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Psychological, Social and Behaviour Changes During Pregnancy: Implications for Physical Activity and Exercise

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Exercise and Sporting Activity During Pregnancy

Abstract

Pregnancy is often cited as a time in a woman’s life when motivation towards having a healthy lifestyle increases, including a desire to pursue physical activities and improve physical fitness. There is also a growing body of evidence which demonstrates the potential for physical activity to positively influence psychological well-being during pregnancy. However, pregnancy is also a period of intense physical and psychological change. Alongside the many established social and cultural beliefs associated with pregnancy, these changes contribute significant complexities to women’s adoption and maintenance of exercise during this time. In this chapter we will examine the current evidence surrounding the psychosocial aspects of an active pregnancy and provide recommendations for providing psychological and behavioural support to women to become or remain active throughout their pregnancy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Health Research Group, School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK

    Lou Atkinson

  2. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Burwood, VIC, Australia

    Megan Teychenne

  3. Deakin University, Geelong, Australia

    Megan Teychenne

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  1. Lou Atkinson
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  2. Megan Teychenne
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Correspondence to Lou Atkinson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Rio Maior, Portugal

    Rita Santos-Rocha

  2. Laboratory of Biomechanics and Functional Morphology, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo, Portugal

    Rita Santos-Rocha

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Atkinson, L., Teychenne, M. (2019). Psychological, Social and Behaviour Changes During Pregnancy: Implications for Physical Activity and Exercise. In: Santos-Rocha, R. (eds) Exercise and Sporting Activity During Pregnancy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91032-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91032-1_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-91031-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-91032-1

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