The postpartum period is a time of anatomical, physiological and psychological transition. The recent Olympic Games have highlighted the extraordinary performance of women after giving birth and are a success story for female athletes worldwide.
However, it is important to recognize that this level of elite sport and success after childbirth is not a realistic reflection of the experiences of most mothers trying to return to sport after having a child, even if they want to return to elite sport. In a March 2023 article, long-distance runner Kara Goucher reflected on the negative impact that returning to running too soon after the birth of her son had on her body and emotional well-being.
In a world where we turn to social media for lifestyle advice and are inundated with unrealistic images of postpartum women and their success with physical activity, the global discussion about maternal success at the Olympics could have a negative impact on those who are “just trying to survive” the early years of parenthood.
Young mothers and physical activity
(AP Photo/Don Ryan)
When Olympic mothers are interviewed, they are often modest about their achievements and talk about the extraordinary support they need to achieve their goals, including both social support in raising children and access to medical professionals for effective rehabilitation and return to physical activity.
These are components that most new mothers do not have access to. Many new mothers find it difficult to find the time and know how to start physical activity after having a child.
As part of my work in the field of postpartum physical activity, I hear from mothers about their experiences and challenges with physical activity after birth. Many mention the “bounce-back” story, which creates a personal and societal expectation that new mothers should quickly return to their pre-pregnancy bodies.
In addition, mothers describe weight loss and physical activity as measures of success as a mother and feel a sense of failure if these are not achieved. Lower levels of physical activity are reported after childbirth as new mothers face numerous barriers. These barriers to physical activity after childbirth may be compounded by feelings of guilt about taking time out for leisure activities.
As an exercise physiologist and physical activity advocate, I work to find ways to support postpartum women to change their behaviors and expectations so that postpartum exercise remains realistic without adding to the emotional burden that often comes with being a new mother. This includes recognizing the significant impact of fatigue on physical activity ability.
Body shape and size can change during pregnancy, but many mothers become increasingly dissatisfied with their bodies after giving birth because they cannot regain their pre-pregnancy weight. When women were asked about their body satisfaction in a 2007 study, 87.4 percent of respondents wanted a slimmer body 12 months after giving birth.
This dissatisfaction may be related to the fact that postpartum women are more likely to interact online with social media influencers they perceive as “attractive.” As a 2022 study found, postpartum women with lower body fat percentages are more likely to post pictures on Instagram tagged with #postpartumbody than postpartum women with higher body fat percentages.
This influences what women perceive as “normal” after giving birth. This is concerning because postpartum women who engage with body-related social media posts are more likely to report greater body dissatisfaction and poorer eating behaviors.
Unrealistic expectations
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
One factor that may lead to a negative relationship between physical activity and postpartum body image is the lack of realistic physical activity content for postpartum women. These women are trying to figure out how to be physically active in a changed body. The lack of realistic depictions of the postpartum period is misleading and causes postpartum women to seek fitness and health information on social media.
One participant who completed our 12-week online physical activity program for body and mind shared this:
“You have so much extra baby weight. You don’t sleep well. You’re trying to adjust to the new normal of this little life, and then you get this video of perfectly slim people doing all these crazy moves and contortions.”
While we celebrate the accomplishments of Olympic moms, it’s important to note that these exceptional postpartum bodies were achieved through ample social support during the ups and downs of motherhood, advanced coaching and rehabilitation, and of course, dedication and training. Even in the case of some Olympic moms like Goucher, this may not be enough to prevent the negative impact on an elite athlete’s emotional and physical well-being.
We should celebrate these successes while also learning athletes’ personal stories about the challenges of motherhood and returning to training and sport. While we can celebrate the extraordinary performance of mothers at the recent Olympic Games, we must ensure that we remain aware of the challenges mothers face and ensure that we provide realistic role models around motherhood, postpartum bodies and physical activity.
