Effects Of Aerobic Exercises on Antenatal Depression in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Pregnancy is a distinctive period in the life of all women. The routine of a pregnant woman has a substantial impact on her and her fetus. Consistent physical activity is one of the best factors that help maintain normal mental and physical well-being. Antenatal depression is not uncommon and is associated with a greater risk of negative pregnancy outcomes. Objective: To determine the effects of aerobic exercises on antenatal depression in pregnant women. Methods: Total 30 participants are included in this study. Exercise group regularly attended supervised sessions for 8 weeks. The activities in each session included walking, aerobic exercise, stretching, and relaxation. Aerobic activities were prescribed at moderate-to-vigorous intensity. However, the benefits of supervised exercise and its effects on health status were discussed. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was used to assess depression symptoms at the first interview and immediately after the 8th week of treatment protocol. Shapiro-wilk test was used to check the normality of data. Results: Exercise group showed significantly improved depressive symptoms as measured with the CES-D after the 8th week of intervention on the CES-D. The participants demonstrated a significant improvement of depressive symptoms from standard to intervention completion. Paired sample T test used to check pre and post treatment effectiveness and less than 0.05 p-value of paired sample T test tells us that there is a significant change in pre and post treatment. Conclusion: Aerobic exercises during pregnancy were led to significant reduction of depressive symptoms.