Only 6% of sport research focused on women, a pioneering project from SHE Research Centre is finally creating a safe roadmap for women returning to exercise.
Researchers at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) have launched a pioneering project by addressing the notoriously neglected ‘invisible’ fourth trimester—the critical period following childbirth.
The MAMAMOVE project, led by the SHE Research Centre at TUS Athlone campus, and working with the Regional Hospital Mullingar (HSE), aims to contribute to Ireland’s first evidence-based guidelines for returning to exercise postpartum. According to the research, maternity education provides guidance on sleep and eating but offers little evidence-based support for a safe return to exercise.
The project integrates real-world clinical expertise with the lived experiences of Irish mothers. Rather than prescribing a top-down medical regimen, the research team is co-creating the exercise programme directly with postpartum women, their partners, and the regional maternity care team.
The initiative comes in response to a gender gap in sport and exercise data that shows only 6% of research between 2014 and 2021 focused exclusively on women, leaving a “dangerous knowledge gap” for women recovering from pregnancy.
Speaking about MAMAMOVE, lead researcher on the project, Dr Emma Cowley explains: “This isn’t about getting in shape after pregnancy. This dangerous knowledge gap stems from a historic failure in health research. Without proper guidance, new mothers face a risk of musculoskeletal pain, pelvic floor impairments, or complete disengagement from physical activity out of fear and confusion. Approximately 35% of women with a “normal” pre-pregnancy body mass index will experience overweight or obesity one year postpartum, driving a 28-48% increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.”
To combat these issues, MAMAMOVE is working closely with the community by partnering with Regional Hospital Mullingar and international collaborators across Europe.
How MAMAMOVE Works
Unlike traditional “top-down” medical studies, MAMAMOVE is being co-created by the women of the Midlands. The project includes:
- Community Listening: Focus groups with local mothers and clinicians to identify the real barriers to exercise—from childcare issues to physical fear.
- The 12-Week Intervention: A graded, safe exercise program designed specifically for the postpartum body.
- High-Tech Tracking: The study will build Ireland’s first open-access dataset on postpartum wellbeing. The team will use state-of-the-art wearable technology and conduct clinical testing (measuring fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, and inflammatory markers) to explore the programme’s direct impacts on women’s long-term health.
Dr. Cowley says that MAMAMOVE envisions a future where a graded, supported return to exercise is a standard, fully integrated part of the national postpartum care pathway.