India, Oct. 16 -- For new mothers, returning to fitness can be overwhelming. Should you wait until your six-week postpartum checkup? What are the right or wrong exercises post-baby? And when is it safe to hit the gym?

But postpartum fitness is not about how quickly the body returns to its pre-pregnancy weight or a flat belly. Having a baby changes your body beyond what you see in the mirror. The body undergoes profound physiological changes from ab-separation, stretched pelvic floor, urinary leakage/pain, rib flare, spinal shape change to even a permanent change in shoe size.

In a conversation with HT Lifestyle, Sucheta Pal - maternal fitness educator and founder of Mom.Bod.Strong - highlights, "Several women silently experience postpar...