Whilst moderate exercise helps relieve stress and prepare a body for a healthy pregnancy, spending too much time in the gym can impair a woman’s fertility, according to a new study of 3,000 women published in last month’s edition of Human Reproduction.

In our book, Making Babies, we suggest that women who are trying to conceive do enough exercise to maintain a normal level of fitness and but that they do it in a way that makes them feel good physically and mentally, not drained or exhausted.  This advice is seconded by Sigridur Lara Gudmundsdottir, who led the study, ” we found two groups who experienced an increased risk of infertility. There were those who trained almost every day, and there were those who trained until they were completely exhausted. Those who did both had the highest risk of infertility.”

The researchers believe that high levels of physical activity consume so much energy that the body experiences short periods of time where there simply is not enough energy to maintain all the necessary hormonal mechanisms that make fertilization possible.

This correlates with the way traditional Chinese medicine sees the effects of too much exercise on qi. Qi is the word used to describe the body’s ability to warm, move and make transformations. For thousands of years Chinese doctors have cautioned their patients not to deplete their qi, if they are trying to conceive, because weak qi can lead to failure to ovulate or affect the embryo’s ability to implant.

The key is moderation. Too much exercise depletes qi whilst moderate exercise can help build qi. This is supported by previous research which has shown that moderate physical activity gives women better insulin function and an improved hormonal profile. In this recent study there is no evidence of impaired fertility through moderate amounts of exercise. Gudmundsdottir advises that women who want to conceive should still maintain their fitness but avoid extremes.

‘We believe it is likely that physical activity at a very high or very low level has a negative effect on fertility, while moderate activity is beneficial,’ she said.

Today’s blog was written by YinOva acupuncturist and herbalist Margaret Sikowitz

What a week! Crazy weather, way too much to do and not a minute to myself. Sounds familiar, I know since pretty much everyone walking through our doors at the Yinova Center recently echoed a similar sentiment.

For me, this calls for a good sweat. Yes, exercise as a balm to soothe my cranky soul. I’m talking about what runners call a ‘high’ that accompanies a good work out. Make no mistake, I’m hardly a runner. But I make do. Like so many of us with so many plates to juggle, the trick is to find a little time 3-5 days a week rather than a long stretch of time once a week. A little regular exercise, even as little as 15 minutes a day, can help reduce our body’s cortisol levels. Since this is the hormone that is released with stress, lowering it is a very good thing.

This is all well and good but what about those 15 minutes? Where do they come from and what can I do? Here are some (very) basics:

Set yourself up for success by doing something you enjoy. If you can’t stand bike riding, that spinning class probably isn’t for you. Like a walk in the park? Great, put on your running shoes and pick up the pace.

Keep it simple. If you really only have 15 minutes a few times a week, consider easy getting off the subway a few stops ahead of your destination at the end of a day and walk briskly home. You’ll likely arrive a little sweaty and much calmer.

If you find that several days in a row have left you unable to find the time for a little movement, plan it out. E.g., “…I know tomorrow will (also) be insane, but the next day I’m going to get out for at least 20 minutes so I can ____ (run, swim, bike, you name it!).” A little is always better than nothing.

Focus. For those of us that are not preternaturally athletic, remember that a little goes a long way. You need not set out daily to run a marathon, but you owe it to yourself to move faster that your normal pace for a little longer than you’re used to. You already know how important it is for your bones, and your heart.

Now you know that it also makes you a little calmer. And that will take you far.

(Note, many of our fertility patients often ask about what type of exercise they should be doing. Our advice for you is a little different. Please note that while mild exercise is generally beneficial, we will advise you to moderate your activity to avoid that ‘rush’ that I talk about above as it alters your hormone levels. )

Several of our patients are running in today’s New York Marathon. We want you to know that we’re rooting for you all. It’s a huge achievement to train for and complete a marathon and we have been happy to support our patients in the run up. I expect I’ll be treating some sore muscles in the next few days and so it seems like a good time to write about how Chinese Medicine sees exercise related muscle soreness and how we can help. Continue reading…