Active Mother- Active Baby: Resistance Training in Postpartum Women as a Group Class Exercise Intervention With Their Babies.

Among the well-known factors that contribute to the development of obesity, childbearing has been reported as an important influential factor. Physical activity is strongly recommended as one of the main tools to reduce any excessive weight gain during pregnancy and also to reduce weight retention in the postpartum period. During the postpartum period, exercise training coupled with a well-balanced nutritional plan, offers an effective intervention to help mothers lose weight safely. International guidelines for physical activity after pregnancy include strengthening routines. Worth noting, most of the above cited studies focused on the benefits of aerobic activities. Strength training interventions are virtually unexplored in postpartum women despite its potential benefits. Compared to the pregnancy period, postpartum barriers to physical activity seem to focus less on health-related barriers. In postpartum, time limitations for childcare become a more common barrier. For this reason, a postpartum exercise program that incorporates the babies in a specific exercise session has a better chance to succeed. The aim of this project is to determine the benefits of strength training in a group class setting in postpartum healthy women with their babies. Whereas mother's participation in regular physical activity may encourage regular physical activity habits in her offspring, a second aim of this project is to also quantify the infant's physical activity. The main measured outcomes are: maternal muscular strength; body composition; aerobic capacity; exercise self efficacy; depressive symptoms; physical activity level and food habits and baby's physical activity level.