Prenatal & Postpartum Personal Training
At Goal Driven Habits, we provide specialized prenatal and postpartum personal training designed to support you through pregnancy, birth, and the early months of motherhood. Located conveniently three blocks from Rittenhouse Square, our team focuses on safe, effective movement for women who are getting their body ready for pregnancy or who are recovering and regaining their movement and strength following a birth.
Pregnancy and the postpartum period present unique physical demands: changing posture, shifting center of gravity, hormone-driven tissue laxity, diastasis recti, pelvic floor stress, and the need to adapt to new movement patterns as you care for an infant. Generic workouts can be ineffective or harmful, specialized programming that takes into account these factors is necessary for the best results. Our programs are evidence-informed and tailored to your stage, symptoms, fitness level, and goals so you build resilience while minimizing pain and dysfunction.
Who would benefit most from this focused training?
First-time and experienced pregnant people looking to remain strong, functional, and comfortable through each trimester.
Postpartum clients who want to recover strength safely after birth and return to exercise goals.
Parents managing diastasis recti, pelvic floor symptoms, low back or pelvic pain, or persistent movement limitations.
Training around a pregnancy and during post-partum provide some unique challenges. Our focus during sessions takes these challenges into account and we narrow in on the following things with the women we work with.
Safety first: exercise selection and load are adjusted for your trimester, delivery type, and recovery status. We screen for contraindications and coordinate with your healthcare providers when needed.
Pelvic floor and core: gentle re-education and progressive strengthening tailored to childbirth history and symptoms, including safe strategies for diastasis recti.
Functional strength: rebuilding the muscular capacity needed for everyday parenting tasks—lifting, carrying, pushing a stroller, and sustained postures.
Mobility and posture: counteracting pregnancy-related changes in posture and restoring joint mobility to reduce pain and improve movement quality.
Breathing and intra-abdominal pressure: techniques to support core function, manage intra-abdominal pressure safely, and improve digestion and pelvic comfort.
Pain management and symptom reduction: targeted interventions for low back pain, pelvic girdle pain, hip or sacroiliac discomfort, and other common issues.
Return-to-sport or pre-pregnancy performance: individualized progressions for athletes and active clients aiming to regain their prior training level.
For all of our clientsProgram options
One-on-one personal training: dedicated sessions with an experienced trainer who crafts a progressive plan based on your history, goals, and any prior physical therapy.
Small group sessions: intimate groups limited in size for individualized attention with the added motivation of peers at similar stages.
Transition packages: plans designed for clients leaving formal physical therapy, focusing on bridging therapeutic gains to independent strength and movement capacity.
Our approach We integrate assessment-driven coaching with practical education so you understand why exercises matter and how to modify them as your body changes. Progress is measurable and goal-oriented—whether your aim is pain-free daily activity, reclaiming core strength, or returning to sports and higher-level training. We emphasize sustainable habits to support long-term recovery and health beyond the postpartum period.
Safety and coordination We work with your medical and rehabilitation providers as needed and require clearance for certain conditions (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, significant obstetric concerns). For postpartum clients, we assess healing and readiness for specific exercises, particularly when diastasis recti or pelvic floor dysfunction is present.
What to expect in your first session
Comprehensive intake covering pregnancy/delivery history, symptoms, fitness background, and goals.
Movement and strength assessments adapted for your stage.
A clear, individualized plan with short-term milestones and home strategies.
Practical coaching on breathing, alignment, and safe movement patterns.
Start with confidence Whether you’re aiming to maintain fitness during pregnancy, heal and strengthen after childbirth, or progress beyond physical therapy, Goal Driven Habits offers evidence-informed, compassionate training to keep you moving confidently. Contact us to discuss your needs and schedule an assessment tailored to your stage and goals.
Training Before Pregnancy
Building strength, endurance, and healthy habits before pregnancy can improve both maternal and fetal outcomes. Training focuses on improving core and pelvic stability and strength which will allow for an easier delivery. Improvements in hormone regulation and insulin sensativity, in addition to reducing risk of hypertension or gestational diabetes during the pregnancy can also result from regular exercise and focused training. The stronger and healthier you are going into pregnancy, the quicker and easier you will be able to recover from the physical changes of pregnancy afterwards and get re-acquainted with your body.
