We have an awesome guest post about the many benefits that exercise provides to boost your fertility and support a healthy pregnancy. If you’re looking for ways that you can boost your fertility, read on for the benefits of exercise. This post is written by Samantha. Samantha is a personal trainer and nutritionist, whose role is to motivate and enable her clients, and make workouts a fun and rewarding experience. Her philosophy focuses on lifelong learning and enhancing the well-being of her readers. When not in the gym or on the track, you can find her on Twitter, Ripped.me or in a tea shop with her kids.
5 Benefits of Exercise for your Fertility
For those among you trying to become moms, you know all too well the struggles of overcoming fertility issues, finding the best methods to conceive and protect your pregnancy, and of course, there are the constant clashes of professional opinions to confuse you even further.
This is especially relevant in the realm of working out before and during pregnancy, which is an ongoing debate among fitness experts, medical professionals and the growing body of research yet to point us in the right direction. But with the right guidance from your physician and listening to your own body, you can strike the right balance and boost your chances to finally get that bun in your oven!
Weight control
Both overweight and underweight women have lower chances of getting pregnant to begin with – the process tends to last longer and is often followed by a wide range of health issues, both for the mom and the baby. From doubling the risk of pregnancy-related diabetes, miscarriage, to having babies of unhealthy weight, obesity and other weight issues can have a severe impact on your ability to have a baby.
Regular exercise paired with proper nutrition and healthy food choices is the key to keeping your weight under control and in the healthy ranges. Training helps boost your metabolism, improve your hormonal balance, increase your lean muscle mass and reduce fat, all of which can help you get pregnant and have a healthy baby on the way.
Relieving stress
An increasing number of doctors believe that as high as 30% of infertility problems are stress-related, and that is a very high number for a very wide spectrum of everyday triggers that can lead to stress in your life, one of which, ironically, is trying to get pregnant. Stress affects your hormonal production, pushes your ovulation or completely prevents it, and whether it’s chronic or sudden stress, it can do some serious damage to your baby-making potential.
However, having an exercise regime helps ward off stress and its impact on your health, especially by balancing your hormones, improving your sleep and boosting your mood. Do your best to turn your training into a ritual that promotes relaxation and release of negative energy, by ensuring ample hydration, listening to music, always including warmups and cooldowns, and exercising in a healthy environment.
Body alignment
From old sports injuries, falls to a sedentary lifestyle that ruins our posture, our skeletal, muscular and internal organ structure all play a part in allowing or preventing conception. When you mostly spend your days sitting without stimulating the muscles that support your spine, it may negatively affect the position of your internal organs (the uterus and ovaries included).
On the other hand, exercising in a controlled environment, keeps your body strong and mobile, and your metabolism and blood flow in check. Also, proper strength training, with high-quality weightlifting clothes and protective gear for safe movement performance will do you tons of good. With your pelvis, uterus and ovaries in the right position, you have greater chances of conceiving.
Type, intensity and frequency of exercise
Each woman is different, and understanding your own body and its needs will help in deciding which workout regime will work best for you. However, there are at least some broad guidelines when it comes to including exercise into your lifestyle to help you with prepping your body for pregnancy.
Too little or too much exercise can do equal damage, so you need to find that sweet spot for your athletic abilities. A rough estimate suggests that if you’ve been active thus far, you can keep up your regular routine, but up to one hour per day. If you need to lose weight, regular cardio exercise combined with strength training three times per week and a restricted diet are in order. If you’re starting some form of fertility treatment, you’ll need specific directions from your doctor to regulate your workouts.
Moderation is the key
Since research shows that vigorous exercise can limit your potential to have a baby, it’s essential that you listen to your body and follow the advice your doctor gives you on your journey to conceive. Exercising makes an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, but when it’s too intense, frequent, or scarce, it can impede your bun-making. So, take time to define your program and make sure your doctor approves!
We also have a post on the different exercises you should consider and try during the different parts of your cycle. These different types of exercises we talk about can impact your fertility in so many ways.
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