Pregnancy, Postpartum & the Military Body-Composition Screen
How the WHtR / body-fat program treats pregnancy and the postpartum period — the exemption window and return-to-assessment timeline.
By The VivMetric Editorial Team · independent editorial research project
The exemption window
Service members who are pregnant or postpartum are exempt from the body-composition assessment during the pregnancy and for a defined postpartum period under service instruction. Confirm the exact length with your command.
Returning to assessment
After the exemption window, the standard WHtR screen and any secondary evaluation resume on the normal cycle. Planning a gradual return to training protects both fitness and the assessment result.
Source
DoD / service maternity-fit instructions; On December 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense (memo "Additional Guidance on Military Fitness Standards") replaced traditional height-and-weight tables across the joint force with a Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) screen, effective January 1, 2026. A WHtR below 0.55 passes the initial screen; at or above 0.55, a service member receives a secondary body-fat evaluation. DoD Instruction 1308.03 sets the allowable body-fat corridor: no branch may be more restrictive than 18% (men) / 26% (women) or more lenient than 26% (men) / 36% (women). Members are assessed twice per year. Data retrieved 2026-08-19.
Quick answers
Related pages
- Standards detail → /standards
- WHtR detail → /whtr
- Tool page → /tools/body-composition-check