Training sessions will focus on strength training for the lower body and core stability, mobility exercises for the hips and spine, postural work, controlled breathing work, and low-impact conditioning. Preparing early often leads to a more comfortable pregnancy experience and better outcomes for your child.
What about a Cesarean Section? Does that change anything?
If your child arrived through cesarean section, physical therapy and strength training after your delivery is even more critical to regaining function through your core and pelvic floor; reducing risk of chronic low back pain and other complications. A cesarean is a traumatic surgery and your recovery should be treated and supported appropriately. While every new mother should have access to PT and be working to regain health and function after the birth, a cesarean is unique, where many chronic pains and issues can arise if appropriate steps are not taken to help regain function of the anterior core.
Exercise recommendations should always be individualized, especially during pregnancy and postpartum. Women with medical conditions, high-risk pregnancies, or postpartum complications should consult their healthcare provider before beginning or progressing exercise programs.
Benefits of Training During Pregnancy
Training appropriately during pregnancy is associated with many health benefits for both mother and baby. Physically, benefits can include reduction in pregnancy-related back pain and discomfort, reduced swelling, constipation, and fatigue. You’ll be able to maintain and support muscle tone, pelvic floor health and balance and coordination.
During labor and delivery, maintaining an active strength training regimine will improve endurance while potentially reducing the labor duration. Pelvic floor health will also reduce the risk of cesarean delivery and complications.
Other health and mental benefits from consistent training will include reduced risk of high blood pressure/preeclampsia, improved placental function and circulation; better sleep which allows you to better regulate stress and anxiety and maintain energy throughout the day.
Benefits of Training Post-Pregnancy (Postpartum)
Beginning activity soon after delivery will provide a myriad of benefits to Mom. Exercise can support physical and emotional healing during the postpartum phase. Maintaining and rebuilding strength in the upper body will help reduce back, neck, and shoulder pain. General strengthening of the body will lead to healthy weight management, a quicker return to pre-pregnancy fitness, and improved energy levels and sleep regulation.
Working specifically on the pelvic floor helps with recovery of the abdominal wall and regaining stability of the pelvic floor muscles, reducing the risk of urinary incontinence. As the pelvic floor recovers, the time to return safely to high-impact and fast paced activities improves.
Finally, if there are plans for another pregnancy, exercise and lifting will help shorten the timeline between postpartum and your next pregnancy.
What to Expect
When we bring in new clients, we want to make sure the fit is as right for us as it is for you. You are trusting us with your health and we want to make sure you feel comfortable working with us and we are the best fit for you. The typical process for all new clients is:
Pre-Assessment - You will receive our questionnaires and initial screening questions. This give us a first snapshot of any potential issues or compensations to keep an eye out for in the initial assessment. It also helps to guide the conversation you’ll have with your coach when you meet in person. If you need/want to schedule a call to answer any questions you have prior to the assessment, we are happy to accommodate.
Initial Assessment - You come the space to run through a movement screen and full body assessment. This is a chance for us to see you, see how you move, discover where you might have some compensations or asymmetries that could be contributing to your pain or injury, and find a baseline for your program. This is also a chance for you to meet the coaches, get a sense of how they work with you and if you “vibe” with them.
Building out a Plan - After the Initial Assessment, your coach will review their findings with you and discuss what they would recommend for the next steps. This would include session frequency and scheduling, time frame for improvements to be seen, and general plan of attack.
Start training and start feeling Better - The work begins. Mobility and movement retraining specific to your goals. Targeted strength and conditioning work emphasizing safe progressions and education to reinforce and teach the “why” behind what we are doing.
Getting started
If you’ve completed physical therapy or are ready to take the next step after clinical rehab, we’ll evaluate where you are now and build a clear, realistic plan to get you back to the activities that matter. Our approach is informative, evidence-informed, and focused on outcomes—so you recover confidently and sustainably.
Book an assessment to begin: receive support, clear goals, and a plan from rehab to full function with our coaches at GDH.