A Qualitative Examination of a Mothers’ Swim Program: What Keeps Them Coming Back and How Does it Improve Their Psychological Wellbeing?

Introduction: Exercise is widely accepted as an effective activity for alleviating the impact of psychosocial challenges associated with motherhood. However our current understanding of how to help mothers adhere to exercise and how it affects positive psychosocial outcomes is lacking. Objective: To examine what aspects of a mother-focused swimming exercise program that participating mothers considered most influential in supporting their continuing exercise adherence as well as positively influencing their psychological wellbeing. Methods: Qualitative thematic content analysis was performed on individual interview data from mothers, with a child of five years of age or younger, who regularly participated (three or more times a fortnight for six weeks or more) in the organized group based swim programs specifically for mothers (N = 19). Results: Mothers’ perceptions of the factors supporting their adherence to the swim program were inherently intertwined with factors they considered positively influenced their mental health. Mothers’ experiences of the swim program highlighted three higher order themes associated with supporting continued participation and positive psychological outcomes: Environmental factors; social support factors; and health promoting factors. Conclusion: Environmental, social support, and health promoting factors are important factors in affecting the efficacy of mothers’ exercise programs to enhance participation and wellbeing.