Can Exercise help you when you are trying to conceive?

Moderate amounts of exercise have been shown to improve fertility. Find out the benefits of exercise when you are trying for a baby

When you are trying to conceive you probably have a long list of "do's and don'ts": how much intercourse to have, lifestyle advice, what to eat and you have probably also been advised to follow a "healthy active lifestyle". What does being “active” mean and why could it help you when you are trying for a baby?

Movement is one of the pillars of health. It supports physical and emotional well-being. This is important at any stage of life and also when you are trying to conceive.

I deliberately say movement rather than exercise. Because movement can be part of your everyday life: a walk to the bus stop, dancing to a song on the radio, that delicious stretch when you get up in the morning, even cleaning – all this counts towards your overall activity levels. Whether you call this exercise or movement, it can help to keep you physically and emotionally fit. And it might just boost your fertility!

Studies suggest that moderate amounts of exercise boost female fertility. The key is “moderate”: Be active but not excessively so: Very strenuous, high intensity or excessive amount of exercise may actually reduce fertility. If in doubt, check with your medical doctor. If you are undergoing IVF make sure you follow the recommendations of your clinic. They might advise you to avoid strenuous exercise during the two week wait and might even advise you on what exercise is safe after this.

But unless you have been specifically advised against exercising, being active has many benefits: It boosts endorphins so can make you happy. This can be particularly important when you may feel more worried or anxious than normal. Moderate levels of exercise also improves stress resilience. Stress doesn’t just affect our general health, studies suggest that it seems to affect fertility too.

Being active also improves circulation: increased blood circulation means all those lovely nutrients you get from your healthy diet and supplements actually get to the pelvic and reproductive organs whilst improved lymphatic drainage means more waste products, say bacteria or viruses, are removed.

Now, as suggested above, you can easily add more exercise to your everyday life or look at movement tailor-made to support intimate pelvic health.

I create bespoke programmes that support women’s health throughout the stages of life. For intimate reproductive health issues, I tend to draw largely on Feldenkrais, somatic movement (BMC), restorative Yoga and fascial pelvic rehabilitation methods. These mindful ways of moving can help to re-establish balanced health in our intimate area. Feldenkrais and somatic movement also improve emotional well-being and stress resilience. Their mindful nature can also help couples stay close and connected to themselves and each other at stressful times.

About Kat

Kat Hesse, Movement Therapist specialising in women’s intimate and sexual health, digestion and conditions related to stress

Kat creates tailor-made somatic movement programmes for pelvic and reproductive health, stress resilience (stress is a major factors affecting ovulation) and emotional intimacy.

She originally trained as a Medical Herbalist. During her training she shadowed a doctor in India who combined movement, breath and mind work with herbs and nutrition. Kat was so inspired by the results at the Indian clinic that she decided to focus on the movement and mind aspect of healing. She is a firm believer in an integrative approach to health: an approach that combines therapeutic movement and mindful approaches with other healing modalities, such as diet and herbs.

Kat’s teaching combines modern rehabilitation techniques with traditional and ancient methods of healing. She trained in a range of therapeutic modalities, including as a Feldenkrais practitioner, Somatic Movement Educator (Body Mind Centering), Yoga, Chi Gong and Pilates instructor. She has also completed specialist trainings in pelvic floor rehabilitation, intimate vulvovaginal health and digestive health. She is also a mindfulness, relaxation and sleep coach and is presently training in psychosexual counselling support.