Associations of physical activity, sedentary time and physical fitness with mental health during pregnancy: The GESTAFIT Project

ConclusionAn active lifestyle characterized by higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and lower levels of sedentary time during pregnancy might modestly improve the mental health of pregnant women. Although previous research has focused on the benefits of cardiorespiratory exercise, the present study shows that only upper-body flexibility is related to emotional regulation in early pregnant women. If the present findings are corroborated in further experimental research, physical exercise programs should focus on enhancing flexibility in order to promote improvements in emotional regulation during early second-trimester of pregnancy.Graphical abstract
Source: Journal of Sport and Health Science - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research