# Exercise and IVF



## tentoes (Nov 8, 2016)

I was hoping some other exercise fans out there might have some advice / experience on this one. 

We are starting IVF / ICSI next month.  We have just been at our protocol appointment where I was told no exercise other than gentle walking during the stimulation period and thereafter if it is successful... this is going to be tough! I do a lot of exercise.  It is my number one stress release and the main way I have coped throughout the stress of all the fertility stuff we have been going through.  I love going to Barry's bootcamp, love spin classes, lifting heavy weights and running.  A 5 km run at a slow pace (30 mins) counts as a rest day - my heart rate wouldn't normally go above 140 bpm at the very most at its peak (I wear a heart rate monitor).  And my resting heart rate is in the fit zone - 50 bpm.  So I'm not really sure how to take this no exercise advice.  Is this just a "one size fits all" approach, assuming that I do an average amount of exercise, and can I just tone down the exercise instead? Of course, it may be I feel so tired and bloated a run is the last thing I feel like doing.  But if I am up to it, I don't know how I will manage my mental health without exercise! The nurse at the protocol appointment also didn't exactly fill me with confidence - I got the impression she had a checklist of things to say and this was one of them.  What advice have others been given?


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## teammonkey (Apr 19, 2014)

Hi tentoes,
I too am a exercise fanatic! I've had 1 fresh cycle & 1 FET. With my fresh I exercised as normal during DR, but stopped in stims, and continued doing no exercise until I'd had my 12 scan. With the growing in size of your ovaries you can twist and damage them, plus you are asking your body to something very unnatural, this takes a lot of energy. My view was it sucks but not worth the risk. With my FET I continued exercising, but it backfired, on my scan my lining wasn't thickening up, so I stopped exercising, then it did thicken up nicely. I realised however much I love exercise, this isn't a natural pregnancy, and what we are asking our bodies to do is just not worth risking, ignoring medical advise.  X


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

When you are doing stimulation drugs your ovaries grow bigger and you are at risk of ovarian torsion (very painful and not at all good for you!). Also I felt flipping shattered during stims and even walking was a bit tough! They advise nothing that stretches your body physically for a good reason. You might feel ok for the first few days, and some people feel fine throughout - but it doesn't mean that your ovaries aren't big 

After egg collection your ovaries can be tender and swollen for some time. Some people it's a matter of days, for others it can be a lot longer. You also need to avoid swimming after egg collection due to the risk of infection.

After embryo transfer they suggest walking to promote blood flow to your uterus, but be careful with other stuff because if the cycle didn't work would you blame it on the exercise? If you get pregnant I think you might feel a bit different in the early stages - I got paranoid going over a speed bump 

Good luck xxx


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## Veinarde (Feb 17, 2017)

Serena Williams played and won the Australian open final whilst 8 weeks pregnant! 
I can't give advice, but personally I would do what feels ok to me. I am doing yoga at the moment but I think I will switch to some low impact weight training (legs, arms).

Good luck!


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## pollita (Feb 23, 2011)

I agree, IVF is different to natural pregnancy - you have 10-30+ follicles growing compared to just one or two I a natural cycle and as others have said, my nurse said no twisting, lifting or bouncing because it could irrevocably damage your growing ovaries. 

I find it hard because I exercise a lot to lose weight but also to keep me sane and now, during IVF is when I need it the most! I started  stims yesterday and my consultant said I can continue Zumba over the weekend only if I take it easy and don't jump or get out of breath. I just finished a class and it was disappointing not doing as much as usual but I know it'll be worth it. She said once my scan in Monday happens it'll be walking only 😞


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

As far as we know Serena Williams didn't do sims and have ovaries the size of pineapples! 

They give the advice for a good reason - and for a very good reason any impact training, combat sport or anything that can cause torsion (like yoga) is medically advised against because of the serious damage to your ovaries that it can cause.

