Health and Fitness Tips for Your Fertility Journey
Posted on November 30th, 2022
Whether you’re considering pregnancy or are receiving fertility treatments, it’s a good idea to exercise regularly. The goal should be for you and your partner, if applicable, to engage in consistent, moderate activity that increases your heart rate. Research suggests that regular physical activity may increase your fertility chances, including becoming pregnant faster.
Staying active is one of the best ways to ensure you’re healthy and prepared for fertility procedures and pregnancy. But before starting, talk to your general physician about your overall health and any underlying conditions. You could also consult with a trainer to select the most effective options.
What are the best exercises for fertility?
By “regular, moderate” exercise, we mean activities that:
- Increase your heart rate
- Make you breathe faster
- Make you feel warmer
That being said, you should avoid intense workouts, which can inhibit ovulation and reduce the production of progesterone, a sex hormone. Instead, try to keep your routine under an hour. Here are specific exercises shown to benefit fertility.
- Yoga and pilates can help reduce stress and prepare your body for conception. However, with pilates, you’ll want to stop doing it if you’ve started fertility treatment, as there may be a higher risk of your tubes twisting. Also, keep in mind that, once you’re pregnant, there will be certain yoga and pilates moves that you should avoid. Talk to your provider about your concerns.
- Walking is a low-impact, non-rigorous activity that reduces stress.
- Running is allowed, but don’t overdo it. You should monitor your menstrual cycle and tell your provider about any abnormal cycles or missed periods.
- Zumba and dance classes offer a fun workout option.
- Swimming is an excellent low-impact exercise that’s easy on your joints and muscles.
- Biking at low-intensity levels is enjoyable, but be sure to avoid substantial bouncing. Consider switching to a stationary bike, which offers a safer choice.
- Light weightlifting is recommended, but avoid lifting heavy amounts.
Healthy weight benefits fertility
Regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight, which can reduce high blood pressure and the higher blood sugar levels associated with pregnancy. Being either overweight or underweight can have harmful effects on fertility. Your physician can determine if you have a healthy weight. A high body mass index (BMI) can also pose certain risks for fertility:
- It may inhibit regular ovulation.
- It may lengthen the time to become pregnant, even if you ovulate regularly.
- It may reduce the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women with higher body fat produce higher levels of estrogen, a sex hormone. Your body thinks it’s on birth control, reducing pregnancy chances. But with too little body fat, less estrogen is produced, and your reproductive cycles stop working.
Physical activity + supplements = powerful fertility benefits
In addition to regular exercise, there are also supplement blends and kits that are specifically formulated to help support reproductive health and fertility. One such brand is Nutrabloom, which offers whole food-based vitamins and nutritional supplements that can help aid conception. Nutrabloom provides various supplemental kits for male fertility targert: true, polycystic ovarian syndrome care, ovarian support, and more.
More activity, less stress
Regular exercise benefits women’s fertility by managing stress related to conception. Increasing your heart rate for 30 minutes a day stimulates the endocrine glands to secrete hormones that produce egg growth.
Regular physical activity plays a crucial role in your fertility and pregnancy health. Should you have any questions or concerns, we invite you to contact us at Aspire Fertility.
