Can we hit prenatal depression and anxiety through HIIT? The effectiveness of online high intensity interval training in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In recent years high intensity interval training (HIIT) has grown in popularity. However, it rarely represents training interventions in experimental studies in pregnant populations. Therefore, in this study we aimed to assess changes in depressive symptoms, fear of childbirth, fear of Covid-19 and quality of life after an 8-week supervised online HIIT program, compared to an educational (self-performed physical activity) program. METHODS: We conducted a randomized control trial among 54 Caucasian women in uncomplicated, singleton pregnancy (age 32 ± 4 years, 22 ± 4 week of gestation; mean ± SD). There were 34 women in the experimental group, who participated in an 8-week high intensity interval training program (HIIT group). The comparative group was constituted of 20 pregnant women who attended 8-week educational program (EDU group). RESULTS: The most important finding was that mental health improved somewhat in both groups after the intervention, but only the HIIT group improved statistically significantly. The positive trends in lowering the severity of depressive symptoms, fear of childbirth, and fear of Covid-19 were observed in both groups. However, the positive response to the intervention was stronger in the EDU group. As a secondary outcome, there was a significant decrease in cardiorespiratory fitness level in the EDU group, while the HIIT group maintained unchanged level of maximal oxygen uptake. CONCLUSIONS: HIIT seems to be beneficial for women with uncomplicated pregnancies to maintain adequate quality of life and mental health. However, more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of prenatal HIIT in pregnant women in various psychological conditions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: We conducted this study in Poland, in 2021. It was approved by the Bioethics Commission at the District Medical Chamber in Gdansk (KB-8/21). The full study protocol was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05009433).

Individual Characteristics and Pain Sensitivity during Pregnancy-A Cross-Sectional Study in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women.

The aim of the study was to describe the characteristics and factors related to pain perception in pregnant women, such as optimism, personality traits, and fear of developing COVID-19 consequences. Sixty-six pregnant women aged 23 to 42 years participated in the study, and the comparison group consisted of n = 59 non-pregnant female students aged 19 to 23 years. Pressure pain threshold and pain tolerance were measured with an algometer. To assess psychological characteristics, the Life-Orientation Test-Revised was used to assess optimism, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was used to assess COVID-19 anxiety, and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory was applied to assess personality traits in a five-factor model. The main results of the study showed that pain tolerance was significantly lower in both dominant and non-dominant hand pregnant women than in the comparison group. The studied pregnant women had higher scores for conscientiousness, fear of COVID-19, and optimism compared with the non-pregnant women. Regression analysis showed that the variability in pain perception among pregnant women could not be explained by individual differences in personality traits, optimism, and fear of COVID-19.

Pregnancy Activity Levels and Impediments in the Era of COVID-19 Based on the Health Belief Model: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Physical activity (PA) and exercise benefit both the mother and the fetus. Many pregnant women avoid or severely limit PA, leading to complications before and after delivery. This study elucidated the precise effect of each moderator variable on prenatal physical activity (PPA) by examining demographic factors, the PPA-related health belief level (HBL), and the current PPA level. The health belief model (HBM) in conjunction with the international prenatal physical activity questionnaire was used. The HBL in pregnant parous women (PPW) (3.42) was significantly higher than that in nonpregnant nulliparous women (NNW) (3.06). The PPA level in pregnant nulliparous women (PNW) (5.67 metabolic equivalent-hours per week (MET-h/week)) was lower than in the PPW (6.01 MET-h/week). All HBM dimensions (except for perceived barriers) were positively correlated with exercise expenditure in both PNW and PPW. According to the regression tree, participants in PNW aged ≤ 23 years with annual household incomes > CNY 100,001-150,000 had the highest energy expenditure (10.75 MET-h/week), whereas participants in PPW with a perceived benefit score of >4 had the highest energy expenditure (10 MET-h/week). The results demonstrated that the HBL in all groups was acceptable, whereas the PPA level was lower than the recommended PA level. In both PPW and PNW, the HBL was most strongly correlated with exercise expenditure. There is an urgent need to organize public-interest courses to alleviate household expenditure, raise the HBL about PPA in pregnant and NNW, and ensure personal health in the context of COVID-19.

Foresight for the Fitness Sector: Results from a European Delphi Study and Its Relevance in the Time of COVID-19.

The fitness sector is an essential player in the promotion of physical activity and healthy behaviour in Europe. However, the sector is confronted with numerous socio-demographic trends that will shape its ability to be financially successful and contribute to public health. The sector must understand current drivers of change and the skills its workforce needs to navigate them. As such, using the results of a 2019 Delphi Survey of over 50 fitness experts from 26 countries, we aim to define the drivers of change facing the sector and identify the skills needed by the fitness workforce to navigate these changes. We find that several technological, social, health and economic trends affect the sector. As a result, so-called soft skills such as communication or customer service, along with digital technology skills, are becoming increasingly important. There is also growing recognition that fitness professionals need to be trained to work with a number of special populations. Furthermore, we argue that many of the trends identified here-such as the increasing use of technology or the focus on individual customer needs-have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We conclude by arguing that well-developed, pan-European qualifications are needed to address these common issues.