Fertility is the ability to conceive a child. Making changes to your lifestyle to improve your preconception health can increase your chances of pregnancy and the health of your future child. Many factors can impact fertility, while conditions like PCOS, pelvic inflammatory diseases, endometriosis, Celiac disease, and others can lower fertility.
Maintaining a healthy weight can increase the likelihood of conception and reduce the risk of infertility. Physical exercise can help overweight individuals shed pounds, even a small decrease in weight can boost fertility. Experts recommend that a mere 10% reduction in body weight can enhance fertility. Therefore, incorporating exercise into your routine is crucial for weight management.
Engaging in regular exercise can also help you meet the recommended physical activity levels. Activities like walking, swimming, cycling, or opting for stairs instead of elevators can help you stay active and improve your overall well-being and fertility.
Weight Management and Fertility: The Connection
Excess Weight And Female Fertility
Maintaining an optimal hormonal balance is essential for a healthy menstrual cycle. Obese women tend to have higher levels of leptin, a hormone produced in fatty tissue, which can disrupt hormone balance and decrease fertility. The amount and distribution of body fat can impact the menstrual cycle through various hormonal mechanisms, with higher weight and abdominal fat increasing the risk of infertility.
Excess weight is also linked to insulin resistance, where the body produces more insulin to regulate blood sugar levels, leading to reduced levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). This protein plays a role in regulating sex hormones like androgen and estrogen, and its decrease can result in irregular menstrual cycles, affecting fertility.
Unfavorable changes in hormonal balance due to obesity and excess weight can increase the risk of anovulation, where women with a BMI over 27 are more likely to face difficulties in conceiving due to issues with ovulation.
Excess Weight And Male Fertility
Obesity can also impact male fertility through hormone issues, sexual dysfunction, and other health conditions related to obesity. Conditions like type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea can lead to low testosterone levels and erectile problems, altering the physical and molecular structure of sperm cells and reducing sperm quality.
Healthy lifestyle choices can aid in fertility enhancement.
- Maintain a healthy BMI to prevent ovulation issues.
- Protect against sexually transmitted infections to avoid infertility.
- Avoid working night shifts as it can disrupt hormonal balance.
Exercises to Improve Fertility
Engaging in moderate workouts like brisk walking, dancing, cycling, yoga, pilates, and swimming can help improve fertility by enhancing overall health and well-being. These activities can provide a good cardiovascular workout without putting excessive stress on the body, aiding in weight management and fertility enhancement.
Benefits of Exercise on Fertility
For Women
Regular exercise before and during pregnancy can lead to a healthier pregnancy and childbirth, reducing the risk of complications like gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. Exercise can also help women with PCOS by increasing ovulation frequency and improving menstrual regularity, thus increasing the chances of conception.
Physical activity during pregnancy can help women cope with the stress and challenges of pregnancy, leading to easier childbirth and improved mental health by reducing anxiety and depression.
For Men
Men can benefit from exercise to improve fertility and cardiovascular health by controlling hormone levels and maintaining a healthy weight. Resistance training or cardiovascular activities can help prevent prostate inflammation and maintain testosterone levels, contributing to better fertility.
Risk Factors and Other Tips
Maintaining a regular fitness program, avoiding self-medication, unhealthy food choices, stress, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and caffeine intake can all impact fertility. Making healthy lifestyle choices and incorporating exercise into your routine can enhance reproductive health and boost fertility.
In conclusion, while certain medical conditions may impact fertility, lifestyle factors like weight, exercise, stress, nutrition, and other habits play a significant role. Regular exercise can improve reproductive health and fertility, but it is essential to engage in moderate physical activities to avoid any negative effects on fertility.
