Prescribed Physical Activity In Postpartum Period Helps Women Increase Physical Activity And Decrease Body Weight

Abstract

New mothers frequently report a lack of adequate physical activity (PA) due to a variety of constraints. PA is an important factor in developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and may assist new mothers in returning to pre-pregnancy weight. Despite the potential positive impact of PA on new mothers, PA level during the postpartum period is unknown. PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of a PA intervention in increasing postpartum PA level and weight loss. METHODS: Thirty-two postpartum women (mean age=33±3, mean BMI=27.8±5.6 kg/m2) were randomized into control (n=16) and intervention (n=16) groups. The intervention group was instructed to engage in 150 minutes of MVPA each week and take 10,000 steps per day, the control group was given no physical activity prescription. Measures of body weight and PA (by wrist-worn ActiGraph Link accelerometers worn continuously over 7 days) were made at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum. PA data was expressed as the vector magnitude of counts (VMC) across the three axes. Differences in PA and body weight between groups over time were examined using two-way ANOVA with repeated measures and Tukey post hoc analysis. RESULTS: The intervention protocol was successful at increasing women’s overall PA during the postpartum period (main effect: 2.9x106±0.4x106 vs. 2.6x106±0.4x106 counts, p<0.05) but the only significant differences in PA by time between groups was at the initial 3 month postpartum visit (2.7x106±0.3x106 vs. 2.4x106±0.4x106 counts, p<0.05) as the intervention did not lead to a further significant increases in PA throughout the remainder of the postpartum period. The control group showed a significant increase in PA from the 3 month to the 12 month visit (2.4x106±0.4x106 vs. 2.8x106±0.4x106 counts, p<0.05), ultimately reaching similar PA to that of the intervention group. Body weight was similar at the initial 3 month visit and decreased significantly in both groups during the postpartum period, however the intervention group had a significantly lower body mass by the end of the postpartum period compared to the control group (70.2±14.8 vs.72.6±16.8 kg, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Increased PA habits during the postpartum period may help women more successfully return to pre-pregnancy body weight and reduce the risk for overweight or obesity following childbirth.