Exercising regularly is more beneficial for you than you think. It keeps your body fit and healthy, but do you know that it also positively affects your chances of conception? Earlier, women were advised to stop exercising to increase their chances of conception as people believed that over-exertion can decrease Fertility. But now doctors are well aware of the association of exercise with fertility, particularly for women.
What exercise to do and how much you should do depends heavily on the person doing it. A regular dose of healthy physical activity can be a good start. Let’s know more about how your fertility is affected by exercise.
How does exercise impact fertility?
Exercise has a number of benefits for an average person and it can be even more beneficial for women who are trying to conceive.
1. Reduces stress
Taking stress can affect your overall health. It doesn’t directly cause infertility but can force you to do things like unhealthy eating, drinking alcohol and smoking, which aren’t good for fertility. Stress can also affect your relationship with your partner.
2. Regulates ovarian function
Exercising regularly can positively impact your ovarian function by influencing the production of estrogens and other steroid hormones.
3. Antioxidant enzymes
Even if you exercise moderately, it has been proved to increase the expression of antioxidant enzymes in your body.
4. Weight management
Your body has to be in its prime condition before you even think about getting pregnant. You want to give the best to your baby. Exercise helps you in maintaining a healthy weight, which plays a crucial role in your health during pregnancy.
Also read: Are obese women more prone to infertility? An expert tells you about it
5. Increases success chances of Assisted reproductive technology (ART)
There are couples who face difficulty in natural conception, and they go for ART in such cases. These technologies can help a couple conceive, but sometimes people fail to conceive because of their body issues. Exercise will keep your body healthy and thus, it will increase your chances of conception, even when you opt for ART.
What are the best exercises for fertility?
Moderate forms of exercises for five to six hours a week are typically recommended for people with healthy body function. Here are some of such exercises that you can consider doing:
* Walking: You cannot ever go wrong with walking. It improves your cardiovascular system, builds endurance and is a great stress-buster.
* Dancing: It burns calories and improves blood flow. But above all that it is a fun exercise to do.
* Bicycling: Just a 30-minute bicycling session a day can positively impact your body functions. Just remember to be safe on the roads.
* Yoga: We don’t even have to list down all the benefits that yoga has on your body. It is just a phenomenal way of maintaining good physical and mental health. Try these 5 yoga poses to boost fertility.
* Swimming: It is the best exercise for those who want to do cardio workouts without putting too much pressure on their joints. It is also an excellent exercise to go for people who are just starting their fitness routine.
The last word
It is mentally stressful for couples who are facing fertility issues. These issues come along with physical and mental complications and sometimes can impact your relationship with your partner. In such cases, turning to exercise can be very empowering for some people as it will help you manage your stress. And when you pair it with a healthy diet, you ensure taking control of your body and ensuring that your future baby develops in a healthy way.