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“After each pregnancy, I wonder if I’m gonna be able to get back to where I was before. I want to be able to jump and hit the ball or catch the frisbee. I want to be able to perform the way I used to. I put this pressure on myself to be back where I was after my first kid, in the fittest shape of my life. Plus, society is made up to make you feel like that. It’s in the ads, the grocery store, everywhere! The pressure is insidious and has been piling up on women’s backs for years.”


Michelle, research participant

Motherhood and a decrease in physical activity participation often go hand in hand. Specifically, early motherhood is a time when women have some of their lowest rates of sport participation (Rhodes et al., 2014). This is a problem, because during the postnatal period (up to 1 year after giving birth) women are at high risk of drastic weight gain, postpartum depression, isolation and anxiety (Demissie et al., 2011).

While physical changes that affect sport participation are well-addressed, how postnatal women re-engage in sport is also affected by gendered expectations accompanying motherhood. These expectations include gender roles dictating how mothers “should” behave (Freysinger et al., 2013). Another expectation is intensive mothering, that is, the expectation that mothers must prioritize their child’s needs over their own (Trussell & Shaw, 2012). These expectations both decrease mothers’ physical activity levels and also weaken their emotional and physical well-being (Henderson et al., 2016).

Research has looked at how mothers combat these expectations while rejoining sport postnatally. But research has rarely examined team sport’s role. Team sport can reduce negative effects that accompany the postpartum period, while helping increase physical activity levels, socialization and identity affirmation (Batey & Owton, 2014). Team sport can also help postnatal women feel like they’re part of a community and are empowered to resist the gendered expectations of motherhood.

My master’s thesis examined how gendered expectations of motherhood affected postnatal women as they re-engaged in community team sport. I interviewed 6 mothers, 3 times over a period of 3 months. Through these interviews, I learned about the challenges that new moms face when returning to sport, how social support and relationships help moms in their return to sport, and how moms felt empowered when they played sports. This blog aims to help sport leaders empathize with postnatal women’s experiences, inspiring the creation of more inclusive sporting spaces.

Confronting the challenges of returning to team sport

Mother with her kids, sitting on a couchThe postnatal women I interviewed each navigated physical and emotional difficulties when going back to team sport. They modified their playing style and frequency, stayed late in locker rooms to socialize, or strategized about how to pump breast milk to play comfortably. Another major challenge was feeling like they needed to be a “good mom” to access team sport. Most participants felt they needed to either cook dinner, prepare children for bedtime, or organize childcare so they could go play their sport. In the words of a mom:

“Getting to hockey on Sundays can be tough, especially when I’m home with my kid. I feel like I have to sacrifice time with him.”

Finding support and inspiration in friends, family and other moms

Two women hockey players in their locker roomFor the postnatal women I interviewed, relationships and social connections were critical in helping them return to team sport. Strong social support systems helped these women return to sport, as the women relied on partners, family, friends, neighbours and teammates for childcare. A sense of community and meaningful relationships with teammates were also key in facilitating the participants’ return. Role models of mothers who played on the team also helped participants feel like they could return to team sport as mothers. A new mother summed this up well:

“Being younger in an all-women’s league has shown me that you can play hockey and be a mom. It wasn’t ever in my mind that I couldn’t do both. Seeing others do it helped relieve some of the pressures of motherhood.”

Feeling empowered through team sport participation

Reinforcement, resistance and empowerment played important roles in participants’ return to sport. All of the postnatal women I interviewed resisted gendered expectations of motherhood by returning to team sport and taking time for themselves. Their return to sport goes against the gendered expectation that “good mothers” always put their child’s needs before their own without taking time for themselves (Hays, 1996). Likewise, some participants resisted being like “other moms,” which led to the judgement of other women. In judging them for their parenting style, the resistant moms reinforced gendered expectations of how women “should” behave.

But despite the pressures that come with navigating gendered roles and expectations, the new moms I spoke to did also feel empowered and proud when they succeeded and heard their teammates cheer for them. As a participant described:

“You feel like you’ve succeeded in something that is for yourself, that has nothing to do with your kids.”

