Every postpartum fitness journey is unique, and right now, Kylie Jenner‘s is featuring workouts that are a bit slower than the reality star and entrepreneur is used to. That’s because, at four months postpartum following the birth of her second child, Jenner is experiencing “tons of back and knee pain,” she shared on her Instagram story on June 13.
“[I]t slows down my workouts,” Jenner explained in the story, which featured a boomerang of her walking on a treadmill. But, the 24-year-old added, she’s “on a mission to get strong again.” Another slide showing off her matching Alo shorts-and-sports-bra set featured the caption “NO DAYS OFF!” (We love the mentality, but seriously, please do take rest days.)
Back in April, Jenner shared that her current workout routine includes walking and Pilates — two workouts we’ve been hearing a lot about recently. We hesitate to call them trendy (Pilates has been around since the 1920s and walking has been around since… the dawn of humanity?), but it’s true that TikTok has been all over these workouts recently.
Personally, my For You page is overrun with people loving the combo of walking (please see: hot girl walks) and Pilates. For one thing, both of these workouts are low-impact, which is a must for those of us recovering from injuries or dealing with pain, like Jenner. Walking especially is a super-accessible form of cardio, both because it requires basically no equipment (beyond a comfy pair of shoes) or prior fitness experience. Tie your shoes, walk outside, and look at that – you’re already doing it.
Then there’s the mental health benefits, which is where the hot girl walk phenomenon comes from. (Hot girl walks, by the way, are basically long walks — four miles is recommended — spent listening to a playlist of your choosing and thinking whatever thoughts you want.) Going on these kind of slow, intentional walks “give[s] people a time to focus inward on their goals, values, and the person they want to be — versus who they often are when they are running on autopilot daily,” therapist Divya Robin, MHC-LP, told POPSUGAR in a previous interview.
And Pilates? This core-focused workout strengthens and stretches your body at the same time, and it can be done in studio with a reformer or at home, bodyweight-only, right on your mat. Best of all, Pilates is another highly intentional kind of exercise. In Pilates, “every exercise incorporates not just a movement, but a breath and an objective, making you more aware of what muscles you are working and for what benefit,” Katie Warmuth, instructor at Pilates ProWorks, told POPSUGAR previously.
With the walking-Pilates combo, you get cardio (walking) and resistance training (Pilates) with a side of mindfulness, so it’s no wonder people are falling in love with this pairing of workouts.
That said, just because this is the routine du jour doesn’t mean it’s for everyone, or inherently better than other workouts. Different workouts are better for different people, and whatever routine feels best for your mind and body is the one you should go with today, regardless of what everyone else seems to be doing. If walking and Pilates helps you move through an injury or a down period in your mental health, or just feel best for your body, then grab your mat and/or walking shoes and get going. If you feel more like rage-sweating through the current news cycle with HIIT routines, more power to you. The moral of the story is to move and connect with your body and mind, however that looks for you right now.
