Psychological, Social and Behavioural Changes During Pregnancy: Implications for Physical Activity and Exercise

Pregnancy is often cited as a time in a woman’s life when motivation towards having a healthy lifestyle increases, including a desire to pursue physical activi­ties and improve physical fitness. There is also a growing body of evidence which demonstrates the potential for physical activity to positively influence psycho­logical well-being during pregnancy. However, pregnancy is also a period of intense physical and psychological changes. Alongside the many established social and cultural beliefs associated with pregnancy, these changes contribute significant complexities to women’s adoption and maintenance of exercise dur­ing this time. In this chapter, we will examine the current evidence surrounding the psychosocial aspects of an active pregnancy and provide recommendations for providing psychological and behavioural support to women to become or remain active throughout their pregnancy.