ABSTRACT
Introduction: Low back pain during pregnancy is common and associated with sick leave. Studies suggest
that exercise may reduce low back pain during pregnancy. Before carrying out a randomised controlled
trail with individual water exercise as intervention a qualitative feasibility study was done.
Objective: To explore women’s views and experiences of the acceptability and benefits of and possible
barriers to the standardised individual unsupervised water exercise intervention.
Materials and Methods: Eleven women were interviewed after participating in a water exercise intervention.
Content analysis was used.
Results: Four main categories emerged: motivation to participate, attitudes towards the exercise programme,
perception of benefits, and acceptability of supportive components. The women had a desire
to stay physically active during pregnancy and found water exercise a suitable, type of exercise to perform
during pregnancy. The intervention was experienced to have benefits on both their physical health and
their mental well-being. Crowded swimming pools were perceived as the greatest barrier.
Conclusion: It is feasible to perform a RCT using the described intervention. The intervention was accepted
by the participants because it supported their desire to be physically active during pregnancy.
The main barrier was crowded swimming pools and this issue must be addressed in a future RCT.