Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

Strong as a Mother

ConditionPostpartum Physical Fitness and Functional Performance
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexFemale
Age18+
SponsorPenn State University

About this trial

This study will evaluate Strong as a Mother, an existing community exercise program for women returning to exercise after childbirth. The goal is to determine whether the program can be delivered consistently, whether participants find it acceptable, and how it may affect fitness and physical function.

Approximately 30 medically cleared women who are 3-12 months postpartum will be randomly assigned to begin the program immediately or continue their usual activities for 12 weeks before being offered the program. The program includes three supervised sessions per week combining strength training, aerobic exercise, and breathing and bracing instruction. Exercises will be adjusted to participants' abilities and symptoms.

Assessments will occur before and after the 12-week period, with a brief check-in at six weeks. Researchers will measure participation, program delivery, and adverse events, along with aerobic fitness, grip strength, and lifting, carrying, and chair-rise performance. Additional assessments will examine abdominal-wall characteristics, maternal functioning, postpartum quality of life, and pelvic-floor symptoms. This pilot study will provide preliminary findings to refine the program and plan a larger trial.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Women aged 18 years or older.

Between 3 and 12 months postpartum at enrollment.

Medically cleared to participate in exercise.

Able to participate in the exercise program and study assessments.

Disqualifiers

Currently pregnant.

Medical contraindication to the prescribed exercise or fitness assessments.

Unresolved postpartum complications or symptoms requiring clinical evaluation before participation.

A condition requiring a level of clinical supervision beyond what the community program can provide.

Trial design

Design model

Crossover

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Supervised Postpartum Functional Strength Training and Aerobic Conditioning

    Behavioral

    A 12-week community-based exercise program consisting of three supervised sessions per week, for 36 scheduled sessions. Training combines progressive functional resistance exercises-including squat, hinge, push, pull, and carry movements-with aerobic conditioning and pelvic-floor-informed breathing and bracing instruction. A Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with specialized pregnancy and postpartum training individualizes exercise selection, resistance loads, conditioning intensity, and progression according to each participant's symptoms, training experience, technique, and physical capacity. Attendance, exercise dose, progression, and modifications are documented throughout the program.

Treatment groups

30 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Immediate Postpartum Exercise ProgramExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Usual-Activity Waitlist ControlNo intervention 0 interventions

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Intervention Attendance

Mean percentage of 36 scheduled sessions attended across all participants assigned to immediate intervention, including those who discontinue. The progression target is at least 75%.

Time frame
During the 12-week intervention
2

Recruitment: Number of Participants Enrolled

Number of eligible, consenting women randomized, with a target of 30 participants. Numbers screened and eligible and reasons for nonparticipation will also be recorded.

Time frame
From recruitment initiation through recruitment closure
3

Perceived Program Feasibility

Feasibility of Intervention Measure: four items rated from 1 to 5. The mean score ranges from 1 to 5; higher scores indicate greater perceived feasibility.

Time frame
At completion of the 12-week intervention

Secondary outcomes

1

Change in Peak Oxygen Uptake (VO₂peak)

Peak oxygen uptake measured using the PNOĒ metabolic analyzer during a standardized graded cycle test, expressed in mL/kg/min. Higher values indicate greater cardiorespiratory fitness.

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks
2

Change in Grip Strength

Handgrip strength measured using a dynamometer under standardized testing conditions, expressed in kilograms. Higher values indicate greater grip strength.

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks
3

Change in Five-Repetition Maximum Deadlift Load

Greatest load, in kilograms, lifted for five repetitions while meeting prespecified technique and symptom-tolerance criteria. Higher loads indicate greater lifting strength.

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks
4

Change in Five-Times Sit-to-Stand Completion Time

Time, in seconds, required to complete five chair rises using standardized chair height, arm position, and instructions. Shorter times indicate better performance.

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Penn State University

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

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