Your exercise routine can be affecting your fertility. Exercise has the power to both assist and hinder your efforts to get pregnant. The ideal exercise routine depends on you, your body weight, your usual level of activity and your overall health. Give your fertility a boost after understanding how much exercise you should work into your daily routine.
Weight
According to Women's Health, a project of the United States Department of Health, having excess weight or weighing much less than your ideal body weight can be affecting your fertility. If you are overweight, your physician may recommend exercise as a way to bring your weight within normal range and improve your fertility. If you are underweight, your physician may suggest cutting back on your exercise routine if it is too strenuous.
Regular Exercise
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, it is best to start exercising regularly before getting pregnant. It recommends exercises such as walking, swimming and biking. If you are not already exercising, discuss your exercise goals with your physician and make sure not to overdo it. The amount of exercise you can do safely during pregnancy depends on your activity level before pregnancy.
Strenuous Exercise
While regular exercise can improve your overall fitness and should not impede ovulation, fertility specialist Sherman Silber of Baby Center states that overly strenuous exercise should be avoided when trying to get pregnant. If you are a competitive athlete with extremely low body weight because of your fitness routine, your chances of getting pregnant may be impaired. MayoClinic.com says that more than seven hours per week of vigorous aerobic exercise can impair your fertility.
Stress Relief
Reducing your stress level may help you conceive. This is because stress can delay ovulation and causes uterine contractions that make it hard for a fertilized egg to attach to the uterus. Regular exercise is a good form of stress relief and may therefore help you conceive. If you are introducing exercise into your schedule, try not to let the new schedule changes cause you unnecessary stress. Sherman Silber suggests adding 20 to 30 minutes of exercise to your normal routine.
