Moving with intention: How exercise can support your fertility

Table of contents:

1. Why movement affects fertility

2. The link between hormones, stress and exercise

3. Finding the right balance

4. The best forms of movement for fertility

5. Listening to your body

Why movement affects fertility

When you’re trying to conceive, you often get advice about nutrition, your cycle, or supplements. But one factor is often overlooked: movement. Not just any exercise, but the kind that helps your body feel safe, nourished, and balanced. Movement plays an important role in reproductive health. Regular exercise helps balance your hormones, improve circulation, and reduce stress - all key factors for fertility. Stress, in particular, can disrupt ovulation and lower the chances of conception. Movement also improves insulin sensitivity, which is essential for regulating your cycle. Women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) can especially benefit from this.

Did you know? Movement can also affect your uterine lining. Better blood flow makes it more “receptive” to a fertilised egg, increasing the chances of implantation.

But fertility isn’t just about fitness - it’s about creating an environment where your body feels safe to sustain a pregnancy. That means moving in ways that give you energy, not drain it.

The hormonal connection

One of the most powerful ways movement supports fertility is through its effect on hormones. Exercise helps regulate insulin and cortisol, two hormones that have a major impact on your reproductive system. Insulin plays a key role in ovulation - when it stays stable, regular ovulation is more likely. This is especially important for women with insulin resistance, which is common in PCOS.

Cortisol, your main stress hormone, can also influence fertility. Gentle, moderate exercise helps lower it - but too much or too intense exercise can have the opposite effect. High cortisol levels over time can interfere with reproductive hormones such as LH and GnRH, disrupting ovulation.

Note: Your body is sensitive to all forms of stress, including physical stress from overtraining. If you work out too hard, eat too little, or don’t rest enough, your body may shift into survival mode - and temporarily stop ovulating.

Finding the right balance

Fertility-friendly movement is all about balance. Exercise is beneficial, but that doesn’t mean you need to sweat it out in the gym every day. It’s about tuning in to your body and knowing when it needs rest. Too much intense training - like CrossFit, long-distance running, or HIIT - can deplete your energy and elevate stress hormones. Your body interprets this as a sign that conditions aren’t safe for pregnancy.

That doesn’t mean you should stop exercising - quite the opposite. Gentle, consistent movement supports hormonal balance, improves blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, and helps calm your nervous system. Nutrition plays a role here too. If you’re under-eating - especially carbohydrates and healthy fats - your body may interpret that as scarcity and temporarily “pause” reproduction.

Tip: Think of each workout in terms of three pillars - nutrition, recovery, and rest. Your body needs fuel to sustain a pregnancy, even before it begins.

The best forms of movement for fertility

There’s no one-size-fits-all formula, but most experts recommend a mix of light cardio, strength training, mind-body movement, and rest.

1. Moderate cardio: Activities like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming improve circulation and reduce stress. Focus on consistency rather than intensity.

2. Strength training: Light resistance training using your body weight or resistance bands helps stabilise insulin levels and build muscle, which supports hormonal sensitivity.

3. Mind-body movement: Yoga, tai chi, or Pilates help calm the nervous system, lower cortisol, and strengthen the mind-body connection - something that’s especially valuable during a fertility journey.

4. Rest days: Just as important as active days. Your body rebuilds and restores itself during rest. Think of rest not as laziness, but as an active investment in your hormonal health.

Remember: Rest isn’t “doing nothing.” It’s a way of listening to your body and giving it the space to recover and prepare for what’s next.

For those with PCOS or endometriosis

Movement can be especially beneficial for conditions like PCOS and endometriosis. For PCOS, exercise helps reduce insulin resistance and lower excess androgens (male hormones), both of which can interfere with ovulation. For endometriosis, gentle movement can help reduce inflammation and ease pelvic pain. Avoid overexertion, especially during painful phases. A 2023 meta-analysis found that moderate exercise improved cycle regularity and ovulation in women with PCOS, even without significant weight loss.

During treatment or recovery

If you’re undergoing fertility treatment such as IUI or IVF, or recovering from a miscarriage, you may need to adjust your routine. Intense abdominal workouts or heavy strength training are best avoided for a while. That doesn’t mean complete rest, though. Gentle walks or light stretching can help release tension, improve sleep, and create emotional space.

Listening to your body is your strongest tool

The most important lesson: you don’t need a rigid plan to support your fertility. It’s not about performance - it’s about tuning into what feels nourishing. Sometimes that means moving because it energises you. Other times, it means resting because your body asks for it. Movement can be a way to rebuild trust in your body - something that can feel fragile during a fertility journey. Your body knows what it needs. You just have to listen.

Key takeaways

• Movement supports hormonal balance, circulation and stress regulation.

• Over-exercising can backfire - gentleness is strength.

• Yoga, walking, and light strength training help balance body and mind.

• Rest and nourishment are just as vital as movement.

• Listening to your body is the most fertile form of self-care.

References:

Abulizi, M., Xu, H., Abuduguli, A., Zhao, W., He, L., & Zhang, C. (2023). Dual mediating effects of social support and fertility stress on mindfulness and fertility quality of life in infertile men: A case-control study. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1138282. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1138282

Wang, G., Liu, X., & Lei, J. (2023). Effects of mindfulness-based intervention for women with infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of women's mental health, 26(2), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-023-01307-2

Kundarti, F. I., Titisari, I., Rahayu, D. E., Kiswati, & Jamhariyah (2023). Mindfulness improves the mental health of infertile women: A systematic review. Journal of public health research, 12(3), 22799036231196693. https://doi.org/10.1177/22799036231196693

Maierhaba, A., Jiang, M., Zhi, L. et al. A pathway study of factors influencing quality of fertility life. BMC Public Health 24, 1045 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18386-0