Pre-pregnancy: Fitness and Fertility

A good nutritional intake and sensible exercise routine are important for all women who intend to get, or are already, pregnant. This is because a fit and healthy body is essential to maximise your chances of falling pregnant.

An exercise regime can help to prepare your body for the physical demands of pregnancy by strengthening and toning muscle before you conceive. Exercise also enhances our immune system, boosts circulation and heightens our energy levels: all vital factors in preparing the body for making and carrying a baby.

On top of all this, as well as creating the best internal environment for conception to occur, keeping physically fit and well is crucial for the healthy foetal development of your baby.

it is definitely worth preparing your body pre-conception for the natural physical changes associated with pregnancy that you will undergo. Although possible. it is more difficult to take up an exercise routine, if you are unfit during your pregnancy, so it is good practice to start as soon as you can in order to incorporate it into your lifestyle.

Getting fit for fertility also will have twofold benefits for you, in the form of an improved sense of physical and mental wellbeing in advance of your pregnancy. In addition, studies have shown that when we exercise, chemicals called endorphins are released into our brains, which make us feel naturally ‘high’ and help fight off the blues.

The only word of caution is that you should not go over the top. You should bear in mind that excessive exercising may affect how regularly you ovulate, so it is important not to overdo it. Check out our ovulation calculator to help you work out when you are at your most fertile. All things in moderation as they say. Getting up every day at 6am to do a Hollywood actress type super-workout is probably best avoided!

Consult an appropriate fitness professional before taking up an exercise routine. If you are very unfit, you should consult your doctor before beginning a new fitness regime.

Why not chat to other mums about this, or other topics, by leaving a message on our chat forum. Alternatively, if you want to meet other mums in your area with similar age babies, visit our people section of the site to find out what is happening in your area, or join or start one of our groups.

If you have any unanswered questions, use our questions page to gain wisdom from other mums or our resident experts for all those pregnancy or baby-related niggles. Also, have a look at our Kit section where we list our top-rated baby equipment.