BACKGROUND: Gymnastics is a preferable safe exercise for postnatal women performing regularly. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to determine whether the aerobic gymnastic exercise improves stress, fatigue, sleep quality and depression in postpartum women. DESIGN: Single-blinded, randomized controlled trial held from December 2014 until September 2015. SETTING: Postnatal clinic of a medical center in southern Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: 140 eligible postnatal women were systematically assigned, with a random start to experimental (n = 70) or a control (n = 70) group. INTERVENTIONS: Engage in aerobic gymnastic exercise at least three times (15 min per section) a week for three months using compact disc in the home. OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived Stress Scale, Postpartum Fatigue Scale, Postpartum Sleep Quality Scale, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. RESULTS: In a two-way ANOVA with repeated measures, the aerobic gymnastic exercise group showed significant decrease in fatigue after practicing exercise 4 weeks and the positive effects extended to the 12-week posttests. Paired t-tests revealed that aerobic gymnastic exercise participants had improved significantly in perceived stress and fatigue after 4 weeks gymnastic exercise; these positive effects extended to the 12-week posttests. In addition, the changes in physical symptoms-related sleep inefficiency after 12 weeks gymnastic exercise were significantly decreased in the experimental group compared with the control group. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings can be used to encourage postnatal women to perform moderate-intensity gymnastic exercise in their daily life to reduce their stress, fatigue and improve sleep quality.
With permission from Excerpta Medica Inc.

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