Several things support your chances of conceiving, one of which is focusing on a fertility-friendly body. Your chances of conceiving increase the healthier you are, including getting enough—but not too much—exercise.

Over-Exercising May Negatively Impact Fertility Chances

Weight management, including exercise, is a significant factor when trying to conceive (TTC) at home or when using fertility treatments. Being underweight is as much of a risk – or more – as being overweight, and extreme athletes or women who over-exercise may find they don’t ovulate regularly enough to conceive.

While fertility research yields inarguable correlations between things like smoking or consuming alcohol and fertility risk, evidence is less clear when it comes to questions of how much is too much exercise when TTC.

However, in recent study reviews, researchers found that:

• Women participating in vigorous to extreme exercise programs should track their menstrual cycles to ensure they’re ovulating regularly. The researchers continued, “When anovulation and/or a luteal phase defect are detected, the patient could be encouraged to increase her caloric intake to avoid an exercise-induced deficit or, when necessary, to replace vigorous exercise with moderate-intensity exercise for a time to see whether menstrual cycles normalize.”
• Caloric intake may need to be increased for healthy women TTC to maintain a more vigorous physical activity routine because being underweight is a more significant factor than exercise levels.
• Women with PCOS (including atypical or “skinny” PCOS) should use a regimented exercise program and healthy diet, approved by their primary care physicians (and fertility specialists), to manage their weight and support healthy insulin production.

So, if you’re a runner, long-distance cyclist, triathlete, etc., we recommend speaking with your physician and OB/GYN (or fertility specialist) to get personalized recommendations about whether or not to alter your routine.

Avoid high-impact sports

However, while vigorous physical activity may be approved, most doctors will tell you to avoid high-impact sports that could cause trauma to the abdomen while TTC or once you find out you’re pregnant.

If you play a sport or have a favorite pastime that puts your physical body at risk, like jumping horses, rugby, etc., then you may want to consider pressing pause for the time being to minimize any risk of a miscarriage.

Focus on a healthy BMI (body mass index)

Again, outside of situations where anovulation (not ovulating regularly) is an issue, a healthy BMI is a good indicator of whether your body experiences physical stress as a result of exercise levels.

Women with BMIs between 18.5 and 24.9 are less likely to experience difficulty getting pregnant. If your exercise levels make it hard to get above that 18.5 threshold, we recommend working with a nutritionist who can match your caloric intake with your activity levels. By increasing caloric intake, your body doesn’t experience starvation-like stress, which compromises fertility hormone levels.

Healthy exercise limits when TTC

You probably don’t have to change a thing if you already have an exercise routine that doesn’t edge into the extreme or vigorous category. Always speak to your OB/GYN or fertility specialist to confirm that what you’re doing supports a healthy, fertility-friendly foundation.

Exercise has all kinds of benefits for women TTC and pregnant women, like:

• Supporting healthy weight management.
• Balancing blood sugar levels.
• Improving oxygenated blood supply for you and your baby.
• Reducing morning sickness and other pregnancy-related discomfort.
• Improving mental/emotional health by reducing stress and keeping your system endorphin-rich.
• Promoting healthy sleep habits.
• Reducing your risk of gestational diabetes or preeclampsia.
• Etc.

In most cases, you can adhere to the mantra of getting moderate exercise five days a week for at least 30 minutes per day. Use a mix of cardio and resistance or weight-bearing exercises.

Once pregnant, we recommend looking for group exercise classes dedicated explicitly to prenatal women. In addition to getting regular exercise tailored to being pregnant, you’ll also meet a group of mothers-to-be, which can help you maintain healthy social connections once your babies are born.

Reproductive Resource Center Encourages Exercise While TTC

The team at Reproductive Resource Center (RRC) knows the right amount of exercise is a cornerstone of reproductive health and well-being.

Are you an extreme athlete or serial exerciser who is worried about its potential effect on your menstrual cycle and ovulation? Are you looking for a KC area fertility specialist who supports healthy lifestyle choices, accurate infertility diagnosis, and customized treatment plans? Schedule a consultation with the RRC to start implementing your step-by-step fertility plan.