What is Fertility?
Fertility refers to the ability of a person to conceive naturally or to induce conception (fusion between egg and sperm into an embryo).
The production of progesterone by the ovaries, a female reproductive organ, and human chorionic gonadotropins by growing embryos maintains embryogenesis.
Infertility – A Problem to Address
Fertility is taken for granted by many. It is a complicated process that can be affected by several factors and lead to infertility.
Infertility occurs when there is an inability to conceive. According to the World Health Organization, it is an inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sexual activity.
Infertility is a problem for 10-15% of US couples. Infertility affects 186 million people and 48 million couples worldwide.
Infertility affects men and women equally.
Infertility can be caused by hormonal imbalance or genetic damage. Semen analysis can confirm these conditions by assessing sperm motility and shape.
Infertility can also occur in women if their reproductive organs are impaired (ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus). Infertility can be caused by hormonal imbalances, as the development of an embryo requires the correct functioning of women’s hormones.
In order to determine whether environmental or lifestyle factors may interfere with fertility, it is important to assess these factors.
Does exercise affect fertility?
Physical activities and other lifestyle factors play an important role in overall health. Exercise can be beneficial to fertility, and managing weight is a key factor in a healthy pregnancy.
Recent reports indicate that high-intensity exercises can have negative effects on pregnancy. High-intensity exercises can also be harmful to men, as they affect sperm quality.
This reinforces the fact that there are many factors and complex links between physical activity during pregnancy and pregnancy. Therefore, guidelines should be issued on how to exercise safely.
What exercises should you avoid when trying to conceive?
According to international guidelines, it is recommended that a healthy person engage in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. The intensity of the exercise determines whether a physical activity is vigorous or strenuous.
Women who exercise moderately, for at least one hour per week and less than five hours, have a higher chance of getting pregnant. High-intensity (aerobic exercise) of more than 7 hours per week is detrimental to fertility.
Intense exercises can interfere with pregnancy. Avoid the following exercises when you are trying to get pregnant:
- High-intensity Interval Training
- Exercises for aerobic exercise
- Weight lifting (powerlifting).
- CrossFit
- Running
The Relationship between Intense Exercise and Fertility
Women’s ovulation is affected by intense exercise (70-85% of their maximum heart rate). A luteal defect may cause this – lower levels of progesterone, which may inhibit the implantation and cause infertility.
Leptin (a hormone that regulates appetite) levels can be affected by intense exercise and interfere with other physiological processes such as appetite and metabolism.
Leptin changes can lead to a decrease in food intake and have an impact on reproductive hormones, such as estradiol. This may affect ovulation or cause infertility.
Leptin is also produced by the Corpus luteum, a healthy mass that forms within an ovary to regulate ovulation. Hence, changes in leptin levels may exert an effect on ovulation via gonadotropin-releasing hormones.
What exercise should you do when trying to conceive?
The lifestyle changes that one makes can influence pregnancy. It is important to exercise in a way that maintains good health before conception.
It is best to limit vigorous exercise to no more than four hours a week. This will reduce the risk of pregnancy. You can replace intense exercise with moderate-intensity workouts or other exercises like Yoga.
Moderate exercise (sustainable exercise where you have to breathe deeply but not be breathless) increases fertility in all women. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, moderately aerobic exercise is when an individual reaches between 64% and 76% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate (i.e., 220 minus the person’s age).
Wearing a fitness monitor or heart rate monitor can help you track this change. Moderate exercises can be done by an individual, either intermittently or at once.
Here are some examples of moderate exercises.
- Walking for at least 35 minutes (20 minutes/mile).
- Cycling (30 minutes)
- Swimming laps (20 Minutes)
- Water aerobics (30 Minutes)
- Fast dancing (30 minutes)
- Gardening
- Raking leaves
- Stair climbing
It is hard to pinpoint the causes of infertility. However, it’s important to maintain a moderate amount of physical activity, especially if you are planning to get pregnant or have physical activity-related issues with infertility.
