Why We Spend So Much Time Breathing in Postpartum Classes (Even When It Feels “Too Easy”)

Apr 22

Author: Red Eye Team

Read time:

2 min

If you’ve ever come to class and thought:

“Wait… why are we just laying here breathing?”
“Shouldn’t I be doing more?”
“I used to work out way harder than this…”

You’re not wrong for thinking that.

Because this part
It’s slow.
It’s not sweaty.
And honestly—it can feel a little boring.

But it’s also the reason your body will actually recover and get stronger again.

Your Body Isn’t “Out of Shape”—It’s Out of Sync

After pregnancy, it’s not just about getting your strength back.

Your body has been stretched, shifted, and adapting for months.

And the biggest thing that changes?

Your core doesn’t work the way it used to.

Your diaphragm, your deep abs, and your pelvic floor are supposed to work together every time you breathe, lift, move, or even stand.

But postpartum, that system is often… off.

You might grip your abs instead of engaging them
You might hold your breath without realizing it
You might feel pressure downward instead of controll

So it’s not just that things are “weak.”

They’re not coordinating.

And Breathing Is How We Fix That

This is the part most people skip—but it’s the part that actually reconnects everything.

When you learn how to breathe properly again, you’re:

Turning your deep core back on
Teaching your pelvic floor when to lift and when to relax
Learning how to manage pressure (instead of pushing it down)
Supporting healing if you have diastasis recti

It’s not just “inhale, exhale.”

It’s literally retraining your body to function the way it’s supposed to.

Why It Feels So Underwhelming

Most of us are used to workouts that feel like this:

Fast
Hard
Out of breath
Muscles burning

So when you’re lying on the floor focusing on your breath…
it feels like you’re not doing enough.

But here’s the shift:

👉 This isn’t about burning calories.
👉 This is about rebuilding your body.

And rebuilding always looks slower than pushing.

What Happens If You Skip This Part

You can jump back into harder workouts.

A lot of women do.

But here’s what we see when this step gets skipped:

Your core never quite feels “tight” again
You notice doming or coning in your stomach
You deal with leaking or pressure when things get harder
Your back or hips start bothering you
You feel strong—but something still feels off

It’s not because you’re doing anything wrong.

It’s because your body never got reconnected first.

This Is What Makes Everything Else Work Better

We’re not asking you to stay here forever.

We’re asking you to build from here.

Because when you take the time to get this right:

Your lifts feel stronger
Your core actually responds
You feel more stable and supported
And your progress comes faster later

The Moms Who Lean Into This See the Biggest Results

Not immediately.

But over time?

They’re the ones who:

Feel strong in their core again
Move into harder workouts without setbacks
Don’t deal with the lingering issues that hold others back
And honestly… feel more like themselves again

Final Thought

We know this part isn’t the most exciting.

But it’s the reason your body can handle everything that comes next.

This is the work that makes the rest of your fitness actually work.

And that’s why we don’t skip it.