INCLUSION IN SPORT
NEW OR EXPECTANT PARENTS
In a recent report (published 2024), ASICS found that having a child was one of the leading reasons women stopped exercising. Almost two-thirds (61%) of mothers cited motherhood as the primary reason they dropped out of doing regular exercise or sport altogether. Overall, ‘homemakers’ were the second least active group of the entire sample (slightly ahead of employed women), with activity levels reaching their lowest during the primary childbearing and child-rearing years for mothers. This highlights the impact of gendered expectations and the pressures for women to be the primary caregiver are having on their exercise levels and, as a result, their state of mind.
Full details of the report can be found online: https://www.asics.com/us/en-us/mk/move-her-mind/report
To attract and retain new and expectant mothers in sport, we need to make exercise more practical and welcoming, centred around women and their needs. This includes providing childcare, fitting around work or other commitments and being fun, affordable, and safe.
BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION
- Limited time to exercise due to work, home or life commitments
- Worried that exercising during pregnancy will harm themselves or the baby
- Pregnancy-related issues, such as sickness, back pain, joint pain
- A lack of childcare or gyms without childcare facilities
- Separation anxiety from their baby where baby-friendly classes are unavailable
- Financial worries compounded by lower disposable income due to parental leave, changes in work circumstance or childcare
- A lack of support from family members, friends or partner
- Feelings of isolation
- Feeling guilty for putting their own health first or just doing something for themself
- A lack of knowledge of what exercises are safe to do during pregnancy or post-partum
- A lack of knowledge and/or availability to access pregnancy-friendly and postpartum friendly classes
- Post-birth recovery and hormones changes (which can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 years)
- Exercise spaces not being fit for purpose (not pram friendly, no lift)
- Sleep deprivation and lack of energy
STRATEGIES TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION
Firstly, ask your participants how you can make your sport setting a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for them to be and stay involved. It could be as simple as asking new and expectant parents their preferred time of training/sessions, or making your existing offer more flexible to avoid early mornings or during key times (such as bedtime routine).
Some other examples of good practice could include:
1) Co-activity
Co-activity is when parents or carers facilitate activities in which they can be active with their children. Parents modelling an active lifestyle encourages healthy family interpersonal dynamics and gets parents active. Parental behaviour can influence child behaviour, and because child behaviour leads to similar behaviour in adulthood, it is in the best interest of our society to promote and support physical activity strategies for parents of young children. Health and fitness professionals can foster this positive physical activity cycle by encouraging and supporting parents to be physically active with their children.
2) Technology
There are a variety of YouTube videos, apps and websites that allow exercise to be done outside of a studio or fitness centre. Those of any age, ability level or fitness can find an exercise that suits them at an intensity and type that suits their needs. These are often short workouts that require little to minimal equipment or payment. Some parents may choose to encourage children to participate with them or to have their children participate in another activity while in the same room. The fact that they can be accessed at any time also means that physical activity can be done at a time to suit the schedule of the household. Sport organisations, however, should recognise that this scenario may work for a parent one day but not the next, or it may not work well for parents of children who require frequent care.
Using mobile technology and fitness trackers to support behaviour change may be helpful for encouraging physical activity among parents and caregivers of young children, including goal setting, self-monitoring, social support, feedback, health and fitness instructions, prompts, and cues.
The downside to home physical activity could be that it does not support social connection or reducing isolation. Some parents also may like to spend time away from their children to enjoy their own time while exercising.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, RESOURCES AND TRAINING
- Disney Dance-Alongs | This Girl Can
- 10 Minute Shake Up games – Healthier Families – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Women in Sport’s Time Together campaign to get mums and daughters physically active – SportsNation
- Exercise in pregnancy – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Keeping fit and healthy with a baby – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Home | Active Pregnancy Foundation
- Strategies to Support Physical Activity for Parents and Care… : ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal (lww.com)
- Birthable | Facebook
- Kalimukti | Yoga, Pilates and Wellness Centre in Jersey
- Baby Steps: antenatal and postnatal classes (gov.je)
- Toddler Play • Jersey Sport – Move More
- Move Her Mind | ASICS US