Aquatic Exercise During Pregnancy and Health-related Quality of Life in Healthy Pregnant Women

Abstract

Health-related quality of life is a notion that reflects a person’s own definition of their subjective state of health, functioning, and well-being in the physical, psychological, social realms and role performance (Morin et al., 2019). It is noted that the quality of life during pregnancy is declined dramatically over time (Steinbuchal et al., 2010). Most women who are pregnant do not exercise (Wadsworth, 2007). The same author states that exercise during pregnancy is associated with a reduction in many common pregnancy issues. Many women and their families may erroneously assume that exercise during pregnancy may be harmful, despite the many advantages of exercise in pregnancy. Since the past, aquatic therapy has been used for healing, strengthening and relaxation (Kauffman & Kauffman, 2014). Athletes, elderly, and mentally disabled exercise enthusiasts are exploring aquatic exercise systems that match their needs for fitness (Kravitz & Mayo, 1997). According to World Health Organization (2020) pregnant women should limit the time spent being sedentary and perform some physical activity, however, it shows high recommendation but low evidence about it. While there are a number of exercise recommendations available, they are generally restrictive and often focused on opposing viewpoints. As a result, both the pregnant woman and her doctor could be confused about the practice of exercise during pregnancy (Wang & Apgar, 1998). The aim of this review is to summarize the effects of the aquatic exercise during pregnancy on Health-related Quality of Life in Pregnant women. The studies were identified in Pubmed using keywords: ‘Aquatic exercise’, ‘Pregnant women’, ‘Health-related quality of life. This overview presents the summary from 8 relevant RCTs.