Based on a friend's suggestion, Moony came to me a year and a half ago in an attempt to try to get her body fitter and stronger before undergoing a second IVF treatment to try for a second child. Without much of a background in fitness, clueless as to what to expect in hiring a personal trainer, she still worked hard and pushed herself to understand the human anatomy and how every minute detail in form and technique makes a difference in her workout.
In April 2022, to our utmost surprise and pleasure... Just as I was about to meet her for a workout, she rang me with the amazing news that she had tested pregnant, 5mins prior, NATURALLY!!! Heart filled with warmth and gratitude, she had no doubt that being physically active and getting herself healthier had made a huge impact in boosting her fertility.
These days, experts like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) urge women who are expecting or planning to get pregnant to get more physically active. Why?
Making exercise a regular habit before trying to conceive can help you feel good throughout your pregnancy, have more stamina for labor and delivery, and shed the baby weight faster. Regular workouts get your body in top baby-making shape by toning muscles including your heart, which has to pump up to 50 percent more blood to supply you and your growing baby.
As you probably know already, the question of whether you can or should exercise before you get pregnant is a bit more complicated, especially if you’ve been struggling to conceive. And it probably doesn’t help that there’s so much conflicting advice floating around out there:
“Exercise is great, just don’t do intervals…”
“Stay active, but don’t get your heart rate up too high…”
“Absolutely NO exercise while trying to conceive!”
Brzyski, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio:
“Women who do not exercise at all should be encouraged to do so when they are trying to conceive."
Planning to have a baby can be very exciting. It can also be an anxious time for both parents-to-be. You’re making plans for a huge change in your life. Exercise reduces stress, which has been shown by numerous studies to block the best conception efforts, and it helps you to sleep better.
Of course, it is of extreme importance to get your doctor's clearance before proceeding to continue your workout or hire a personal trainer to help you.
Once you do get pregnant, exercise offers loads of benefits, reducing the risk of pregnancy complications and the severity of common pregnancy symptoms like back aches and bloating, all while likely boosting your baby's brain development and heart health. Big bonus: Being in shape will even help make delivery day go more smoothly :)
Sources:
Wise, L.A. Fertility and Sterility, March 15, 2012.
Lauren A. Wise, ScD, associate professor of epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Mass.
Robert Brzyski, MD, PHD, professor of ob-gyn, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.
News release, American Society of Reproductive Medicine.
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