Studies show that moderate exercise can have a huge impact on your fertility, so whether you are simply thinking about trying to conceive or undergoing fertility treatments to increase your chances of getting pregnant, exercise can be your key to success, here’s why.
How does exercise boost your fertility? – Infertility if you are overweight or obese
Research shows that one of the major factors of infertility is of lack of exercise. In a simple terms, 30% of your estrogen comes from fat cells and the higher the fat levels in your body, the more estrogen you produce. Too much estrogen in your system will offset your natural equilibrium and negatively influence your ovulation and menstrual cycle.
High estrogen levels are not only a female problem. Too much estrogen in men can also have negative effects on their fertility to the extent that recent studies focusing on male oral contraceptives use a combination of testosterone and estrogen hormones.
When you get rid of excess body fat, you can decrease the estrogen levels in your body and allow your hormone levels to return to normal.
When too much exercise causes infertility – the phenomenon of exercise – induced infertility.
Though numerous studies point to the benefits of a healthy exercise regime, researchers have also found that too much of a good thing can have a negative effect on your chances to conceive.
In women, a sudden decrease in weight due to over exercise can be a trigger for irregular periods.In extreme cases, over exercise can cause amenorrhea – a condition where a woman stops getting her periods, because her body does not have the fat levels necessary for a healthy ovulation cycle.
Too much exercise can also be a cause of male infertility because it increases the body’s internal temperature. Once the body becomes overheated the sperm count decreases because sperm begin to die at body temperatures above 96 degrees. Underweight men can also have problems when it comes to low sperm motility and poor sperm morphology.
What types of exercise help fertility?
Cycling, walking, swimming and other low impact activities do not cause overheating because they are less stressful on the muscles and joints, yet they help you burn that excess fat that is inhibiting your system from functioning properly.
A 30 minute session of gentle exercise, three to four times a week, increases blood flow to your heart and organs, stimulates ovulation, and makes your uterus more conductive to conception.
In addition there are experts who argue that yoga increases fertility. Yoga not only stimulates the blood flow and increases your general sense of well being but is also a great way to relieve stress and tension.
Studies show that couples undergoing IVF treatment who started practicing yoga are more successful at conception than other couples who don’t practice yoga.
To learn more about how yoga can boost your fertility click here
Stress and fertility – What you need to know if you are trying to get pregnant
Another key factor to consider if you are having trouble getting pregnant is stress. Stress has been proven to trigger cardiovascular problems and depression, which may in turn interfere with ovulation in women and sperm health in men.
Exercise reduces stress thus restoring a healthy hormone balance and increases your chances of getting pregnant.
An additional benefit of exercise is that during aerobic activity, your body releases endorphins – a natural feel-good hormone that promotes your sense of wellbeing – that help you deal with stress, restore your sleep patterns, and allow you to feel fully rested and in great shape.
A final word about infertility
Though there are cases where medical intervention is needed to resolve problems of fertility, healthy eating habits and a moderate exercise regime will increase your physical and mental wellbeing and consequently give you better chances at conceiving.
To learn more about other causes of infertility check out this site.
Works cited
Helping Fertility naturally www.epigee.org
Exercise and Fertility www.sharedjourney.org
