Skiing After Having a Baby: What New Mums Need to Know.

Preparing Your Body for Skiing

Skiing is a demanding, high-impact sport that requires strength, balance, rotational control and the ability to absorb load repeatedly. Pilates is increasingly recognised as an effective way to prepare the body for skiing, as it builds deep core and pelvic stability, hip and glute strength, mobility and body awareness—all key for performance and injury prevention on the slopes. Research supports Pilates-based training for improving balance, neuromuscular control and load management, making it particularly valuable when returning to skiing after pregnancy or time away from sport.

Back in November, I hosted a live Q&A session with Women’s Health Specialist Physiotherapist and Pilates instructor Katie Angeloni and World renowned Pelvic Health Specialist Physiotherapist, Mr Bill Taylor, where we discussed how to prepare your body for skiing. We discussed many things but one of the key focus, and what we will talk about here, was how to prepare your body for skiing after having a baby. You can listen to the full session here, but below is a go to summary and useful check-ins you can do to yourself to check if YOUR body is ready prior to booking that skiing trip. And if you already have, what to do about it!

If you’re planning a ski trip after having a baby, you’re definitely not alone. Whether you’re returning to a sport you love or enjoying a family holiday, one of the most common questions is:

“Is it safe to ski after childbirth?” The short answer is: Yes! Absolutely - with preparation.

Your Postnatal Body On The Slopes

Postnatal recovery isn’t just a 6-week reset. Pregnancy, birth, hormonal shifts, changes to connective tissue, breastfeeding and everyday motherhood all influence how your body tolerates load and impact. That’s especially true for high-demand sports like skiing. Your Postnatal Body on the Slopes Skiing and snowboarding involve repeated eccentric quad loading, rotational control, balance reactions and impact absorption - and these forces are similar to what we see in high-impact sports like running. Research on return to running after childbirth suggests that high-impact activity should be introduced gradually, with criteria-based progression rather than arbitrary timelines. Postpartum guidelines emphasise that the pelvic floor and core muscles are still in a dynamic recovery phase and need a graded and individualised approach to load.

Pelvic Floor Check-In

Even women who have not given birth can experience urinary incontinence with high-impact exercise; studies in postpartum athletes have reported that up to 57% of women reported urinary incontinence and 39% reported anal incontinence or pelvic organ symptoms with high-impact activity. So before you ski, check for:

• Leakage with coughing, laughing, lifting or impact

• Vaginal heaviness, pressure, or dragging

• Pelvic pain, hip/groin discomfort

• Bowel urgency or leakage

• Abdominal doming or lack of core control

These symptoms aren’t a stop sign - they’re data. They tell you what to prepare before you get on snow.

What About Breastfeeding and Bone Health?

It’s common for bone mineral density (BMD) to drop during lactation, particularly at the spine and hips - a normal physiological adaptation that typically recovers over time. Although most studies focus on short-term athletic populations, research in postpartum athletes reinforces that rapid progression of training without adequate recovery can lead to stress injuries. This is why strength building, good energy availability, and gradual progression matter - especially when your bones are temporarily more sensitive to load. A progressive loading programme is key!

As well as adequate nutrition and it may be worthwhile to consider Vitamin D and Calcium supplements.

Are You Ski-Ready? Simple Self-Checks

You’re likely ready to ski when you can comfortably and symptom-free:

✔ Walk briskly for 30 minutes (including hills)

✔ Perform 10–20 single-leg squats per side

✔ Hop 10–20 times each side

✔ Jog on the spot for 1–2 minutes

✔ Maintain pelvic floor control throughout these tests.

These functional milestones align with emerging postpartum sport literature recommending graded readiness markers rather than fixed timepoints.

On the Slopes: Start Smart

When you arrive: Start with short sessions

• Choose easier terrain first

• Take frequent breaks

• Avoid stacking long days at the start

Notice how your body feels later that day and the next morning. This mirrors well-supported return-to-sport principles: introduce stress gradually, monitor symptoms closely, and adapt based on your body’s response - not a calendar date.

The bottom line is: YES! You can ski after having a baby. With the right preparation - symptom-based readiness checks, targeted strength building, and a graded on-snow plan - most mums return to the mountains feeling confident, capable, and safe. Remember, this isn’t about rushing back. It’s about moving forward well. Your body has done something incredible - support it with wisdom, strength and care, and your ski holiday can be joyful and comfortable.

Where to start?

If you're still unsure where you should start, I have the perfect programme to get you going. Click here to find out more.

Anna Maria & Katie x