How much exercise is good for IVF patients?

Well-meaning friends say ‘take it easy’. Doctors say ‘don’t overdo it’. But who’s right when it comes to exercise before and during pregnancy? And should you tread particularly carefully when you’re having IVF?

The answer to the last question is no, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel-Hill. They followed 108 IVF patients in the year preceding their fertility treatment. The most active almost tripled their chances of a pregnancy compared to the least active. And by active, we mean moderate movement – anything from housework to walking the dog. Maintaining insulin levels through exercise were at the heart of the findings, since too much insulin can harm a woman’s eggs. Interestingly, the study also suggested that exercise after embryo implantation was less relevant.

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the need for a good diet during IVF. But exercise comes in many forms. How can women, whether fertility patients or not, be sure which kind of exercise is best? From the conception angle, a recent study from Boston University suggested, once again, that moderate exercise is the key. It looked at over 3,000 Danish women trying to conceive naturally over a year. It found that those who exercised moderately, and more than five hours a week, got pregnant quicker. But the research also found that high levels of vigorous exercise made pregnancy less likely.

This much we do know. If you’re lucky enough to get pregnant, naturally or via IVF, the same general rules apply. Exercise lowers stress, bring down blood pressure, improves sleep, reduces the chance of an c-section and enhances your sense of wellbeing. When pregnant women exercise, it makes it easier to deal with labour and return to normal after the birth. And your baby is less likely to be overweight.

You should be able to have a conversation while you exercise. If you can’t, you may be overdoing it. Focus on getting your BMI in the normal range – and that goes for both partners before conception. The well-known advice of thirty minutes of exercise, five days a week, can apply as much to those preparing for IVF treatment as those who are not. Have a read of the NHS’s exercise-in-pregnancy guidelines.

It’s fair to say that IVF patients are more closely involved in the minutiae of the creation of their children. They’re told to take folic acid months before their transfer. Many start countdown-to-treatment exercise regimes. After transfer, they’re told to rest and keep off the trampoline. ‘Keep positive and hope for the best’ is the mantra. It’s hardly specific.

And it’s hardly surprising that exercise Q&As are ten-a-penny when the IVF stakes are so high. As so often, it’s mostly just common sense. Keeping active keeps your well, mentally and physically. A healthy weight also lowers the chance of damage to your baby’s immune system. So keep moving. Your baby will thank you for it.