“I remember just crying for long periods of time with no real reason behind the tears. I felt guilty for wanting time to myself. In a time where you really have all the support in the world I felt so alone. I didn’t feel connected to anyone and felt very isolated.” - Molly Hodges
If this resonates with you, keep reading.
Postpartum depression is one of the most common complications moms suffer post childbirth. For reference that statistic is 1 in 9 women. So there is no surprise to hear that Molly experienced what she did, but she claims exercise pulled her out of this dark thick fog, and she is not the only person who saw positive results from exercise. A tracked study of 1,000 mothers who were offered exercise programs found that those who were consistent had fewer depression symptoms after birth.
So what is the exercise recommendation for our moms? Low to moderate intensity exercise during and after pregnancy has been discovered by researchers to help moms avoid postpartum depression. Low to moderate intensity can be a wide range for people depending on their fitness level prior to becoming pregnant, but for most women that means 3-5 sessions per week and includes long walks or light weight lifting activity being an accurate level of intensity, as long as approved by your doctor. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends pregnant and postpartum women get 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity every week. “We know that exercise is just as effective as antidepressants for adults. The trick is to get them to do the physical activity,” said Beth Lewis of the University of Minnesota. And in some studies the effect of exercise was seen to have higher effects on women and PPD than traditional treatments, but this alone won’t be the main motivator to get moms exercising because pregnancy isn’t easy and neither is exercising!
My answer to this is community. By creating mom groups and a sense of camaraderie you can help motivate mom’s to stay consistent and exercise throughout pregnancy and after. Now more than ever social media gives us a false sense of community, but we aren’t reaping any health benefits from logging in and interacting online. Nothing can replace true interaction, of sharing, listening, and learning with other people going through the same experiences.
This is why I have created a moms group called Moms in Training, so that you can feel confident working out with a pre and postnatal fitness professional while engaging with a community of moms. This class setting will guide you safely through workouts that are good for you and baby as well as help create confidence and comfortability in your post baby body. The exercises in this class are based around repairing and strengthening, pelvic floor work, and care for your abdominals. The classes will consist of 3-4 moms in a private gym where a limited number of people train so that we can create a safe experience during the worldwide pandemic for everyone involved. And if you still aren’t comfortable joining the class in person, I offer the option of live classes online so you can simply log in and join us at home!
Written by Taylor Valencia
Fitness Professional
Pre and Post Natal Specialist
Metabolic Specialist
@tayloredcoaching
