Sport reduces the risk of postpartum depression and its severity

At least one in ten women are affected by postpartum depression according to Health Insurance. “This disorder associates intense and unexplained sadness, emotional lability, sleep disturbances, negative beliefs with a feeling of guilt, loss of interest in the infant, depreciation of maternal skills, even suicidal ideas.warns the organization. To limit the risks of suffering from it and reduce the severity of the symptoms, you should do sport. This is the conclusion of a study by Canadian researchers, published in BMJ.

Sport, an accessible tool to reduce the risk of psychological disorders

These scientists point out that previously published research has shown that physical activity is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. “But it is not known whether it can reduce the severity of the baby blues in the first weeks after giving birth or lower the risk of major postpartum depression several months later.they indicate. To find out, they gathered published studies on the subject. In total, they selected 35, bringing together more than 4,000 participants. They were interested in different techniques to treat depression and anxiety in the weeks and months following childbirth. Part of them were devoted to the effects of physical exercise. These consisted of sports sessions lasting 15 to 90 minutes, one to five times a week. This could be aerobic exercises, muscle strengthening, stretching, yoga or a mixture of all of these.

80 minutes of weekly physical activity to reduce the risk of postpartum depression

Data analysis shows that exercise-based treatments were associated with less severe symptoms of depression and anxiety after childbirth and a halving of the risk (45%) of postpartum depression. major partum, compared to the absence of physical activity. This reduction in symptoms was more marked when sports practice began within twelve weeks of giving birth. “The higher the exercise volume, the greater the reduction in severity of depressive symptomsnote the authors. But the minimum threshold required for a moderate reduction in symptom severity is to achieve at least 80 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, spread over at least 4 days of the week.

Postpartum depression: detect symptoms quickly to facilitate recovery

For the moment, researchers do not know how to explain how physical exercise affects the symptoms of postpartum depression. But they insist: physical exercise in the first three months after childbirth “has the potential to significantly improve postpartum mental health”. According to Health Insurance, appropriate management of postpartum depression can cure it within the first year. For this, it is essential that it is detected early. “If you don’t feel well, don’t wait to seek helpalerts Health Insurance. Express your difficulties very quickly to your partner and to the health professionals who support you.”