Exercise as an Intervention for Postpartum Depression (PPD)

Objective: To illustrate the applications of exercise for preventing the development of postpartum depression (PPD) and addressing associated risk factors identified in the literature. Data Sources: PubMed and EBSCO: Academic Search Premier were accessed using the search terms exercise OR physical activity OR yoga AND postpartum depression OR postnatal depression. A secondary search of PubMed was conducted using the search terms exercise AND pregnancy AND depression OR gestational diabetes OR weight gain OR sleep quality. Study Selection: Studies selected for inclusion were peer-reviewed, published after January 2012, written in English, and relevant to the PPD risk factors examined. Only clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, and observational studies were reviewed. Data Extraction: Initial searches using both sets of search terms yielded 33,564 articles. After screening by inclusion criteria, 2,538 articles remained. Of those remaining, articles not pertaining to the risk factors examined or studies conducted in women with pre-existing PPD diagnoses were excluded. A total of 22 articles were included in this review. Data Synthesis: Articles were categorized based on exercise modality or investigation of depressed mood during pregnancy, history of prenatal depression, excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), fatigue and poor sleep quality. Conclusions: Women who exercise during pregnancy were observed to report lower scores of depression, better sleep quality, and lower incidence of both EGWG and GDM compared to women who did not exercise. Aerobic exercise and yoga during pregnancy may be accessible interventions for addressing risk factors of PPD and preventing its onset.