As one faces the struggles of natural conception, it can be incredibly tough to discern what activities one should take part in and what activities one should avoid altogether. Most couples who undergo IVF treatment are in their early thirties, opting for IVF out of desperation and frustration. The process of IVF itself is complicated enough that it can be overwhelming for anyone who is experiencing it for the first time. Any IVF centre in Punjab can guide you through the various aspects of IVF, such as how one should prepare one’s body for IVF injections, what to expect when one goes for an embryo transfer and a variety of other things.
However, there is another aspect of IVF that is not talked about enough: how one needs to find a balance between keeping the body active and not straining it. Exercise is entirely too important for our bodies, but exhausting the body in the process is not the way to go. Especially when one is undergoing IVF treatment, it becomes paramount to ensure that one is taking care of the body. Even the best IVF centre in Srinagar will advise you to find moderation and balance in your workout routine. As much as engaging and participating in regular exercise is important, it is also important that one pays attention to the kind of exercise that one is engaging in. It is vital that one pays attention to the intensity and the frequency of exercise one engages in.
Relationship Between IVF and Exercise
IVF and exercise enjoy a close relationship in the stimulation and ovulation stages. Exercise can help create a hormonally balanced environment in the body, which is vital for the success of embryo transfer. It helps improve circulation as well as latently ensure that the person is maintaining their weight as a result. There will be no excessive fluctuations in body weight as a result of one’s regular participation in exercise.
Despite how beneficial exercise can be, it is still advised that one refrain from engaging in any and all high-impact or strenuous exercises. Following is a list of exercises one should and should not participate in while receiving the IVF treatment.
Light Exercises
There are a few light-impact exercises that most IVF doctors recommend that people do in order to keep the body active and maintained while receiving IVF treatment. Some of these light exercises are as follows:
- Walking: One must start slowly and be gentle on themselves if they are not in the habit of exercising daily. As one builds a routine, one can easily increase the time and speed of walking. It is recommended that one changes their route ever so often in order to avoid getting bored after a while.
- Pilates: Pilates usually focuses on building core-strength and stability. Any IVF centre in Punjab will recommend that one undertakes Pilates as one receives the IVF treatment.
- Yoga: Perhaps one of the more important ones, engaging and participating in Yoga exercises not only helps one physically, but it also aids in calming one’s mind down, which is essential as one goes through various stages of IVF.
Moderate Exercises
Up to a certain extent, the patient is allowed to participate regularly in moderate exercises. However, it is recommended that they be mindful of the intensity and frequency of exercises. Some of the moderate exercises that can be done while receiving IVF treatment are as follows:
- Swimming
- Water aerobics, with the help of a trained instructor
- Stationary Cycling
- Tai Chi
- Light Weightlifting
Intensive Exercises
By a thumb rule, intensive exercises are generally to be avoided by anyone and everyone trying to conceive by any means. It is advisable not to put the body under any unnecessary and avoidable muscle strain.
- High-Impact Exercises: Any exercise that puts excessive strain on the body needs to be taken out of one’s regular workout routine. Even running can be a strenuous exercise that needs to be avoided.
- Contact Sports: Any sport that has a chance of sudden collision or fall should be avoided. Some of these sports include basketball and football.
- Heavy Weightlifting: Any lifting that can cause or lead to abdominal muscle strains or tears are to be avoided.
No Exercise During Egg Retrieval or Embryo Transfer
As much as the body needs to stay active, the best IVF centre in Srinagar advises against exercise during the egg retrieval or embryo transfer phase. The body is in a highly fragile stage, one needs to avoid exercise in the week leading up to egg retrieval stage and two weeks after the embryo transfer has taken place. One should allow their body to rest and relax in these stages of IVF procedure.
Conclusion
The pathway of IVF can be complicated and confusing during the best of times. To say nothing of the times when one approaches it after the emotional turmoil of accepting their own body’s inability to conceive naturally. There are a number of things one needs to keep in mind as one undergoes the IVF procedure – how one engages with exercise is a huge part of the process. It is important to know how one should and should not exercise.