Supporting postnatal women in sport

Two women with baby stroller enjoying motherhood in winter forest, mountains landscape. Mother hiking with a partner and a child in white snowy woods. Beautiful winter inspirational mountains.These findings illustrate the complexities of returning to team sport postnatally. Postnatal women felt empowered in their return to sport. But to access team sport, the women had to come up with complex strategies for childcare or breast pumping. They actively resisted gendered expectations of motherhood through their participation in team sport. But at the same time, participants reinforced gendered expectations of mothering to access team sport.

Considering these complexities, here are some tips for sport programmers and policymakers to consider when working toward inclusive sport spaces for postnatal women:

Team sport has several benefits for postnatal women, but traditional sport schedules, structures and spaces can create barriers to their participation. As a policymaker, practitioner or program leader, consult with mothers and be creative to ensure inclusive and equitable team sport spaces for new moms in sport.

Swim Together, a mother-daughter swim program, is an example of how sport organizations can promote the health and well-being of women and girls by allowing them to participate together in organized sport. In the SIRC blog, learn how to build a co-participation program by drawing on your organization’s capacity strengths, embracing evaluation, and developing pathways for lifelong participation.

For new moms, physical activity and social support have the potential to positively impact mental and physical health. In fact, new research shows that group exercise programs for postpartum moms may offer unique opportunities to (re)engage with exercise while navigating new childrearing responsibilities and changes to the body.

If you gave birth less than 12 months ago, consider participating in an online survey to help researchers better understand the physical activity experiences of early motherhood: www.surveymonkey.com/r/movingwomenforward.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health and physical activity levels of new and expecting mothers. Finding ways to stay active during the pandemic (e.g., going for walks or participating in online fitness classes) can reduce mothers’ feelings of depression and anxiety, benefitting both mom and baby.

When moms are active, everyone wins. Research has shown that school-aged girls (6-18 years) with a mother involved in sport were three times more likely to play sports themselves. Learn more about SIRC’s #MomsGotGame campaign and how you can participate.

With the closure of schools and daycares to limit the spread of COVID-19, many parents are experiencing increased levels of parenting-related stress. Moderate intensity physical activity (e.g., cycling at a steady pace) can help to reduce parenting stress and improve the quality of life for mothers who may be struggling to balance work and family responsibilities.

A physically active lifestyle begins to develop early in childhood. Almost 31% of Canadian children and youth 5-19 years of age are overweight or obese and if the current trends continue, by 2040, 70% of 40-year-olds will be overweight or obese. The importance of physical activity at an early age does, however, give us an idea of possible strategies to target the widespread physical activity deficit.

In preschool-aged children, activity levels of mothers are positively associated with those of their children. This mother-child relationship exists throughout the day, for both low and moderate-to-vigorous intensities, and is mutually beneficial: an active mother may encourage her child to be physically active, while an active child may require his or her mother to be more active. The end result is an increase in activity for either, and ultimately, desirable health outcomes for both.

As children age, parents continue to have an influence on physical activity. Mother modelling, specifically, is based on the child’s perception of the mother’s exercise and participation in sport. It can influence the child’s perceived competence compared to other kids of the same age, as well as the child’s attraction to physical activity. These factors, in turn, affect children’s physical activity participation.

It is not just the mother that influences children’s physical activity: both parents play a role. Children with parents that engage in more sport participation generally have higher physical activity levels than those with less active parents. Whether it is through observing participation of their parents or through co-participation, children are impacted by maternal and paternal modelling through the positive values of physical activity they instill. Active parents are also more likely to support their children’s own physical activity.

Granted, because of different study designs and the numerous factors at play, it is hard to pinpoint an overarching, general conclusion about the exact relationship between parental and child physical activity. This is especially true when children transition through adolescence and the influence of peers and coaches grows. Parental support, however, is consistently associated with greater levels of physical activity. Co-participation, encouragement, and facilitating participation by providing transportation and equipment all influence children’s physical activity. Rather than these individual behaviours, though, it is the supportive actions and attitudes as a whole that have the largest effect.

