Tenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

Transitioning to motherhood is a notably drastic change in a woman’s life, significantly altering how they access leisure and physical activity (PA). Research shows the positive influence of PA on postnatal mothers’ physical, social, and psychological well-being. Despite its importance, studies indicate that postnatal mothers constantly resist patriarchal ideologies, such as gender roles, and the ethic of care, as barriers to participating in PA (Lloyd, O’Brien, & Riot, 2016). Post-partum women are at high risk of weight gain, depression, and anxiety, negatively affecting their health as well as their child’s health, yet limited research has critically examined mothers’ experiences resisting patriarchal ideologies to participate in PA. Moreover, research highlights strong relationships between individual exercise and PA on postnatal women’s’ health (Cramp & Bray, 2010). Little to no research has been conducted about return to team sport participation. Team sports are crucial to investigate as they promote social support, identity affirmation, and a sense of community in women’s lives (Litchfield & Dionigi, 2012), which have the potential to counter the negative health effects of social isolation and postpartum depression (Saligeh, McNamara, & Rooney, 2016). Drawing on literature from feminist leisure studies, postnatal PA research, and sport sociology, this study plans to use a feminist lens to critically examine the leisure experiences of postnatal women and their return to community-based team sport. Understanding how postnatal mothers resist patriarchal ideologies to participate in team sport allows researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to create better opportunities for postnatal women’s participation in PA.