From a young age, the importance of fitness and exercise is ingrained in our minds. For many women, daily exercise is a lifestyle and a positive way to release stress keeping your body and mind in shape.
If you are undergoing IVF treatment in Istanbul, you may have many questions about whether you should start or continue exercising during your cycle. We will answer your questions with the most accurate information on this subject.
Can you exercise during an IVF cycle?
Yes, you can exercise but you should keep it light or at most moderate. While exercise is a great way to lose weight, increase muscle and bone density, improve sleep, and reduce stress (some research points to improved pregnancy rates for couples undergoing fertility treatment), the middle of your IVF cycle is not definitely the best time to start a new or extremely vigorous exercise routine. (1)
How can exercise affect the IVF cycle?
For most of the cycle, physical exercise needs to be restricted, and at one point, it needs to be completely avoided.
Women use ovarian stimulating medicine during the first 10 days of a standard two-week IVF cycle. Your ovaries increase during this period as a result of the development of follicles (sacks containing eggs). Many patients report physical symptoms as a result of this phenomenon, particularly at the end of the ten-day treatment period when they begin to feel heavy and swollen in the pelvis.
Once the follicles have grown sufficiently, the lady will activate a trigger to release the eggs from her follicles, and an egg retrieval (a quick surgical procedure) is scheduled for around 36 hours later.
After this procedure, the patient must wait for 2 to 6 weeks while his body heals before beginning the frozen embryo transfer (FET). There are two methods for doing the frozen embryo transfer cycle; synthetic and natural.
Exercise can have an impact on the extremely delicate and powerful IVF process, which depends on everything being in the correct place at the right time. Exercise changes your heart rate, blood flow, and the positioning of your organs and other body parts in your physical framework. As a result, hard exercise is strongly advised against throughout your entire IVF cycle. (2)
What are the alternatives for exercise?
We are aware of the benefits exercise can have on mental health, particularly when receiving fertility treatment. It might be time to think about stress management strategies other than exercise. Take up a new activity like painting or pottery, yoga, or meditation.
Maintaining good health through regular exercise and other stress-relieving activities will help you stay focused on the long-term objective of bringing your kid home and will undoubtedly make the passing of time go more quickly. (3)
Walking is incredibly useful even if it is often taken for granted. Consider the fact that you can do this practically anywhere, at any time, with very little danger and great cardiovascular benefit. Swimming also contains a therapeutic benefit, burns a lot of calories, and is not taxing on the joints. Another popular exercise is yoga, but you should be careful to avoid any positions that require you to bend your body. (4)
What research says about exercise in IVF?
Women who exercised four hours or more per week for one to nine years were 40% less likely to give birth alive and twice as likely to experience implantation failure, per a study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology. It’s crucial to maintain good health and a stress-free environment throughout the reproductive process if you engage in a regimen of physical activity for 30 to 60 minutes every other day. (5)
Which exercise is best for implantation?
Exercise can help with weight management, hormone balance, circulation, and metabolism, among other things. However, it may be surprising that exercise and fertility treatments are not always compatible.
Women should exercise mindfully during fertility treatments such as IVF. Light exercise may be allowed at certain stages of the IVF cycle, while at others it may be necessary to avoid exercise altogether. It is very important to consult and follow the advice of a fertility specialist to determine how to approach exercise during fertility treatments.
There is no specific exercise that has proven to be best for implantation. While exercise is beneficial for fertility, it is important to approach exercise with caution and follow the advice of a fertility specialist during fertility treatments. It should also be noted that implantation is a complex biological process that is affected by several factors such as embryo quality, uterine receptivity, and hormonal balance. While maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise may be beneficial for overall fertility, there is no guarantee that any particular exercise will increase implantation success.
If you have any concerns about exercising during fertility treatments, it is recommended that you consult your fertility specialist for recommended guidelines. Fertility specialists are the most knowledgeable about how to take care of your body during treatment and can provide you with the most reliable information about exercise and other lifestyle factors that can affect your fertility.
Source:
1,2,4-https://rmanetwork.com/blog/ivf-and-exercise-everything-you-need-to-know/
3,5-https://rmanetwork.com/blog/how-much-is-too-much-exercise-during-ivf/
Morris, S. N., Missmer, S. A., Cramer, D. W., Powers, R. D., McShane, P. M., & Hornstein, M. D. (2006). Effects of lifetime exercise on the outcome of in vitro fertilization. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 108(4), 938-945.
