How this fits in
UK clinical guidance recommends psychological therapy and antidepressants for postnatal depression. However, women can be reluctant to take antidepressants postnatally and the availability of psychological therapies is often limited. Exercise is effective in treating depression in the general adult population; however, there are particular challenges to be overcome in the postnatal period. This systematic review found that exercise is an effective intervention for reducing postnatal depressive symptoms.
Searches were conducted on a range of psychological outcomes; only the results for depression are presented. The following terms were searched as text words and MeSH terms where applicable: exercise, physical activity, postpartum, postnatal, mother, birth, perinatal, depression, anxiety, self-efficacy, quality of life, mother and infant bonding, and child development (the MEDLINE search strategy is available from authors on request). Searches were unrestricted by date or language and undertaken up to September 2016. Bibliographies of eligible studies and reviews were searched for additional trials, and authors contacted if required. Two researchers independently reviewed titles, abstracts, and full-text articles. Eligibility discrepancies were discussed with a third reviewer.