you anymore. But movement? Movement helps you take some of that power back.

Whether it's a slow walk, some light strength work, or a messy-at-best mommy-and-me workout, moving your body reminds you it’s still yours. Still strong. Still capable. Still home.

It’s not about crushing it every day. Some days it’s five minutes on the floor while the baby naps. Other days it’s dancing in your kitchen like a weirdo while reheating your coffee for the third time. It all counts. And those little moments? They add up.

Fighting the Fog 

Postpartum depression doesn’t always look like a sad movie scene. Sometimes it looks like rage. Or like feeling absolutely nothing. Or like staring at your baby and wondering why you don’t feel more joyful.

Movement isn’t a cure-all (therapy is amazing and sometimes absolutely necessary), but it can help. It can anchor your day, give you a sense of control, help you sleep, lower anxiety, and give you one small thing that feels like a win.

Reclaiming You

The biggest thing fitness gave me postpartum? A sense of me. Not the me from before baby, but a new version. Maybe a little softer in some ways, a lot stronger in others. A version that still dreams. Still fights. Still shows up.

You are not just a mom. You’re still you. And you’re allowed to take up space. You’re allowed to want to feel good in your body. You’re allowed to chase your goals, even if your workout today is just surviving bedtime.

Where to Start (Getting Healthy Postpartum)

If you’re wondering how to even begin moving again when you have no time, no energy, and maybe no abs left, here’s the good news…you don’t need to overhaul your life. Start small. Like, tiny. Here are a few no-pressure ways to ease back in:

• Start with 10 minutes. That’s it. A walk, a few bodyweight moves, or a short postpartum-safe workout video while the baby is rolling around nearby.

• Pick a consistent time of day that works for you. Not the magical unicorn morning routine you saw on Instagram. Maybe it’s during naptime. Maybe it's after bedtime. Maybe it changes every day, that’s okay.

• Involve your baby. Baby-wearing walks, floor workouts with tummy time next to you, or even doing squats while holding your little one count as fitness (and bonding). LunaFit literally started with me leading workouts wearing Luna.

• Focus on how you feel, not how you look. This isn’t about chasing a body, it’s about chasing peace, energy, strength, and sanity.

• Ask for help. Whether it's a partner, a friend, or a local mom group, leaning on others doesn’t make you weak, it makes you smart. And community helps with all aspects of being a mom, including getting healthy postpartum.

Final Thoughts

If you’re reading this in the middle of the chaos, exhausted, emotional, unsure where to begin, I want you to know you’re not alone. You don’t need a fancy gym. You don’t need to “snap back.” You just need one small, honest step. And then another. You are stronger than you feel, and bit by bit, you’ll reconnect with the woman you were always becoming.