Staying active on rainy days
When you’re on maternity leave, getting out for that walk with the baby in the buggy or carrier can feel like a lifeline.
Fresh air, movement, a change of scenery and vitamin D can solve a whole host problems from lack of sleep to a whirring brain. Speaking from my own experience, on my three maternity leaves it was the highlight of the day for both me and my babies - getting out and about for a walk for that first nap. It was part of our routine that we’d loosely carved…
Rain, wind, cold mornings (like those we’ve been having this week), when the weather turns bad everything can feel thrown off and no matter how many people say “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes” (clearly that person doesn’t live in Ireland by the way) sometimes we just have to take a notion and park that walk.
Sadly there goes your daily movement, your routine, perhaps baby’s nap time and along with all this, your mood and motivation dips.
Ever wondered why? Because exercise in whatever capacity that is, boosts your mood.
Here are just a few benefits of how movement at home can be rewarding on those days you don’t make it out the house:
1. You get to keep your routine (even when the weather has other plans )
Humans thrive off routine, so when our daily walk or routine gets disrupted our body’s go into a dis-regulated state and search for other ways of ‘pleasing’ our minds…enter doom scrolling for a dopamine hit...
Having a go-to home movement plan helps you maintain consistency, which is far more important than intensity, especially postpartum.
If daily movement in the form of a walk is your routine, then why stop movement in some capacity just because the weather is against you?
2. No pressure to get out the door
Getting yourself and a baby ready in bad weather can feel overwhelming. Buggy items get soaked and unless you have an adult sized puddle suit, you get soaked too. Home workouts remove that barrier completely.
No coats, no rain covers, no rushing, no pressure - just press play (and pause) when you want and choose the level of intensity that you’re up for that day.
This could be 10 minutes of mobility, or 15 minutes of pilates, or 20 minutes of strength - factor in your energy, and what you feel like that day.
Try this low energy 10 minute pilates session
3. Baby friendly and nap flexible
So many mums share things like, “my baby only naps on me” or “they only sleep for a short time, I’d never get a workout done” that’s exactly why home workouts are designed to fit around real life and real weather systems.
No need to leave the house, no need to pack a gym back, no need to get a baby sitter or fill the freezer with milk so you can attend one class.
You can move while your baby naps, plays beside you, or even gets involved and grabs your hair as you glute bridge.
If you only have 10 or 20 minutes every few days, that truly is enough.
I always remind mums that this is just a phase of your life (even if the long nights feel like its lasting forever) and to remove the expectations of those 45-60 minute gym classes you used to do pre-kids for it to ‘count’. All in time, for now focus on ‘less is more’. Because 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes and when you can’t walk, why not workout when it rains?
4. Supports your mental wellbeing (and sleep!)
Movement is a powerful mood booster. There are hundreds of studies that prove movement (in various capacities) can help with lifting mood, energy and increasing your sleep quality (when you are getting any!).
This 2025 study Impact of postpartum physical activity on maternal depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta‑analysis concluded that engaging in moderate intensity exercise postpartum for roughly 80 minutes per week (so 10-15 mins per day) significantly lowers the severity of mild to moderate depression and anxiety, reducing overall odds of developing postpartum depression by 45%. Starting within the first 12 weeks of birth is also linked with greater benefits.
See movement (walking and home movement) as a way of ‘filling your tank’ when you take a few minutes to yourself each day, your body and mind are able to cope with the demands of motherhood with more ease. So on those grey, rainy days when you’re stuck indoors, even a short exercise routine can help you feel more energised, calmer, and decrease symptoms of depression and/or anxiety.
With regards to your precious sleep, exercise can help here too! A 2025 study Impact of postpartum physical activity on maternal sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted a comprehensive review of 12 different studies across 9 countries, involving over 3,000 postpartum women. They concluded that incorporating exercise into your routine, not just for physical health, aided in better sleep quality and potentially reducing daytime fatigue. Remember you dont have to go all out high intensity for an hour, but short, manageable bouts of exercise can make a difference.
