Fertility-Enhancing Exercises You Can Do Daily
When it comes to infertility, much of what influences your diagnosis is out of your control. PCOS, endometriosis, scarring, and other factors depend on medical treatment to restore your fertility. However, certain other elements may play a role in your inability to conceive, and these things are factors that you can do something about.
Factors That Influence Your Fertility
Poor lifestyle choices like drinking too much alcohol, smoking, or maintaining a poor diet weigh heavily on your overall health, including your reproductive health. You can make the changes necessary to get back on track, choose healthier ways to relax and kick back, or lose weight, but that’s not all you can do. Moderate exercise may positively impact your fertility, along with other lifestyle changes. There are several reasons why certain exercises may be beneficial for improving fertility.
- Regular Exercise Reduces Stress: Chronic stress and anxiety (as in stress from infertility) negatively impact your fertility by disrupting your hormone balance. When you’re stressed and anxious, cortisol floods your system, disrupting the balance of all hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, thyroid function, and increasing glucose production. Regular exercise, even something as simple as a daily walk, is a proven way to lower stress.
- Helps Regulate Hormones: Stressed or not, exercise helps regulate your reproductive hormones, which are necessary for healthy conception and pregnancy. This applies to men as well as women.
- Improves Your Circulation: Blood flow to your reproductive organs is essential to overall good health and fertility.
- Exercise Enhances Ovulation: When you exercise, your body’s luteinizing hormone production increases, which is necessary for healthy ovulation.
Are Some Exercises Better Than Others for Improving Fertility
Of course, any exercise is better than no movement at all, but some activities are better than others, especially for women undergoing IUI or IVF. In those cases, your doctor prescribes medications that help you ovulate. Your ovaries may swell and be prone to injury. Whatever your fertility treatment, always obtain your doctor’s permission before starting or continuing an exercise regimen. Here are our top exercises for improving fertility.
Yoga for Fertility
Although some yoga practices can be strenuous, most poses produce results without causing too much strain on the body. Yoga also proves to be a very relaxing endeavor. Gentle stretches bring blood flow to your cervix, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. This helps with ovulation and also, when the time comes, implantation of your embryo into your uterus.
Yoga has many benefits, including improving flexibility, reducing stress, and relaxing the body so sleep is more restful. Yoga’s many benefits apply to both men and women, so encourage your partner to join you.
Walking
Walking is by far the easiest way to get some exercise, lower your stress, and enjoy the world around you. Just like yoga, walking increases your blood flow. You can walk anywhere, rain or shine, and it’s low-risk to you compared to more strenuous activities. Walking increases your feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin, it helps control cortisol, and balances all your hormones. All you need are a good pair of shoes and a safe place to walk. If you’re new to walking for exercise, begin with a brisk 10-minute walk at least three times per week and add minutes and frequency from there. Walking is equally beneficial to male reproductive health.
Dancing
There’s a reason why dancing brings us joy. When you bust a move, you’re improving blood flow, burning calories, getting your aerobic workout in, and extinguishing the effects of stress. Your body releases those feel-good hormones, and you’re more relaxed, and you’ll sleep better, too. A bonus? You can ask your dance partner to join you and listen to some great music as well.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent exercise for improving fertility. No matter your fitness level, you can gain physical and mental benefits from splashing around in the water. There’s minimal stress on your joints because of your buoyancy in the water, and you’re getting all the benefits of a cardio workout. Whether daily trips to the beach or your local pool, swimming is a great way to work out.
Pilates
Just like yoga, pilates improves your circulation, flexibility, muscle tone, and balance, and you’re getting a decent workout in. Pilates challenges and relaxes you at the same time. You may need to limit your poses if you’re taking ovulation-stimulating meds. Just alert your doctor, and they can help.
Running
If you’re already a runner, please continue your practice. Just make sure you speak with your doctor, as any type of running that depletes your calories or may cause dehydration (long-distance, marathoning, and marathon-training) can interfere with reproductive health by placing too much stress on your body.
Bicycling
Bicycling is an enjoyable way to get some exercise while getting out in nature. Make sure to practice bicycle safety and wear a helmet. Stick to paths specifically for biking and stay off busy roads where you may encounter careless drivers.
A Word About Weight Training
Strenuous exercise and activity that takes up more than four hours each week may be detrimental to your fertility, especially if you’re undergoing an IVF cycle. This includes intense weight-training and lifting. For those who regularly practice weight training and lifting, it may be beneficial to rack your weights for the time being. Talk to your doctor for more advice on this form of exercise. Better yet, take a short break from strenuous exercise while undergoing fertility treatment.
We’re Here to Help
In any exercise regimen, consistency is key to reaping the benefits. Whether you’re trying to conceive or not, regular exercise is extremely beneficial for your overall wellness. For more information on how exercise can enhance your fertility, please reach out to the experts at LA IVF.
