BACKGROUND: Fatigue is prevalent during the postpartum period and may be heightened in postpartum depressed women. PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of a home-based exercise intervention in reducing physical and mental fatigue scores in postpartum depressed women. METHODS: Eighty-eight women in the postpartum (4 to 38 weeks) obtaining a score >= 10 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were randomly assigned to a 12-week individualized home-based intervention (n = 46) or a control group (n = 42). All participants completed a cardiovascular fitness test at baseline. Outcomes were physical and mental fatigue scores and were measured at baseline, posttreatment and 3 months posttreatment. RESULTS: On the basis of intent-to-treat analyses, compared to the control group, women in the exercise group showed significantly greater reduction in physical fatigue at posttreatment (mean change -4.07, 95% CI -5.15 to -2.98) and 3 months posttreatment (mean change -4.24, 95% CI -5.36 to -3.12). Significant reductions in mental fatigue with exercise were observed at posttreatment for women reporting lower physical fatigue at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue is a common symptom experienced in the postpartum that can be heightened by depression. The findings show that home-based exercise can reduce physical and mental fatigue in postpartum depressed women.

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