Now that we’ve reframed why postpartum fitness needs to look different (see Part 1 of this blog post if you haven't read it yet), let’s talk about the part people usually want first: how to actually set goals.

Not goals rooted in urgency, comparison, or shame, but goals that support healing, strength, and a healthier relationship with your body for the long term.

This isn’t a rigid formula. Think of it more like a lens you can come back to again and again as your body, your baby, and your life change.

Start With Capacity, Not Expectations

Before setting any goal, pause and take an honest look at your current capacity - not who you were before motherhood, not what you think you should be able to do, but what’s actually available to you right now.

Capacity includes things like:

• Sleep (or lack of it)

• Physical recovery and symptoms

• Mental and emotional load

• Support systems

• The age, needs, and temperament of your baby

A respectful goal fits inside that reality. If your goal requires ignoring your body or constantly pushing past your limits to “keep up,” it’s probably not aligned with this season.

Choose Goals Based on How You Want to Feel

Instead of starting with outcomes like weight, clothing size, or performance markers (although those can come later, if they serve you), I encourage postpartum clients to start with felt experience.

Ask yourself:

• How do I want movement to support me right now?

• What do I want to feel more of in my body?

• What feels hard or draining that I’d like to feel easier?

Those underlying desires might sound like:

• “I want to feel more stable and supported when I run.”

• “I want movement to help me manage stress.”

• “I want to feel stronger carrying my baby.”

• “I want to have more energy to play with my kids”

Getting to the heart of your “why” is essential for ensuring your goal is relevant, and keeps your body in the conversation instead of treating it like something to control.

Let Function Guide You

Postpartum fitness doesn’t need to be flashy to be effective.

Some of the most meaningful goals are deeply practical:

• Getting up and down from the floor more comfortably

• Carrying your baby without pain or tension

• Feeling more confident in your balance

• Reducing discomfort in daily tasks

When goals are tied to real-life function, they tend to feel more motivating (and more relevant) than abstract fitness benchmarks.

Revisit and Revise Often

Finally, remember that postpartum isn’t a single phase: it’s a series of transitions.

What feels supportive at 6 weeks postpartum may not fit at 6 months. What works with one baby may not work with another. Revisiting and revising goals isn’t failure, it’s responsiveness.

A respectful relationship with your body allows goals to evolve as you do.

Strengthening Your Goal With the SMARTER Framework

Once you’ve done this reflection, thinking about your capacity, your needs, and how you want to feel...you can use the SMARTER framework to gently shape your goal into something more actionable without losing its soul.

Think of SMARTER as a container, not a constraint.

• Specific: What exactly are you going to do?

• Measurable: How will you know when you’ve been successful in achieving your goal?

• Achievable: Does this fit your current capacity, not an idealized version of you?

• Relevant: Does this support your postpartum body, your wellbeing, and your values right now?

• Timebound: Is there a timeframe to revisit or reassess?

• Exciting: Does this goal feel supportive or motivating, not heavy or guilt-driven?

• Risky: Is there just enough stretch to invite growth, without sacrificing safety or trust?

For example, a vague goal like “I want exercise to help my stress” might become:

“For the next 4 weeks, I will use gentle yoga as a stress-regulation tool at least 4 days per week, even if sessions are only 5–10 minutes. I’ll know I have achieved my goal if I feel more grounded afterward and begin reaching for movement as support rather than avoiding it when I’m overwhelmed.”

Specific: movement for nervous system support

Measurable: 4 days/week, 5–10 minutes

Achievable: low time demand, lots of flexibility in how to achieve success each week

Relevant: postpartum mental health

Timebound: 4 weeks

Exciting: emotional relief

Risky: shifting habits and mindset, reframing from aesthetics to emotional empowerment

Bringing It All Together

Postpartum fitness goals don’t need to be dramatic or extreme to be meaningful. They need to be aligned - with your body, your life, and your values.

When goals are shaped by understanding instead of pressure, movement becomes a tool for support rather than another demand on your already-full plate.

And that’s where real, lasting strength is built.