Movement and exercise benefit your health in many different ways. Regularly engaging in some form of aerobic exercise engages your heart and strengthens your cardiovascular system. Exercise burns calories, balances blood sugar and reduces stress and anxiety. The advantages of a regular movement and exercise program are many, but one advantage is of particular interest to those trying to conceive. Exercise and movement may improve your fertility.
While researchers still study the impact of moderate-to-vigorous exercise on fertility some recent conclusions reported by the NIH clearly demonstrate benefits especially for those with PCOS. Moderate exercise improves insulin resistance common in females with PCOS and regulates the menstrual cycle.
Regular movement and exercise benefit overall health and wellness for both partners and help maintain a healthy pregnancy as well. In fact, as long as your doctor approves there is no reason not to engage in regular, moderate movement and exercise throughout your journey to parenthood.
Before You Approach Movement and Exercise
Before we offer our tips for movement and exercise that improves your fertility we offer some important do’s and don’ts.
Please do:
- Engage in moderate Moderate exercises are those that raise your heart rate, increase breathing and cause you to feel warm or heated. You should be able to talk and carry on a limited conversation, but not be able to sing.
- Find an exercise you enjoy. Walking is a great way for beginners or even advanced exercisers to enjoy their workout. If you have a good time, exercise easily becomes a habit.
- Do some strength training. Strength exercises that improve your core and pelvic floor help in pregnancy.
- Always ask your doctor, if you need to adjust your routine.
Please don’t:
- Engage in intense workouts, even if this is your regular routine. Long-distance running and cycling or high-intensity interval training that raises your heart rate may have an adverse effect on your fertility. Intense movement and exercise may disrupt the menstrual cycle in females, decrease sperm count in males and disrupt hormone levels in both.
- Pursue movement and exercise at the risk of neglecting other aspects of your overall health. Don’t let exercise cause you to go without sleep, become stressed or engage in unhealthy eating habits. Exercise is just one component of the healthy lifestyle that improves fertility.
Get Moving with These Top Exercises for Fertility
As we mentioned above, find movement and exercise that appeals to you, so you’re more apt to engage regularly. And don’t just stick to one thing. Try a variety of exercises, so you don’t become bored. Here are our suggestions to improve your fertility with movement and exercise.
Walking
Walking is a low-impact and easy exercise. You need no special equipment and you can walk anytime and anywhere. Walk outside and enjoy some fresh air or head to the nearest treadmill or indoor shopping center if the weather is a problem. Once you establish a routine, you can begin building your duration and step count. Invest in a tracker for your step count or download one of the many free apps for your smartphone.
Want to keep up with your walking routine and contribute to a cause near and dear to your heart? Get involved in community 5k walking/running events. The walkers often outnumber the runners and it’s a feel-good activity.
Running
Though more intense running is a great workout and, for many, a passion. Safely improve your fertility through running by keeping the intensity low and duration minimal. One way to get your running fix while maintaining a healthy level of intensity is through interval training. Walk for the majority of your workout but include short bursts of running.
A regular running routine proves excellent for stress and anxiety-busting. When you run your respiratory system and cardiovascular system gets a workout too. Your sleep improves which contributes to balanced hormones. Just don’t overdo your running regimen. Keep it low intensity.
Yoga
Yoga contributes so much to healthy fertility that there are entire programs dedicated to fertility yoga. Yoga offers an intense workout while relaxing the participant at the same time. There are many benefits to yoga such as better flexibility, improved balance, toned muscles and yoga also calms the mind. The endorphin rush improves sleep which balances hormones.
For those going through fertility please speak with your doctor as some poses may prove risky.
Pilates
Like yoga pilates tends to offer big results while taking you through an easy low-impact routine. And also, like yoga, pilates improves flexibility, posture, balance and sleep. Practicing pilates promotes spinal and pelvic alignment which reduces back pain and some of the symptoms associated with PCOS and endometriosis. Check with your doctor, if you’re going through IVF or other treatment for infertility.
Swimming
One of the most gentle-on-the-body workouts? Swimming! You avoid impact on your joints while getting in heart healthy, stress busting and full body movement and exercise. Swimming relaxes the body even as it raises your heart rate. For those females undergoing treatment involving hormonal fertility meds swimming combats the mood swings and sluggishness, typical side effects of hormonal meds.
Talk with your doctor before engaging in a swimming routine. You should avoid some of the twists and turns involved in swimming at certain times during treatment.
We Can Help
For more ways you can improve your fertility please contact LA IVF. We can help you on your journey to parenthood.
