Exercising before, during, and after pregnancy, w/ Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, Dr. Kayla Borchers
Mon Jan 26 2026
Some pregnant women run marathons, and some barely have the energy to get off the couch.
Some women can hardly wait to return to their normal physical activities after having a baby, and others like to take their time getting back into the swing of things.
Who's got it right? How much should we be exercising while pregnant? Are there any kinds of exercise pregnant women absolutely shouldn't be doing? And just how important is postpartum exercise, and how much should women be aiming to get in the year after having a baby?
In this episode, Natural Womanhood's Editor in Chief, Grace Emily Stark, interviews pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Kayla Borchers on all these questions and more. In this episode, you'll learn about:
Trimester-specific exercises and focusWhat kinds of exercises to do when you just don't want to do / don't have the energy to do anything while pregnantWhat to do /where to go when dealing with pregnancy aches and painsAny exercises you should absolutely avoid while pregnantThe importance of exercise postpartum: How to do it safely!When and how to begin exercising again postpartum (and how to fit it in!), and how much is too much?What problems can postpartum exercise help mitigate (back pain? PPD? Diastasis recti?)When to know you need more help healing postpartum, and where to goHow to play "catch up" if you didn't have / weren't able to have a very physically active pregnancyPreparing better for your next pregnancyWant to watch this episode on YouTube? Click here!
Want to work with Dr. Kayla? Click here.
Support the show
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts!
Find us on the web at naturalwomanhood.org and be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an article, video interview, or podcast episode.
Follow us on X @naturwomanhood
Follow us on Instagram @naturalwomanhood
Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.
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Some pregnant women run marathons, and some barely have the energy to get off the couch. Some women can hardly wait to return to their normal physical activities after having a baby, and others like to take their time getting back into the swing of things. Who's got it right? How much should we be exercising while pregnant? Are there any kinds of exercise pregnant women absolutely shouldn't be doing? And just how important is postpartum exercise, and how much should women be aiming to get in the year after having a baby? In this episode, Natural Womanhood's Editor in Chief, Grace Emily Stark, interviews pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Kayla Borchers on all these questions and more. In this episode, you'll learn about: Trimester-specific exercises and focusWhat kinds of exercises to do when you just don't want to do / don't have the energy to do anything while pregnantWhat to do /where to go when dealing with pregnancy aches and painsAny exercises you should absolutely avoid while pregnantThe importance of exercise postpartum: How to do it safely!When and how to begin exercising again postpartum (and how to fit it in!), and how much is too much?What problems can postpartum exercise help mitigate (back pain? PPD? Diastasis recti?)When to know you need more help healing postpartum, and where to goHow to play "catch up" if you didn't have / weren't able to have a very physically active pregnancyPreparing better for your next pregnancyWant to watch this episode on YouTube? Click here! Want to work with Dr. Kayla? Click here. Support the show If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts! Find us on the web at naturalwomanhood.org and be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an article, video interview, or podcast episode. Follow us on X @naturwomanhood Follow us on Instagram @naturalwomanhood Want to support The Natural Womanhood Podcast and the rest of our work? Make your tax-deductible donation, here.