With variable outcomes arising from interventions geared towards overweight and obese children, one of the best ways to combat the obesity epidemic may be to take a preventative approach. Children between 5-17 years old should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. Given that early physical activity impacts and promotes the development of a physically active lifestyle, and that the stability of physical activity participation remains moderate to high into youth and adulthood, we should capitalize on this period of growth and learning to develop healthy habits for life. Engaging in physical activity as a family results in a variety of gains for everyone involved, but even if parents are limited in their participation, support for their children’s continued physical activity is instrumental in setting them up for an active life.

Resources for active mothers with young children:

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology released an evidence-based 24-hour Movement Guideline for Children and Youth in 2016, and have guidelines for all other age groups, too.

Resources for physical activity during pregnancy:

Mothers can also begin, or keep, engaging in physical activity during pregnancy. These SIRCuit articles and SIRC blogs outline the many benefits of exercise during pregnancy, as well as the guidelines for safe participation:

Sources:

Hesketh KR, Goodfellow L, Ekelund U, McMinn AM, Godfrey KM, Inskip HM, Cooper C, Harvey NC, van Sluijs EMF. Activity levels in mothers and their preschool children. Pediatrics. 2014; 133(4): e973-980.

Määtä S, Ray C, Roos E. Associations of parental influence and 10–11-year-old children’s physical activity: Are they mediated by children’s perceived competence and attraction to physical activity? Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 2014; 42(1): 45-51.

Roberts KC, Shields M, de Groh M, Aziz A, Gilbert J. (2015) Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents: Results from the 2009 to 2011 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada.

Peirson L, Fitzpatrick-Lewis D, Morrison K, Ciliska D, Kenny M, Ali MU, Raina P. Prevention of overweight and obesity in children and youth: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Canadian Medical Association Journal Open. 2015; 3(1): E23-E33.

Schoeppe S, Robl M, Liersch S, Krauth C, Walter U. Mothers and fathers both matter: The positive influence of parental physical activity modeling on children’s leisure-time physical activity. Pediatric Exercise Science. 2016; 28(3): 466-472

Statistics. Childhood Obesity Foundation.

Telama R, Yang X, Leskinen E, Kankaanpää A, Hirvensalo M, Tammelin T, Viikari JSA, Raitakari O. Tracking of physical activity from early childhood through youth into adulthood. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2014; 46(5): 955-962.

Yao CA, Rhodes RE. Parental correlates in child and adolescent physical activity: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2015; 12(10): 1-38.

About the Author: Lily is a fourth-year student in the kinesiology program at Western University. With a background in synchronized swimming, she continues to be actively involved in the sport as a coach and varsity athlete.

For the majority of pregnant women (those without an underlying medical condition), regular physical activity is good for the both mother and baby, physically, mentally and socially. Women should aim to participate in some form of moderate intensity aerobic and strength-conditioning exercises in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you weren’t a very active person before you were pregnant, it’s still good to get exercise but try to avoid activities that are overly strenuous until after your baby is born. When starting out, it’s recommended that you begin with 15 minutes of continuous exercise a week and slowly work up to a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise four times a week.

Exercise* is so beneficial during pregnancy that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pregnant women exercise at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week.

The safest exercises are those that don’t require a lot of balance or coordination such as swimming, brisk walking, weight-training and low-impact aerobics. These types of activities will work for all stages of pregnancy and are easy on the joints and ligaments.

  1. Always make sure you perform warm up and cool down exercises and ensure you are hydrated. Workout in a cool environment since overheating
  2. During pregnancy, the main goal should to be to maintain current fitness levels while avoiding any exertion that could be harmful to you or the baby.
  3. If you attend an exercise class, make sure you inform the instructor you are pregnant and that they are qualified to adjust the exercises as needed.
  4. Participating in a regular exercise routine will help prevent the loss of muscular and cardiovascular fitness, excessive weight gain, gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension. It also helps reduces the chances you’ll experience physical discomfort such a low-back pain when you are in the later stages of pregnancy.
  5. While exercising during pregnancy won’t guarantee that that delivery will be a breeze, studies have found that fitter women tend to have shorter labors and are less likely to require medical interventions. This also applies to postpartum recovery – the fitter you are the sooner your body will recover physically after delivery.
  6. Listen to your body for potential warning signs during workouts. You should be able to talk while you are working out. Do not exercise to the point that you feel tired.  If you experience dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, contractions or any other unusual discomfort stop the activity immediately and consult your doctor as soon as possible.

