Our Favorite Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Classes in the DC Area

Preparing for Childbirth with Prenatal Workouts

If you’re reading here, you already know pregnancy does a number on your body. I remember the first time I saw a visual of how organs shift and muscles stretch during pregnancy – whoa. Luckily, prenatal fitness classes can help mitigate some of the discomfort that comes with these changes.

Every body is different, but I found that prenatal fitness classes were the most helpful in helping me still feel like myself, both physically and mentally.

On the physical side, I found my classes extremely helpful in preparing me for childbirth, particularly pelvic floor, oblique, and back strengthening workouts. Mentally, exercise improved my overall mood, reduced stress, and improved my sleep (until the end, of course!).

Postpartum Fitness: Working Out After Giving Birth

Once you get the green light from your doctor, postpartum-specific fitness classes can be a great way to ease back into an active routine.

Classes are not only great for gaining strength, but they’re an awesome outlet for new moms. All that free time you had pre-baby? Gone! Taking 45 minutes or an hour for yourself to work out can feel like such a treat. Plus, many of these classes have a strong focus on community, creating a safe space for new moms to talk about their experiences.

Ready to Get Going? Check Out These DC Area Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Classes:

Lighthouse Yoga Center is located in the Northwest Washington DC residential neighborhood of Brightwood Park, on the Kennedy Street commercial strip.

Lighthouse Yoga Center is Washington DC’s only Kundalini Yoga studio and is a flagship studio for alignment-oriented Hatha, Flow and Pre/Postnatal yoga. Our wonderful teachers and students have created a beautiful space for peace and healing in the heart of Northwest DC, and we are grateful to all of those who have been part of our growth.

Lighthouse prioritizes inclusion, diversity and community. We are a “come as you are” studio, and offer classes for all ages, shapes and sizes. At Lighthouse, we believe that yoga is a way to help us feel better. When we feel better in our bodies, we’re able to start to calm our mind. When we’re able to calm our minds, we can connect with our spirit. When we put all these aspects together, we empower ourselves to make changes in our lives and the world.

See details and sign up here:
Prenatal Yoga Series
Postnatal Yoga Series

Body Grace brings safe, effective, high quality group fitness and yoga classes to the Vienna community in a relaxed, friendly, supportive environment.

We believe care of the body through fitness is a sacred act, and strive to help students achieve physical strength and emotional ease, which is so important, especially during pregnancy.

Our Prenatal Yoga Program supported 21 prenatal moms in 2023. We use props that help us protect the placenta while focusing on strengthening the pelvic floor and muscles that support the breasts, improving balance, and exploring poses that aid rest and sleep as our bodies change. And we have fun!

These local fitness studios and businesses offer prenatal & postpartum classes that come recommended by our readers and contributors: