Good exercises for fertility

Regular, moderate exercise is essential for preparing the body for a healthy conception and pregnancy outcome. Choosing exercises that help to regulate hormones and detoxify the body will also:

• Strengthen muscles
• Increase flexibility
• Improve stamina
• Increase circulation
• Reduce stress
• Calm the mind

It’s recommended that women who are trying to conceive should take up moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day for three times a week, with two of these sessions based around strengthening your muscles (either through yoga or another low intensity activity such as Tai Chi). My own fertility Yoga sessions are used to enhance your fertility chances and designed to improve reproductive heath and breathing in order to reduce your stress levels.

Moderate exercises to get fertility fit:

• Brisk walking
• Light jogging
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Tai chi
• Yoga
• Dancing
• Aerobics, low impact

What about exercising during IUI or IVF fertility treatment?

If you’re currently having fertility treatment then exercise can be particularly effective in managing and reducing your stress levels at what can be a very anxious time. However, you do need to be careful and it’s always best to consult your fertility doctor for advice on which exercises you should be doing, if any at all. This will depend on the stage of the fertility treatment you’re currently at, but if you feel the need to de-stress then try gentle yoga or go for a walk to enhance your body and mind’s wellbeing.

Exercises to avoid while trying to conceive:

• Running long distances
• Strenuous regular training sports such as gymnastics
• Extreme ‘boot-camp’ training
• Bikram or power yoga (as this raises body temperature)
• Exercise for over an hour’s session, 7 days a week

Don’t despair if you currently have a strenuous exercise regime or have so in the past as the good news is that a study carried out by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, led by Dr Gudmundsdottir and his team, found during their recent study that many women who trained the hardest at some point in time, still went on to have children by lowering their physical activity to a moderate level.

Infertility due to high intensity exercise may be reversed by a reduction in physical activity and increasing body fat to rebalance hormones disrupted by extreme exercises.

If you would like to keep active but are looking for less strenuous forms of activity, come along to one of my fertility yoga classes. You can find out more here.

A cohort study was carried out by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, led by Dr Gudmundsdottir and his team. This investigated the association between the levels of physical activity and the group’s fertility rates against the number of children they had in a group.

Over 24,000 healthy women participated (those with poor health or previous fertility problems were excluded from the research as this was looking at a sample of currently healthy women) with their levels of exercise assessed and categorised as:
• Never
• Less than once a week
• 2-3 times a week
• Almost every day

Along with the frequency of exercise, the intensity was categorised as:
• Taking it easy
• Loss of breath
• To exhaustion

The group’s fertility was assessed at the follow-up assessments, where the women reported on:
• Their age they had children
• The number of children they had
• Whether they had difficultly conceiving within one year of trying for conception.

Other factors that affect fertility where considered in the study to include:
• Age
• Marital status
• Body mass index (BMI)
• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption

The fertility status of the group was compared and the results showed that:
• “Increased frequency and intensity of physical activity was associated with increased infertility”
• “Women who were active on most days of the week were 3.2 times more likely to be infertile than inactive women”
• “Women who exercised ‘to exhaustion’ were 2.3 times more likely to be infertile than women who said they ‘take it easy’”

The researchers concluded that “fertility is negatively affected by physical activity of an extreme intensity and frequency”

Studies show that high-intensity, prolongs strenuous workouts can:
• Increase cortisol levels
• Lower thyroid hormones
• Affect metabolism
• Disturb ovulation
• Menstrual cycle

Both low thyroid hormones and high cortisol levels have been linked to poor adrenal health, which can directly impact thyroid function and affects how the body handles stress long-term, all of which can negatively impact overall hormonal balance and fertility, so by reducing stress and reviewing your exercise regime, you can rebalance your hormones.

By practising fertility yoga you can indeed reduce stress, and still be active but in a positive way which won’t hinder your chances of conceiving – it can actually help!