It’s important to continue to exercise after your baby is born. Regular exercise can strengthen any muscles that may be weakened after childbirth, help you return to your pre-pregnancy weight, may relieve some of the stress of caring for a newborn and can also enable you to be a role model for your child as you embrace an active way of life.

*Exercise intensity is an important consideration and pregnant women should speak to their doctor about choosing an exercise or activity to ensure that it is safe and appropriate for her individual needs.

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Barakat R, Pelaez M, Montejo R, Refoyo I, Coteron J. Exercise Throughout Pregnancy Does not Cause Preterm Delivery: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Journal Of Physical Activity & Health. July 2014;11(5):1012-1017.

2. May L. Exercise During Pregnancy and Post-Partum. ACSM Fit Society Page. October 2014;16(3):3-4.

3. Mottola M, McLaughlin R. Exercise and Pregnancy: Canadian Guidelines for Health Care Professionals. Wellspring. August 2011;22(4):A1-A4.

4. Piper T, Jacobs E, Haiduke M, Waller M, McMillan C. Core Training Exercise Selection During Pregnancy. Strength & Conditioning Journal (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins). February 2012;34(1):55-62.

5. STAN E. PREGNANCY AND AQUATIC AEROBIC ACTIVITY. / GRAVIDITATEA ŞI ACTIVITATEA AEROBICĂ ACVATICĂ. Sport & Society / Sport Si Societate. Mar2014 Special Issue 2014;14:260-268.

6. Zavorsky G, Longo L. Exercise Guidelines in Pregnancy. Sports Medicine. May 2011;41(5):345-360.

Find it hard to get of your house and get exercise? Maybe you’re a new mother that finds it difficult to find time for physical activity, you think gym memberships are too pricey, or you simply have a busy lifestyle that doesn’t leave room for regular exercise. There is a new fitness trend emerging that allows you to squeeze in a workout with a fitness instructor from the comfort of your own home – group workouts online. Anyone can try an online fitness class, anywhere in the world.

How does it work?

Participants pay per class or sign up for monthly memberships, log in at pre-arranged times and follow their instructors in real time. Since the cost of setting up a fitness class is so low, most classes are relatively cheap at around $10-$15 a session. There a few different types of methods for connecting to a class: Skype, Powhow, Trainerly, Wello and ooVoo, to name a few. Many of the classes offered are available to beginners and require little to no equipment. Running shoes, a yoga mat, some 5 or 8 pound weights and occasionally a kitchen chair are all that’s needed.

Popular classes include:

Through what is essentially video conferencing, online fitness classes allow the participant to get personalized training advice since you have the ability to communicate with the instructor. If you don’t feel comfortable with a 2-way cam in a group setting, there is the option of having one way video where you see the instructor and class but they can’t see you. If you wish to have personalized instruction, that option is available as well for an extra cost. Most instructors will meet with you online to discuss your training goals, determine where your fitness level is, and then create a specialized class just for your needs.

Some downsides to online classes include technology glitches, echoes, feedback and delayed responses, but these are relatively minor. The major disadvantage is that there is not instructor physically present correct your form or position which can increase the risk of injury.

Overall, online fitness classes are a great opportunity to get some extra physical activity, offers a good variety of options and for a relatively cheap price, all without having to leave your living room. What more could you ask for?

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. BORNSTEIN A. The Future of Fitness. Men’s Fitness. December 2013;29(11):90-95.

2. Brandt R. VIRTUALLY FIT. Outside. October 2006;31(10):46;48;50.

3. Brown M. Believe the Skype. Outside. February 2013;38(2):40.

4. Keller J. Creative Ideas That Inspire: Bring people together with classes that spark purpose and passion. IDEA Fitness Journal. September 2011;8(8):71.

5. Workout trends: ‘Destination classes’ an attractive option for busy exercisers. Active Living. July 2002;11(4):N11.