Doing more than an hour of moderate-intensity exercise a week can reduce the severity of the ‘baby blues’ and almost halve the risk of new mothers developing major clinical depression, the largest analysis of evidence suggests.
However, the researchers behind the study recognized that finding time amid so many new responsibilities and challenges would not be easy, and that postpartum recovery must be a priority.
New mothers could resume exercise with “gentle” walks, which they could do with their babies, and then increase to “moderate” activity when they were ready, she added.
This moderate physical activity can include brisk walking, water aerobics, stationary cycling or resistance training, according to the team of academics in Canada.
Depression and anxiety in mothers are relatively common after childbirth and are associated with reduced self-care and reduced care and bonding with the child, which in turn could affect the child’s cognitive, emotional and social development, the researchers said.
Conventional treatments for depression and anxiety in the first weeks and months after childbirth usually involve medications and counseling, which are often associated with side effects and poor compliance, and lack of timely access and cost, respectively.
Research has previously shown that physical activity is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety in general. But until now it wasn’t known whether it could reduce the severity of the baby blues in the first few weeks after giving birth or lower the risk of severe postpartum depression several months later.
In the analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicinethe researchers looked at 35 studies involving more than 4,000 women from 14 different countries. The team collected data from available evidence on the impact of exercise after childbirth.
The risk of developing severe postpartum depression was reduced by 45% among those who exercised, compared to those who did not. And exercise was associated with less severe symptoms of depression and anxiety after giving birth.
Starting exercise before 12 weeks after birth was associated with a greater reduction in depressive symptoms than starting later. And the greater the training volume, the greater the reduction in symptom severity, the study found.
To reap the benefits of exercise, women should do at least 80 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week, the academics said. Ideally, they should try to be active on at least four days of the week, she added.
The lead author, Prof. Margie Davenport, from the University of Alberta, said light exercise in the first weeks after birth, such as gentle walking, can really help.
“Once (the mother) has recovered from childbirth, taking short leisurely walks is encouraged. Walking is a great way to get exercise, and it’s something you can do with your baby,” she said.
“As she is ready to start more vigorous exercise, we recommend a gradual but progressive approach.
“It is important that attention is paid to symptoms such as poor recovery after exercise, which causes exercise to progress too quickly. Those who experience urinary incontinence are recommended to speak to a pelvic floor physiotherapist for assessment and treatment.
“Everyone’s ideal start time will be different, balancing the need to recover and heal after giving birth with the willingness to become physically active to reap both physical and mental health benefits.”