Advice for sporty women
Being active is great and has a lot of benefits on your fertility, but in moderation, as too much can end up having a negative and counter productive effect, as much as being inactive can.
A lot of this, and how much to exercise, also depends on what levels of fitness your body is already used to. However, there is a theory that very high levels of physical activity can be so energy intensive that the body may not simply have enough energy to maintain all the necessary hormonal mechanisms that enable ovulation and fertilization and could potentially reduce your chances of pregnancy.
This can often be fixed with a few tweaks to your training if you’re looking to get pregnant and want to remain in good healthy shape. Try swapping your intense interval training sessions, heavy weights, or long runs for more moderate workouts like pilates, yoga, brisk walking or swimming, and include one or two rest days to allow your body to recover.
Make sure you consult your doctor if you’re not sure, who can provide advice on your exercise regime. And if you’re experiencing any problems with your menstrual cycles, it may be helpful to use a monitor, such as MyLotus, to help you track and understand your cycles better, whilst allowing you to share this information with your doctor.
Dr. Larisa Corda, fertility expert