To find out more about available classes you can visit this page http://www.fertilityyoga.co.uk/yoga-classes/

Exercising too strenuously can be as damaging to fertility as doing too little exercise; it can trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which can interfere with reproductive functions. Gentle exercise, on the other hand, has been found to improve your chances of conceiving. Try low impact activities like walking, yoga, tai chi and pilates, and aim for little and often.
 

Breathe

Abdominal breathing is a great way to de-stress and build the inner strength so often needed when trying for a baby. Either sit or lie in a comfortable position and place your hands lightly on your abdomen. Close your eyes and focus on the natural rhythm of your breath, feeling the abdomen expand and release. Relax your shoulders and facial muscles and, as you begin to breathe more deeply, feel the expansion in your rib cage and chest. Focus on clearing your mind of negative thoughts with each exhalation.
 

Rest in a fertility-boosting position

Moon Pose (Shashankasana) gently massages the abdomen area and has been found to alleviate disorders of both male and female reproductive organs. Sitting on your heels raise your arms above your head, shoulder-width apart. Exhale and bend your trunk forward from the hips, keeping your arms and head in line with your trunk. Place the hands and forehead on the floor (or a cushion), bending your arms slightly to relax them and rest the elbows on the floor.
 

Exercise your pelvis

Cat Pose (Marjariasana) not only reduces tension and improves your spine’s flexibility, but also brings blood flow and energy to the pelvic area and gently tones it. Come onto all fours, with your hips over your knees and your hands under your shoulders, arms straight. Inhale, tilting the tailbone up, arching your back and looking up – this is upward cat. Exhale, bringing your head through your arms, chin to chest, and rounding the spine as you tuck the tailbone under – this is downward cat.  Repeat upward then downward cat 10 times if you can.
 

Get outside

Research shows that being out and about in nature lowers stress levels and boosts well-being, which will impact on your fertility. Try to spend some time outside each day, even if it is just ten minutes on your lunch break sitting in a nearby park.

Feeling devastated and a failure, as each month passes without falling pregnant can put pressure on you and your family. How do you cope when you feel everyone around is happily having babies. Do you feel resentment and start to isolate your shelf from family and friends. Infertility can cause emotional issues, how can you learn to manage your feelings and thoughts on your fertility journey?

By learning stress reduction techniques you can not only learn tools to help you mange stress in everyday life, but also to empower you in situations when your fertility is in the hands of the fertility clinics and doctors managing your fertility treatment.

By nurturing the mind and body through relaxations and complementary therapies you can focus more positively, stay calm and accept where you are at each stage of treatment. This will aid your recovery of distress and disappointment to enable you to move forward to the next stage, with hope to thrive mentally and physically. By feeling better your can have a more positive outlook and look at different perspectives on a situation, as you many have to live and cope with your fertility journey for months or even years. This is when complementary therapies to manage stress and improve mental clarity and can benefit the patient alongside western medicine, to heal and focus on the wellbeing of the patient on their journey to having a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Participants on the Mind Body Program at the Mind Body Institute in the US, state that they can make better decision and manage stress, by developing coping strategies by learning relaxation techniques to gain better control over their health. Alice Domar the director of Mind/Body Centre for Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School demonstrated the evidence of stress relief is a study of 110 women trying to get pregnant for up to two years. They were split into three groups, the first receiving only fertility support, the second group focused on relaxation therapies to include yoga and meditation and the third group was just given fertility treatment. “After a year, only 20% of the women on medication alone became pregnant compared to about half the women in both types of support groups” For men to benefit to, studies show that men who have a regular yoga practice can enhance their reproductive health, by improving the success rate of conception by increasing sperm count and motility.

Domar’s research suggests that stress can delay menstrual cycles and create abnormal levels of pituitary hormone prolactin, which is responsible for ovulation. Domar found that infertile women are significantly more depressed than their fertile counterparts.

