MONTREAL — Practicing moderate physical activity after childbirth considerably reduces the risk of postpartum depression, shows a meta-analysis in which a researcher from the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières participated.
The best results were obtained when physical activity was initiated during the 12 weeks after delivery, and at least 80 minutes of moderate physical activity per week was needed to achieve benefit.
“The idea is to go there gradually and have fun,” said Professor Stephanie-May Ruchat, of the department of physical activity sciences at UQTR. If the woman is tired, or if the birth was difficult, we can start with light. Going out for a short walk counts.
“But the message I’m giving is really to go walk outside (or) in a shopping center with the stroller… The idea is to get out of the house, to get moving again because we know that for mental health, it is really important. It also breaks isolation if we are able to do it with other mothers, with other people.”
Professor Ruchat and her colleagues analyzed the results of 35 studies involving just over 4,000 participants from 14 countries.
They found that compared to no intervention, physical activity-only interventions were associated with less intense symptoms of anxiety and depression after childbirth. These interventions reduced the risk of postpartum major depressive symptoms by almost half, or 45%.
“We really see a major impact,” said Professor Ruchat.
An intervention started within three months after delivery resulted in a greater reduction in depressive symptoms than an intervention started after this time.
The greater the amount of exercise practiced, the greater the impact on depressive symptoms. The minimum threshold for achieving a moderate reduction in symptom severity, however, was 80 minutes of moderate physical activity ― brisk walking, aqua aerobics, stationary cycling, resistance training with bands, weights or body weight ― per week, four sessions per week.
“When you have a newborn, a baby, you often go for a walk with the stroller outside,” recalled Professor Ruchat. So we are able to combine it with a beneficial effect for our mental health, and also to get some fresh air and then go for a walk, which we do quite often with a stroller anyway when we have just given birth. »
It is not unusual for a woman to feel some anxiety or even experience depressive symptoms after giving birth. It is estimated that 13% of them will suffer from anxiety and 19% from depression, although the extent of the problem is most likely underestimated.
While multiple studies have demonstrated that physical activity can effectively counter depressive and anxiety symptoms in general, this meta-analysis complements the scientific literature that focuses specifically on what happens after childbirth, a delicate period for the mother and for her child.
“Maternal depression and anxiety are associated with decreased maternal caregiving and weakened child care and attachment, with further links to delayed cognitive, emotional, and social development of the child. ‘child’, write the authors of the study.
“We also have studies which show that children who had a depressed or very anxious mother when they were very young will, or can, develop cognitive, emotional or social problems later in their life,” added Professor Ruchat. Treatment is therefore fundamental.”
Traditional interventions for postpartum depression, such as medication or therapy, are not accessible to all mothers due to obstacles such as cost or lack of time. There are also concerns about taking anti-depressants while breastfeeding due to the possible transmission of the molecules to the baby.
Given the comparable observed effectiveness of postpartum exercise in reducing the severity of depressive symptoms compared to conventional treatments, “exercise may offer mothers relatively safe, accessible, and inexpensive alternatives to treat mental health problems,” note the authors.
“The key message is really to say that physical activity is a therapy in the same way as pharmacological therapy, with similar effects,” concluded Professor Ruchat. If we compare the two, we are able to achieve the same effects.”
The benefits of physical activity on the mental health of pregnant or postpartum women include, among other things, an improvement in self-esteem (through body image and physical self-perception); through improved self-efficacy (through self-belief and sustained participation); by a reorientation of attention towards other distressing thoughts; and by adopting psychological adaptation strategies to exercise.
The findings of this study were published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
