Study: Mental Benefits Training During and After Pregnancy

Geschatte leestijd: 4 minuten Earlier I discussed the physical benefits of strength training during pregnancy. Today, I want to briefly address the mental benefits of training during and after pregnancy. An additional motivation perhaps for tomorrow’s part that delves into training after childbirth: How and how quickly?

Mental Benefits of Training After Childbirth

Getting back into training after childbirth offers several benefits. Besides the obvious reasons such as getting back in shape and improving your strength and fitness, it can also help improve your mood. That postpartum bliss right after childbirth is beautiful, but every parent knows how energy levels can drastically drop a few months later, especially when discussing whose turn it is to get up at 03:00. Many parents will also recognize the guilt that sometimes creeps in when tiredness leads you to react slightly less lovingly to your little one than you would like. Various studies have shown that regular exercise is good for mental well-being [1-4]. In women, the positive effect on “mental well-being” has been found to be greater than in men [4]. Specifically discussing training during and after pregnancy, there are several interesting studies that provide insight.

“A Sporty Mom is a Happy Mom”

In 1999, a survey of 1000 new mothers (average age about 30) found that those who intensively trained six weeks after childbirth scored better on all of the following points[5]:

• Quality of the relationship with the partner
• Perception of the partner’s involvement in childcare (because the partner stays at home while mom goes to the gym?)
• How satisfactory the childbirth experience was (not meant to be funny).
• How satisfied the mother is with “life circumstances”
• How satisfied the mother is with motherhood and childcare

It was apparently a sporty group of women. 35% trained more than three times a week, six weeks after childbirth. These were women who tried to maintain their usual level of activity as much as possible during pregnancy and resumed it as soon as possible afterward. Unfortunately, it is not further specified what “intensive training” exactly entails (cardio, strength training, yoga?).

“Cardio? Happy Hour!”

A completely different approach is to look at the acute effects of a single training session after childbirth. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin looked at what happens when you let women who gave birth between 6 and 20 weeks ago do an hour of cardio (60%-70% max. heart rate reserve). A control group rested for an hour. The women who did cardio were found to score better in terms of mood and feelings of vitality[6]. As I described in the previous part, it’s good to realize that during pregnancy, strength training is preferred over cardio.

Prevention of Postpartum Depression through Training

All the studies so far actually show that the “joy-bringing effects” of exercise are the same in pregnant or newly delivered women. It may therefore be more relevant to look at effects that specifically apply to this target group. The fear of overweight due to pregnancy can have a negative impact on mental health in the postpartum period [7]. As many as 70% of women would be dissatisfied with their appearance six months after childbirth, and after a year, this would still apply to about 39% [8]. In 25% of cases, there would be less sex because the woman does not feel attractive. According to some studies, a certain degree of postpartum depression occurs in 13% of cases [9]. In his book “Exercising through Your Pregnancy,” James F. Clapp suggests based on his research that postpartum depression occurs less frequently in women who exercise [10]. He suspects that this is because exercise provides a break from the daily demands of motherhood. According to him, women who exercise seem less “overwhelmed” by motherhood and more confident in their ability to handle parenting. Finally, he sees that women who exercise have a more positive view of their appearance.

Practice: How Quickly to Train Again After Childbirth and How?

In the previous part, I already discussed the physical benefits of strength training during pregnancy. In this part, I have shown the mental benefits of training during and after pregnancy. Then it only remains how to get back to training after childbirth and what results you can expect from this. In the next and final part, it will be more practical. Then I will discuss how soon after childbirth you can start training again and how to do this best. I will also address other commonly heard concerns such as souring of breast milk due to lactic acid.

References

1. Blumenthal JA, Williams RS, Needels TL, Wallace AG.Psychological changes accompany aerobic exercise in healthy middle-aged adults. Psychosom Med. 1982;44:529–36.
2. Cramer SR, Nieman DC, Lee JW. The effects of moderate exercise training on psychological well-being and mood state in women. J Psychosom Res. 1991;35:437–49.
3. Ross CE, Hayes D. Exercise and psychologic well-being in the community. Am J Epidemiol. 1988;127:762–71.
4. Stephens T. Physical activity and mental health in the United States and Canada: evidence from four population surveys. Prev Med. 1988;17:35–47.
5. Sampselle CM, Seng J, Yeo S, Killion C, Oakley D. Physical activity and postpartum well-being. J Obstet Gynecol. Neonatal Nurs. 1999;28:41–9.
6. Koltyn KF, Schultes SS. Psychological effects of an aerobic exercise session and a rest session following pregnancy. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1997;37:287–91.
7. Crowell DT. Weight change in the postpartum period. A review of the literature. Nurse Midwifery. 1995;40:418–23.
8. Fischman SH, Rankin EA, Soeken KL, Lenz ER. Changes in sexual relationships in postpartum couples. J Obstet Gynecol. Neonatal Nurs. 1986;15:58–63.
9. O’Hara MW, Swain AM. Rates and risk of postpartum depression-a meta-analysis. Int Rev Psych. 1996;8:37–54.
10. Clapp JF. Exercising through Your Pregnancy. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1998.