Hi all and welcome to another Belly Strong video. Today's chat is all about working out while trying
to conceive. Now this is for all the women out there looking to conceive in the near future,
and wanting to prepare their bodies for pregnancy. It is not for anyone undergoing in-vitro
fertilization or anyone with complications or conditions related to trying to conceive,
unless your doctor has given you the go-ahead for exercise. Trying to make a baby can be a
really stressful endeavor and there is so much information out there on what you should and
shouldn't do. Now exercise has multiple benefits in general, but especially for pre-pregnant,
pregnant and postpartum women. Firstly, it improves cardiovascular health.
During pregnancy the heart is under massive load trying to support another human body, and
your blood supply increases up to 40%. Making sure that the heart is strong and efficient going into
pregnancy means it's better able to deal with the increased pressure on it. Having a decent level of
fitness may also reduce your risk of complications like gestational diabetes and high blood pressure
because exercise helps to control blood sugar levels as well as regulate blood pressure.
Exercise also tones and strengthens muscles which is integral to providing stability and support to
your joints as your body grows during pregnancy. It may also help you avoid things like pelvic,
hip, back pain and SPD. Additionally, being active is a great stress reliever. Stress and anxiety can
actually have physiological effects on the body and affect reproductive processes like ovulation.
Endorphin release during exercise improves mood, relieves stress, and can leave you feeling a lot
more relaxed about the process. Now what sort of exercise should you do? Any aerobic activity that
elevates the heart rate and gets you breathing a bit faster is great. Things like jogging,
walking, cycling, swimming or even some of the cardio workouts that we've designed for the trying
to conceive period. Body weight strength exercises (think squats, lunges, bridges, push-ups) are
simple ways to start building strength to prepare the body for the extra weight that comes with
pregnancy. Weighted activities are a step up from that and are great for building muscle.
Again you'll find loads of strength routines in our Postpartum Restore, Strengthen and Trying
To Conceive series. If you haven't been active before and are looking to start,
make sure to check with a medical professional first, but whatever you do start slowly and
build up gradually. Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week,
and these are things that increase the heart rate and get you breathing faster. Now this could look
like five 30-min sessions a week, or two 60-min sessions and one 30 minute session a week.
Do what works for you. And if you feel guilty for seemingly not doing enough, remember that
something is better than nothing. If you've already been working out to a high intensity, feel
free to continue. However, working out at an elite level is associated with a lot of energy use and,
if this is not restored with adequate nutrition, it can make trying to conceive a bit more
difficult. This is because the body just doesn't have enough energy to ensure adequate function,
and this can in turn affect things like menstrual function and fertility.
This is why some elite athletes consider working out at a lower intensity while trying to conceive.
In summary, exercise has some great benefits. If you're still unsure about anything chat to
a medical professional or physiotherapist for more specific guidelines. Otherwise, happy conceiving!
Check out our Trying To Conceive series for workout ideas, subscribe to the Belly Strong
channel, hit the notification bell, and I'm excited to have you join this journey.