Exercising During Infertility Treatment

Many couples who come to the celebrated Santa Monica fertility clinic are surprised that the fertility specialist, or REI, mentions exercise. Some couples experiencing infertility issues are advised to lose weight. Others are advised to decrease strenuous exercise during certain fertility treatments. Athletes may need to normalize their BMI to a more standard level that can support a pregnancy. An overweight couple may need to lose weight to increase their chances of becoming pregnant. All of these things beg the question: why does exercise matter?

What does exercise have to do with fertility?

While regulating hormones with use of medications or other measures, it is important that the right levels of exercise and rest be maintained as specified by your doctor.  It has long been known that exercise can have an effect on hormones levels. Too much exercise may contribute to hormonal imbalance, while being too sedentary can also have a negative impact on hormone levels. A person’s hormone levels may ultimately have an impact on their fertility, so this is why exercise and fertility are often mentioned in the same sentence by fertility specialist. You cannot exercise your way into having a baby but you cannot ignore the impact that being overweight, or the opposite extreme, heavy weightlifting for instance, has upon a man or woman’s hormone levels. Fitness levels have an impact on both partners’ fertility levels. The male partner’s testosterone level and overall health and fitness can play a part in his overall fertility. This is not to say that infertility issues are caused by over exercising or under exercising. That would be a gross inaccuracy. But beginning moderate exercise or foregoing strenuous exercising (such as training for a marathon) during certain treatments may be discussed at times during infertility treatments.

How much exercise is right during infertility treatment?

The only source you should turn to to find out how much exercise is right for you during fertility treatment is your doctor. Following your doctor’s advice is the best bet for using exercise to complement your fertility treatment.

When not to exercise 

One of the most surprising aspects of infertility treatment for many couples is that heavy training and strenuous exercise may need to be avoided at certain times during treatment. Most commonly, couples are asked to begin moderate amounts of exercise during infertility treatment, or switch to moderate activities. 

This is not to say that regular exercise is not an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle or even that you should give up certain forms of exercise during infertility treatment, unless your doctor has advised you to do so. Some types of infertility treatment require a few days off exercise while treatments are being performed or while your doctor is determining the effectiveness of the treatment.

You can learn more about how exercise impacts your fertility by scheduling a consultation at the Santa Monica Fertility Clinic. We provide egg freezing, IVF, mini IVF, surrogacy, fertility medicine, and dozens of other options that can make your dreams of having a family into a reality. Contact us today to schedule an appointment. We work with out-of-state and international patients on a daily basis and we welcome all new patients.