Here's How Walking Regularly Can Help You With Pregnancy

Walking can help in increase chances of pregnancy in women, says study

People who are planning to get pregnant face difficulties in doing so, for numerous reasons. A sedentary lifestyle which includes unhealthy eating habits, smoking, drinking and no exercising, can come in your way of planning a pregnancy. According to a recent study, women who aspire to start a family should exercise for minimum of 4 hours in a week. Scientists have recently made this discovery that 240 minutes of intense and vigorous physical activity can improve fertility levels in women who have a history of miscarriages. The research further found that overweight women need only 10 minutes of strolling in order to boost their fertility.
 

Walking can improve fertility in women, says study
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Researchers found that only 10 minutes of regular strolling or walking in a leisurely way can increase their chances of becoming pregnant by almost 80% within six cycles. And they needn't take part in vigorous exercise, reported IANS.

However, University of Massachusetts Amherst experts say that the results might be such because they have an effect at the molecular level. They stress on the fact that the results of the study is in fact, testimony to how beneficial exercising is for women planning a pregnancy. The study shows that walking can specifically help women with higher Body Mass Index (BMI).

Also read: How To Plan A Pregnancy If Your Partner Is Infertile: Explained By Our Expert

Where physical activity and exercising regularly were recommended only generally, experts now feel happy about the fact that the same has been backed by research.

The study shows how walking, even for limited periods of time, can benefit your body in a healthy way. Because of its low cost and availability, walking has a great potential as a form of exercise.
 

Exercising can improve your fertility
Photo Credit: iStock

The study, published in Human Reproduction, was conducted over 1,200 participants, all of whom were followed by the researchers through their 6 menstrual cycles while they were trying to get pregnant. The participants included women between the ages 18 and 40, who had gone through at least one miscarriage in their lifetime. The researchers were basically looking into how exercising can improve women's ability to get pregnant within a certain frame of time - also known as their fecundability.

It was found that the link between exercising and fecundability varied significantly by BMI. Overweight women were specifically found to be at 82% increased chance of getting pregnant. The findings can be considered to be groundbreaking, especially because overweight women experience grave difficulties in getting pregnant.

The secondary analysis of the study found that women who exercised for a minimum of 4 hours had 69% higher success rate of getting pregnant. Over and above the benefits of exercising, importance has to be paid to living a healthy lifestyle as this too can affect chances of a woman getting pregnant at the molecular level.

There was no overall relationship between most types of physical activity and the likelihood of becoming pregnant for any other types of exercise.

However, the study says nothing about the effects of vigorous exercising on women who are planning to get pregnant. A physical activity of higher intensity can have different biological effect.

Also read: Planning To Get Pregnant? You Must Have These 5 Nutrients

Besides, women who are planning pregnancy after miscarriage can have healthy pregnancy. Few routine tests can help you know about your health condition and how healthy/unhealthy you are for getting pregnant.

If you have had 1 miscarriage, there is actually no need to wait to conceive again. Research says that women who got pregnant within 6 months of miscarriage experienced few complications as compared to those who waited longer to conceive.

For women who have had 2 or more miscarriages, seeking medical advice before planning another pregnancy can be helpful. Your doctor will help you know the reasons for repeated miscarriages and possible treatments for the same.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.