Adopting a habit of regular exercise before conceiving has proven benefits for increasing both fertility and ovulation, and strengthening the body for the normal pregnancy and delivery. In addition, research has also proved that exercise is also beneficial for females who are unable to conceive because of high body mass index and polycystic ovaries. Regular workout greatly helps the body in losing weight after pregnancy.

Can I Exercise While Trying to Conceive?

Exercise while trying to conceive is perhaps the healthiest way to ensure a smooth pregnancy. The changes your body will go through will be made a lot easier if you are in a habit of regular workout and at a certain level of fitness. Keep in mind that even though exercise is advantageous for your health, it can also prove as an obstacle. Recent studies have shown that over working the body can strain and overstress it. Overworking the body will only exhaust your tissues of the necessary nutrition that might hinder your role as an active parentsince your body is unable to cope with stress and pressure.

Watch this video to learn more about exercise while trying to conceive:

How Can Exercise Help While Trying to Conceive?

Regular exercise is recommended for women who are trying to conceive or those who are suffering from primary/secondary infertility in addition to those who are already pregnant.

1. Decrease Stress

Physical activity eliminates negative energy and minimizes physical stress, and it also helps in inducing a sense of wellbeing in women. It keeps the body away from unhealthy habits such as over eating, alcohol consumption and smoking, etc. Exercises also helps in restoring hormonal balance by decreasing the risk of obesity and optimizing fertility.

2. Maintain a Regular Weight

Many studies have linked obesity to infertility, hormonal disorders and miscarriages. The fact is obesity compromises your health during pregnancies and also decreases your chances of getting pregnant, which is why maintaining regular weight is necessary for women trying to conceive. Adopting cardio-strengthening exercises can be useful for overweight women.

3. Sleep Better

You might find it hard to associate sleep problems with infertility or pregnancy issues, but the fact is that sleep-deprived women are more prone to infertility or hormonal disturbances. Exercise, especially in the morning, can help your body stay active throughout the day and shift the energy levels low at night to induce natural sleep.

Recommended Exercise While Trying to Conceive

Here are some common exercises that are recommended to the women who are trying to conceive. You can choose the one that suits you best.

Exercise	How It Helps You Conceive
Walking	Walking is the best and easiestway to stay healthy.You don’t need any special preparations for walking or a strict training program to keep you on track. It helps you lose unnecessary weight and keeps the unwanted stress out of you.
Running	Running improves the circulation throughout your body. Overdo running, however, can be harmful for your menstrual cycle, especially if you are depending on natural ways to get pregnant. So keep away from running if it makes you excessively tired.
Cycling	This is a fun and easy way for low impact cardio-workout. It helps losing weight and increasing muscle tone, especially of the thigh regionwhich is very useful during delivery.
Swimming	This is a non-impact exercise which is best for all stages of pregnancy as it helps tone your muscles and provides strength to your entire body. Adopt the habit of taking a few laps every day. It is also helpful in reducing pain and discomfort in the later days of pregnancy.
Yoga	Yoga is an excellent way to maintain a healthy balance between mental health as well as physical health. Regular yoga allows you to cope with pregnancy, labor and post-partum period in a more efficient way.
Pilates	Pilates can strengthen your core muscle. It also involves working both the mind and body to adopt a healthy balance between the two and using your central body muscles to maintain certain postures. It is helpful in increasing muscle mobility and stretching them to aid pregnancy and delivery.
Weight lifting	Regular weight lifting is beneficial for not only the upper abdominal region but also your leg muscles, as it tones the muscles to endure stress and weight. But don’t overdo it since it can cause a disturbance in hormonal cyclewhich disturbs your menstrual cycle and hinder conception.

Tips on Doing Exercise While Trying to Conceive

Take an early start.Women often wait to get pregnant first and then start an exercise regimen, even though the opposite should be done. It is more efficient if you stay fit before you get pregnant to keep your body healthy and ready for all changes.
Do not lose track. There are days when we do not feel like exercising, but it might not just be your laziness, a monotonous exercise routine can also cause this. To avoid this, adopt different forms of exercises such as swimming, walking, dance classes, etc.
Strengthen your core. Your central body will start weighing more than the remaining body when you are pregnant. Adopt exercises that strengthen your abdomen and back to havea better balance and posture which will help you cope with the pregnancy related changes.
Exercise moderately.If you like vigorous and highly intense exercise, it is time to tone down your routine. Too much exercise will only stress out your body. You can choose some more moderate exercises like walking, swimming, etc.
No dieting. Some women might be tempted to get their ideal weight before they put on the extra pounds when getting pregnant. But this is not recommended at all since it might deprive you of the necessary nutrients.
Do cardio workout. Cardio exercises are highly recommended. Adopt cardio-strengthening exercises such as swimming, racing and jogging to help strengthen your heart. This will help you maintain a good health throughout your pregnancy.
Team up with your partner.We always find only women focusing on their health when trying to conceive, while men do not take care of their fitness. But the truth isyour partner’s fitness, too, counts in conceiving. Studies have shown that proper exercise can help increase sperm count, so ask your partner to work out with you which will also increase your time together.
Professional approval. Before adopting a regimen for yourself, consult your doctor to get his approval. Your doctor is fully aware of your health conditions and is the best judge of the kind of workout that you might and might not need.

Exercise While Trying to Conceive: Understand and Do It Right