Today it is accepted that there is mind-body connection, such as our emotions, mental, social and behavioural factors affect our health and wellbeing. Our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and feelings can positively and negatively affect our biological functioning. The mind-body connection can be defined as the information flow of biology regulators, a network of interconnections by the nervous system that regulates organ functions and hormones. The brain and the immune system continuously signal each other, often along the same pathways, which can explains why our state of mind can influences our health. In acupuncture and Chinese medicine there are pathways called meridians in the body along which vital energy to flow. In yoga philosophy there are energy centres within the human body known as chakras, which help to regulate the body processes, from organ function to the immune system. Yoga breathing and yoga postures – asana yoga benefit the body by calming the nervous system, reduced blood pressure as well as improving lung capacity and circulation, to help distribute nutrients and oxygen around the body and organs including the reproductive organs.

‘Your body responds to how you think, fell and act, this is one type of mind/body connection when you are stressed, anxious, or upset , your body reacts in a way that might tell you something isn’t right’

So how can you improve your emotional health?

• Calm mind and body – relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, Tai Chi
• Lifestyle – nutrition and diet, work life balance, getting enough sleep
• Develop resilience – Coping strategies to manage stress, CBT -cognitive behavioural therapy
• Expressing your feelings – able to release emotions and let go, support from counsellors.

Clinical research indicates 55% women attending a mind body program conceive (Alice Domar, PH.D & Herbert Benson, MD 2005) Dr Benson work integrates modern scientific medicine, physiology, nutrition, exercise physiology and belief to enhance the natural healing capacities of body and mind According to the NHS, “mindfulness helps mental wellbeing by becoming more aware of the present moment can help us enjoy the world around us more and understand ourselves better.
Evidence suggests there are five steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing.”

Five steps to mental wellbeing:

• Connect – connect with the people around you
• Be active – some people find that it is easier to cope with an over-busy mind if they are doing gentle yoga and walking
• Keep learning – learning new skills to give you a sense of achievement and confidence.
• Give to others – even the smallest act can count
• Be mindful – be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

The NHS recognised that many patients find the experience of fertility treatment as one of the most stressful experiences of their lives. So it is important for patients to be encouraged to communicate about their fertility treatment to find support for their specific needs. Justin Bold writes in her handbook “Integrated approaches it infertility, IVF and recurrent miscarriages”. That professionals working in fertility treatments need to beware that supportive therapies can integrate in the overall treatment strategy and to be mindful of the importance of stress management itself, at each stage particularly at the two –week wait stage. If the results are negative, how do you manage your recovery emotionally and physically, to then decide on the next course of action on you journey?
It has been recognised that complementary therapies play an important role in fertility patient’s health and wellbeing. Scientific evidence shows that a range of alternative therapies from acupuncture and reflexology, nutrition and yoga can help boost fertility. Fertility expert Zita West, states “although complementary therapies are not necessarily a cure for infertility, they can help encourage conception by bringing the body back into balance. With people working harder and becoming more stressed, these days it can take longer to get pregnant,’ she says. ‘Helping the body to cope with the demands of modern life such as by employing acupuncture or sound nutritional advice can do wonders to stimulate the reproductive organs into action.’

Yoga and meditation can help with infertility, by practicing relaxation techniques you can increase your clarity and focus of the mind and body connection, this can improve your wellbeing. Physical and mental therapy is important accomplishments of a yogic practitioner, as it works holistically to bring balance and harmony with union between the mind and body. Fertility Yoga is a tailored yoga practice to help with infertility issues and mange stress and anxiety through breathing and relaxation techniques, specify yoga postures are also used in Fertility Yoga sessions to enhance fertility.

Fertility Yoga will:

• Increase blood flow and energy to the pelvic area
• Stimulate the reproductive system
• Reduce stress
• Calm the mind of negative thoughts
• Balance hormones
• Enhance mind and body connections

Embrace the connection between the mind and body, to reduce your stress and optimise your fertility treatment. Whatever stage you are at on your challenging path to parenthood, feel empowered and positive on your journey and that you have made the right choices for you and your partner on your journey!

So what is Yoga?

The meaning of the Yoga is to join, derived from the Sanskrit verb: yug ~ to join. Practicing yoga helps make connections between the mind, body and soul, to improve the wellbeing of the yogi by bringing the yoga practitioner into perfect harmony and balance. Yoga can be both a physical and spiritual practice; there are many types of yoga but the most popular style practiced is Hatha Yoga, which consists of elements of yoga postures (asana), breath awareness (pranayama), relaxation and meditation.

