The Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Stress and Fatigue of Employed and Non-Employed Lactating Women

Background: Giving birth can affect the incidence and viability of peripheral neuropathy in women. In this regard, lactating women and their children under one year of old are at high risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise on stress and fatigue of lactating women. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study conducted in ۲۰۱۷, ۱۰۰ employed and non-employed lactating women with ۶-۷ months old babies living in Sari city, Iran were participated who were selected randomly. Group A included employed women from four organizations: education, medical sciences, social security, and municipalities, while group B composed of non-employed women (housewives). They performed ۳۰-min walking on a treadmill ۳ days a week and ۳۰-min biking for ۳ days in ۱۲ weeks. Two questionnaires were used for collecting data and after collecting, they were analyzed in SPSS V. ۲۲ software and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The BMI of study groups were not significantly different (>۰.۰۵). There was no significant difference in motivation to aerobic exercise between two groups (p>۰.۰۵). Satisfaction rate was higher in group A than in group B. Also, the rate of stress in women working in medical organizations was higher than that of housewives and other employed women. The tendency for having baby was greater in women with a girl. Employed women were more worried about their children and their motivation to continue aerobic exercise was higher than housewives. The intensity of fatigue in employed women in the ۱۲th week was ۳.۳% lower than in the ۶th week. Conclusions: Relief support of employed lactating women with high workload, fatigue, overnight lactation, leaving babies to return to work, ignoring the work environment at the time of returning home, the experience of the first birth, lack of experience in the new workplace, living conditions, sleeplessness, and waking too early can affect the physical and mental health of mothers and their babies.