My blog Can exercise help you sleep better and reduce fatigue? goes into more detail on this.
…try this 10 minute bodyweight workout
5. Home workouts are a great way to build strength postnatally, at your own pace and in your own space
So many mums say to me “the only exercise I’ve done is walking,” and honestly, I commend them as thats still a great way to build up to your 150-300 minutes of recommended exercise per week (NHS & HSE). So when the weather is against you for days on end, that takes it’s toll on your mental and physical health
Home workouts give you the opportunity to move when the weather turns rotten, at your own gradual pace and in your own space (and stay dry!).
You can adapt exercises to how you feel each day choosing a shorter 10 minute core session over a full body strength session allows you to progress at a pace, according to energy.
Working out at home also gives you complete control over your environment, especially when the outside environment cant be controlled.
Try this 10 minute full body strength & cardio workout
Final thoughts…
Postnatal bodies (and minds!) need care, patience, and support. If your daily walks are a lifeline, it can feel disorienting when the weather has other plans and it’s easy to fall into other, less nourishing dopamine fixes like mindless scrolling on your phone. This is where short, postpartum friendly home workouts come in - they keep you moving, maintain your routine, and save you from endless doom scrolling…
Whether it’s your daily walk in the park or a 10‑minute home session, these moments of movement help keep your energy up, sleep improved and mood lifted. Structured, postnatal friendly short workouts can be just as effective as heading outdoors, and they give you the freedom to move at your own pace around feeds, naps, or unpredictable weather.
Short of buying a walking pad (which is expensive, unnecessary, impractical and takes up far too much space!) and strapping baby onto your chest in the carrier (no I am not recommending this for safety reasons!) this is where having simple, realistic home movement can make all the difference.
A few minutes of movement has been proven to lift your mood, boost your energy, and help you feel more like yourself (there is literally science backing this up!). Remember consistency beats intensity, so with a mix of postpartum friendly home workouts and fresh air when possible you can keep your movement routine going even on the coldest, wettest and windiest days.
If you’re a mum on maternity leave who wants to keep moving, here are a few options that might suit for those rainy days
New Beginnings: An Early Postnatal Program
New Beginnings offers postnatal exercises to try for just 5-10 minutes at a time and available for you to join today. It contains a series of follow along videos designed to help restore your core post birth, through breath work, Pilates style exercises and mobility.
This program is designed to bridge the gap between birth and returning to exercise. It teaches gentle core connection and breath work from the early stages postpartum - and other fundamental basics I recommend mastering before returning to exercise.
6 Weeks to Strong: a postnatal strength & core program
If you’re ready to get moving again after birth or a break, 6 Weeks to Strong is your go-to program. It’s designed for mums who want structure, guidance, and real accountability — plus ongoing WhatsApp support so you’re never doing it alone. These short, focused workouts, combined with motivation and tips from me, make it easy to stick with it, build strength safely, and start feeling strong and confident again.
An online 6 week strength & core focused program, specifically designed for mothers (postnatal or beyond) who are ready to re-enter the world of exercise. This group program comes with unwavering support from a WhatsApp community group, post-workout and weekly check ins with me. Available for just 10 participants, work alongside me and the other mothers in real time, feeling supported and motivated for every step as you progress and see the results of the work you put in.
The Online Workout Channel
Looking for flexibility to choose your own workouts and go at your own pace? My online workout channel lets you choose your own sessions ranging from 10 to 30 minutes, low to high energy, and beginner to advanced. It’s a great ‘go to’ for fitting movement around naps, feeds, and life, letting you choose your own workouts for the days you dont get your walks!
Enjoy 50% off your first month and join live weekly workouts with me on Mondays!
Join for access to an online library of 10 to 30 minute follow along exercise classes. Specifically designed for busy mothers, postnatal mothers and pregnant mothers to be watched anytime, anywhere that suits you! Book into live classes with Georgy every week and enjoy all the features of the Fitness Hub!