Yoga is one of the orthodox systems of Indian philosophy, it was systematised by Patanjali in his classical work, the Yoga Sutras, written in Sanskrit dating from 200 BC. The science of yoga is not only just for health and fitness but for the awakening the vital energies: pranas, chakras and kundalini shatki. A yogic practice gives direct and tangible benefits regardless of any spiritual aims. Physical and mental therapy, are the most important achievements of yoga, as it works on the holistic principles of harmony and unification. With 40% of the adult population using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM, for short) to treat illness, doctors are embracing CAM therapies too, often combining them with mainstream medicine to treat patients.

CAM’s therapies’ include:
• Acupuncture
• Reflexology
• Herbalism
• Homeopathy
• Nutritional therapy
• Meditation
• Yoga

Fertility clinics are embracing CAM’s to treat fertility issues, by integrating western medicine with complementary alternative medicines. The eastern practice of yoga science has succeeded as an alternative form of complementary therapy and can work alongside western medicine to treat infertility. Fertility issues can often be associated with a wider health issues, so by improving your overall health and wellbeing, you can provide the healthiest environment to improve your chances to conceive a healthy baby naturally, or through assisted reproductive treatment. The management of IVF treatment before and during IVF can be stressful, practicing yoga, relaxation and meditation can be very helpful, along with other complementary therapies to help get through the IVF process.

Yoga postures

Asana are yoga postures that when practiced regularly they bring a state of being, in which one can remain mentally and physically calm, quiet, steady and comfortable. As the mind and body are not separate entities, the practice of asanas integrates and harmonises the connection of the body and mind. Both the mind and the body can harbour tensions and knots. The aim of yoga asana is to release mental tension by processing them on a physical level acting somato-psychically, through the body to the mind, tension and muscular knots can occur anywhere in the body. Through the regular practice of yoga asana, combined with other yoga practices pranayama, meditation and it is believed the tightness and tension can be effectively eliminated, by tackling them both on a physical and mental level.

Prana – the vital energy

Prana, is the vital energy, corresponds to chi in Chinese medicine, and travels through the whole body, a following network of energy called nadis. The nadis are responsible of maintaining all individual cellular activity, if the prana is blocked toxins can accumulate in the body, so as the prana begins to flow, the toxins are removed from the system ensuring health and wellbeing of the whole mind and body.

Chakra’s and Kundalini Shakti

The chakras are connected to the network of nadis, there are seven major chakras located along the pathway of the sushumna, originating in the perineum and flow through the spinal cord to the crown of the head.
In yogic terms the Chakra are vortices or wheels of pranic energy, located at specific areas of the body, which control the circulation of prana and are associated with the major endocrine glands and nerve plexuses in the body. Specific yoga postures have a particularly beneficial effect on one or more of these glands or plexuses, and promotes the general health of specific areas of the body. Each one of the seven chakra vibrates energy at a different rate. The second charka Svadhisthana is located in the area of the sacrum and relates to female and male reproductive hormones and organs, this chakra is depicted as a symbol of fertility.

The purpose of yoga is to awaken the Kundalini Shakti, by practising asana the charkra’s are stimulated, generating Kundalini energy to travel through the central pathway in the spine, awakening the sushumna nadi. The kundalini shatki rises to the highest charkra sahasara, the centre of bliss, enlightenment of human consciousness.

So why does Yoga benefit fertility?

Lifestyle and nutritional factors affect both male and female fertility, medical history, age, stress levels, alcohol and diet are all recognised factors. Exercise plays a very important role in fertility and according to research by Rich-Edwards “it helps to balance blood sugar levels and regulate hormones and thus ovulation”.

A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility reported the benefits off reducing stress through gentle exercise such as hatha yoga, helps to improve the chances to conceive, as well as preparing the body for pregnancy. Fertility Yoga is designed program to reduce stress and focuses on therapeutic yoga postures to benefit the reproductive health.

