If you have just had a baby, your body will have undergone a variety of changes. Postnatal courses are recommended in Germany to support your body during the recovery process. You will learn exercises to strengthen your core muscles and pelvic floor.
The courses also offer the opportunity to meet other families and spend some time together.
Learn more about when to start your Rückbildungskurs and the different types.
When certified by health insurance, your postnatal recovery course (“Rückbildungskurs”) can even be covered by public health insurance. You can search the database of your health insurance provider to find them though likely you will only find them taught in German.
If you prefer English, we found different Cologne postnatal exercise classes held in English. So you can find out which works best for you.
If yoga is your favorite type of exercise the following two studios may be interesting for you:
Mattentiger Yoga
At Mattentiger Yoga you can attend postnatal yoga and yoga with baby (as well as pregnancy yoga). You can start postnatal yoga two months after birth. Here you will learn to improve your physical strength after birth and create a place where you have a little time for yourself.
The English speaking yoga teacher Rike offers Group Yoga courses which are donation based (€15 per class and person are recommended) and also private lessons that start at €70 per class.)
Shirin Salem
Shirin Salem is a holistic healer and also offers courses to strengthen your body after birth. You learn how to build up your pelvic floor and more.
Shirin offers courses in English and Arabic and you can bring your baby with you. The fee for 11 dates will be €125.
Doulas of Cologne - Amrei
Amrei is a Birth and Postpartum Doula who speaks English, French, a little Spanish and Turkish. She offers prenatal and postnatal yoga courses in Ehrenfeld. You can find her on Instagram or you can contact her via her website.
While Amrei teaches in German, she can assist you in English as well. As of April 2024, the postnatal yoga courses take place Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at different studios, so you can choose which time or place is best for you.
Online and German language postnatal exercise classes in English
Check out our list of online classes, some of which are live while others are pre-recorded.
If you are happy to attend a German-language “Rückbildungskurs”, check out this list of courses at kidsgo. Additionally, the Elternschule am Severinsklösterchen offers several courses for exercise after pregnancy and Youpila also has two different postnatal exercise classes in German – Back To Body I (a class "Rückbildungskurs" and Back To Body I, a follow-on class.
Last but not least, midwife Ilona Klein offers several courses and you can also attend a Rückbildungskurs. The course is in German but Ilona can support in English as well as in Greek.
