Contactless exercise intervention in prenatal and postnatal period during COVID-19 lowers the risk of postpartum depression

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial adverse impact on the physical and mental health of pregnant and postpartum women, thereby increasing the risk of postpartum depression (PPD). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a continuous contactless exercise intervention in reducing the risk of depression during the prenatal and postnatal periods. The study utilized an interactive contactless exercise program consisting of Pilates movement over a 16-week period, with 8 weeks during pregnancy and 8 weeks after childbirth. Metabolic and psychological factors related to postpartum depression, including pain, stress, and stress-response markers, were analyzed. The results showed that the exercise intervention significantly alleviated postpartum depression by improving pain (Oswestry Disability Index: Non-exercise, 11.4 ± 14.8 versus Exercise, − 63.1 ± 18.4, p  < .001) and stress factors (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: Non-exercise, 8.8 ± 8.72 versus Exercise, − 37.6 ± 9.13, p  < .001; Perceived Stress Scale: Non-exercise, 9.21 ± 9.35 versus Exercise, − 20.7 ± 14.4, p  < .001) caused by physical/structural imbalances in postpartum women. Additionally, the intervention improved the metabolic imbalances commonly observed after childbirth, including reductions in triglyceride (Interaction effect, p  = .017), insulin (Interaction effect, p  = .032), and cortisol levels (Interaction effect, p  < .001), which are recognized risk factors for postpartum depression. Taken together, these findings suggest that contactless online exercise interventions can mitigate postpartum depression by addressing metabolic dysregulation that frequently occurs after delivery, especially in situations of social isolation caused by the pandemic.