Five benefits of Fertility Yoga
1. Reduces stress, calms the mind of negative thinking
2. Balances hormones
3. Increase blood flow and energy to the pelvic area
4. Stimulates the reproductive system
5. Connection of mind and body awareness

Trying to conceive naturally, or through assisted reproductive treatment (ART) or IVF is stressful and a roller-coaster of a journey both physically and mentally. One of the best ways to de-stress whilst trying to conceive is with a Fertility Yoga program. Fertility Yoga focusing on specific yoga postures that encourage blood flow and energy to the reproductive area. The relaxation techniques are designed to de-stress the mind and body. Fertility yoga gives the inner strength and confidence needed to continue on this roller coaster of journey to becoming a parent.
Studies have suggested that the amount of sleep a women has may affect for fertility, (Morris 2008) Studies show improving your sleep helps to promote regulation of appetite, weight, and ovulation and male sperm count too. So aiming for between 7 to 8 hours regular sleep, can increase the chance of pregnancy rate by 56%, in a study of IVF patients led by DR D Park in Korea. Breathing and relaxations techniques practiced in Hatha yoga therapy can help promote sleep, especially the practice yoga nidra (yoga sleep) deep relaxation techniques.

Stress and anxiety in IVF treatment

Infertility is stressful and the prospect of embarking on assisted reproductive procedures, such as IVF can cause and impact of stress and anxiety for both the first and repeated procedures the patient endures. Any form of stress reduction before or during fertility treatment can only be a positive. Studies conclude that “stress and anxiety levels remain elevated across first and repeated cycles of fertility treatment. Women with lower stress and anxiety levels on the day prior to oocyte retrieval had a higher pregnancy rate.” (Turner et al..2013) Stress during fertility treatment is thought to be multidimensional; in addition to any psychological stress related to the diagnosis of infertility, there are potential stresses related to the medical procedures, the awaiting of a positive outcome, and the physiological effects of gonadotropin stimulation. (Turner et al..2013) Breathing techniques play an important part in relaxation on the autonomic nervous system and the management of stress and are practiced in Fertility Yoga.

Yoga Therapy and Stress

Scientists have studied the positive impact yoga therapy has on various health conditions. “Practicing yoga can improve better cardiovascular health, strengthen the nervous and immune system and has a positive effect on the reproductive system” (Trimarch) Whilst yoga cannot treat medical infertility problems such as blocked tubes, it can help with infertility issues caused by stress and the associated stress with conditions such as cysts and endometriosis. Chronic psychological stress can alter the body’s ability to regulate hormones, this in turn may cause problems with the reproductive system for sperm quality, ovulation, egg fertilisation and possible other complications that may affect the reproductive system.
A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility stated “that women with high levels of the stress hormone cortisol and alpha-amylase (which circulates an enzyme around a body under stress), in their saliva had more difficulty conceiving than those women of lower level of stress in the study. The results of the study stated their fertility rates was up to 12 per cent lower each cycle” (source Louis). In fact” levels of the stress hormone epinephrine known as adrenaline have found to be higher in women experiencing unexplained infertility, and those with elevated levels of epinephrine may constrict blood flow to the uterus” (Trimarch)

A study found “fertility patients who practice yoga specifically tailored to reduce stress may increase their fertility by as much as 35 per cent” (CBS news).” According to Trimach research in 2000, 55% of participants of a yoga-oriented, mind-body-based fertility program conceived during the first year in the program!

Fertility Yoga Asana

There are series of yoga asana – postures that are used in fertility yoga to strengthen the abdominal region and protect the back creating abdominopelvic energy. Asana working the area of the pelvic bowl creates energy and blood circulation to the reproductive system located in this region. B.K.S Iynegar the man responsible for bring yoga to the west, developed a form of hatha yoga through a systematised study of over 200 classical yoga poses. Through his research he stated that inverted yoga postures stimulate the pituitary gland and in turn the reproductive system, and that forward bend asana’s have a positive effect the pure supplying pure blood to the pelvic organs.

