Earlier, if a woman was having fertility problems, she would be advised to take it easy and get some rest. Now, doctors know that exercise can be crucial to fertility, especially for women who are obese. Here are some things to know about how exercise can impact your fertility.

Benefits of Exercise

Exercising has a lot of health benefits for a woman trying to conceive. It can help eliminate or manage some of the causes of infertility. Here are some of them:

1. Reduces Stress: Stress not only affects your overall health but can also interfere with your conception. It doesn’t cause infertility directly, but it can push you towards unhealthy habits that can contribute to infertility. These include unhealthy eating, drinking alcohol and smoking. Exercisers can manage stress better and have less stress than non-exercisers.

2. Lose Weight: Obesity can lead to infertility. Several studies have indicated that obese women are more likely to experience reproductive problems. If they do get pregnant, they may experience a higher risk of miscarriage and delivery complications. A regular cardio and strength-training program is the key for any weight loss program, along with a healthy diet.

3. Better Sleep: While sleep problems aren’t a direct cause of infertility, lack of sleep is linked to obesity, which can affect fertility. A study suggested that women who get less than five hours of sleep each night were more likely to gain weight. Exercise can help you get better night’s sleep, particularly if you work out in the morning.

While exercise can help fertility, too much of it can also lower your chances of conceiving. Talk to your doctor if you exercise a lot, and are facing fertility issues. Apart from this, here are some signs to look out for that might indicate you are exercising too much:

1. Missed Periods: Exercising too much may cause irregular or missed periods. If you’ve always had irregular periods, then exercise may not be the reason. However, if you experience changes in your cycle once you start high-intensity exercises, you should see your doctor and think about cutting down on your workouts.

2. Exercising more than seven hours a week: Some studies have shown that exercising more than seven hours a week may affect fertility.

3. Signs of overtraining: Overtraining can put a lot of stress on the body. Even if you still have your periods, look for signs of overtraining such as fatigue, soreness, insomnia etc.

If you’re thinking about starting exercise, talk to your doctor about how much is safe for you. Our doctors at KIMS Cuddles can guide you about pre-conception health and give you exercise tips.

*Information shared here is for general purpose. Please take doctors’ advice before taking any decision.