Yoga asanas prove to be beneficial to help with infertility, menstrual disorders and miscarriage (Iynegar 2005) they strengthen the pelvic muscles, improve blood circulation in the pelvic region strengthen the reproductive area and exercise the spine – the channel for the charkas. Research from Dr C Woodyard in 2001 stated “Yoga increases blood flow and levels of haemoglobin and red blood cells which allows for oxygen to reach the body cells, enhancing their function”.
Yoga can aid the healing process, by playing an active role in the journey towards “positive mind state healing”, which is especially important for a rollercoaster fertility journey. Dr Woodyard concluded that “Yoga is recognised as a form of mind-body medicine that integrates an individual’s physical, mental and spiritual components to improve aspects of health, particularly stress related illness” and that “The practice of yoga generates balance energy which is vital to the function of the immune system”.

Male reproductive health and yoga

A regular yoga practice for men is also important, because of the positive effects yoga has on stress reduction and their well-being, “regular yoga practice can improve the quality of sperm if one has an issue with sperm count or motility”. (Sengupta,P et al.. 2013). For men practicing yoga asana they can activate the second chakra in the pelvic area, which can help release energy blockages relating to sensual or sexual issues. “The links between infertility and stress are complex and not fully understood, but cortisol, the so called stress hormone, can interfere with normal reproductive functions (Sengupta). Perhaps the strongest evidence is that reducing stress through yoga can boost fertility.

Fertility Yoga with Lisa Attfield

The DVD “Fertility Yoga with Lisa Attfield” was researched and developed whilst I was training to be a hatha yoga teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga, the governing body for yoga training in the UK and whilst I was on my own fertility journey. Both my husband and I had been advised by the NHS to change our lifestyles to improve our fertility chances. After six years of not conceiving naturally, fertility investigations revealed that both my husband and I had fertility issues, and our only option was IVF with ISCI to conceive. Aged 34 and my husband Stephen, aged 38 at the time started IVF, after 3 cycles we had a daughter, when I was 36 years old. After 2 further cycles of IVF and ISCI we had twins, when I was 39 years old.
During our ten year fertility journey, I developed and researched my fertility yoga program, and in 2013 I released “Fertility Yoga with Lisa Attfield”. To help others to learn to relax and de-stress, and to help them gain the inner strength and confidence to trust their bodies on their own journey to become a parent, see www.fertilityyoga.co.uk for more details.

Click on the image above or the link below to read my article in ‘My Fertility Specialist’ Magazine.

Article PDF

Click on the image above or the link below to read my article on the benefits of fertility yoga in ‘My Fertility Specialist’ magazine:

Lisa Attfield article in My Fertility Yoga Magazine

Are you worrying about being too stressed to conceive naturally or the onset of starting IVF or other assisted fertility treatments? The mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of couples suffering from fertility problems is vital, in preparing for pregnancy and a successful outcome. It can be a stressful roller-coaster at each stage of your journey.

About Lisa

During my 10 year fertility journey, I trained as a British Wheel of Yoga Teacher, and researched yoga for fertility, to help me manage my own stress and wellbeing on my fertility journey. I gave up my full time job in London and moved to Devon at 32 to focus on my fertility and yoga. Both my husband and I had investigations and discovered we both had fertility issues after 6 years of TTC, I had blocked fallopian tubes and my husband’s sperm mobility and count was low, so our only option was IVF with ISCI. My first IVF cycle sadly ended in a miscarriage at 14 weeks. The third IVF cycle I had a daughter Josephine, I was 36. After another two cycles I had twins Dexter and Isabelle, when I was 39.

Through my personal experiences and yoga research I designed a DVD – Fertility Yoga with Lisa Attfield. To help women and their partners increase their fertility chances, by reducing stress through yoga and relaxation, and to bring strengthen and flexibility to the mind and body to prepare for a healthy pregnancy. I have been a practicing yoga for 25 years, and teaching for 15 years in the local community and at retreats using yoga to improve emotional, physical and mental health and wellbeing.