Xxx


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## KDJay (Sep 21, 2015)

I cycled to work and back (1 hour) during stims but this was not very strenuous and something I did every day so was gentle exercise for me, felt it was good tkkeeping blood moving around my body but def wouldn't have done more than that and I knocked my usual gym exercise on the head x I was successful first time


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## tentoes (Nov 8, 2016)

Thanks everyone - really appreciate all the responses which were far more helpful than the info I was given at my appointment (where there was no explanation for telling me not to exercise!).  I was really hoping everyone would say "no, no it's fine" but it is better to know now and avoid all risks. Although  I am genuinely worried as to how I am going to keep myself sane now.  Exercise (and wine, which is also a no no!) has been my life raft lately...


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## Angedelight (Aug 17, 2012)

Tentoes
I know how frustrating it is. My accupuncturist told me to stop running as both western and Chinese medicine apparently agree it can cause some sort of imbalance. She also said all my energy needs to go to my reproductive organs so I stopped that.  I love lifting heavy weights and carried on with that, I went on day 2 of stimms to the gym because I was raging and it seemed the most productive way to release it. Nothing since, and now day 8. Going to do lots of walking. That's all I do in 2ww too. Mind you I'm always exhausted during that!.
Good luck x


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## MargotW (Jan 26, 2016)

My clinic told me to listen to my body. I had to slow down the exercise and doing long protocol is really tiring. The other thing no-one tells you is that your co-ordination goes to pot. I have swimming every week and the instructor tried to teach me butterfly, it was disaster and it's now a joke between us. I've managed spin and swimming but really listen to your body and don't get frustrated when you can't do things. I have always avoided the boxing as I am petrified of someone accidentally punching me in the stomach. If you do get pregnant you'll likely get out of breath really easily and will only be able to do gentle exercise in any event. 
Good luck.


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## teammonkey (Apr 19, 2014)

Glad the advise was of help. So many different views. I'm of the school it's such a huge ask for your body, just don't do anything you'll look back at & say I regret this, did it fail because I did this. Having got pregnant both cycles, and second cycle seeing my body fail to respond due to me continuing to exercise was my lesson learnt. I stopped realising the advise was there for a reason. 
Good luck with your cycle! Fx it's successful xx


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## bippy11 (Jun 23, 2016)

Hi tentoes and everyone else. 
I was really interested to read everyone's thoughts and experiences on this as it is something I often wonder about. I do exercise daily and also have low pulse whenever they measure it and find exercise really helps during these difficult times and find it a good release. So I find it very difficult to stop and have had quite mixed advice from various docs and nurses over the years. I have cut running down to 6 km twice a week and on grass to lessen the impact, I combine that with swimming and yoga, as well as a bit of tennis. 
I recently had an egg collection and got 27 eggs (23 mature - sounds good, but last time we had 17 and only got 1 genetically good blastocyst). I only did 2 runs during the two week stimms, plus more gentle yoga and swims. We're doing a double collection this time to try and get more than 1 genetically good one at the end of it, and for the next collection I might do even less exercise, particularly after reading some of this advice here. But I also have to stay sane. And I do wonder that when you are used to exercising a lot, it's also strange for the body to just completely stop. And also isn't exercise good for blood flow..? I don't think there's any scientific evidence either way, but then I guess that would be hard to get.. During 2ww I only do gentle walking these days. xxx


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## Cma700 (Nov 12, 2012)

Hi everyone, 
I love the going to the gym and tend to do 5+ classes a week body pump, body balance, shabam, body combat LBT etc.  I am a little addicted and it has helped with my anxiety and stress over the years. I have had also mixed messages i am currently 4 days into stims and feel extremely tired so haven't done any exercise yet (although I walked 5 miles yesterday).  When I asked at the clinic they said to do granny exercise and nothing intense and just do what my body feels.  I do agree that your body is doing something very unnatural and exercising is just adding to it, so in the past I have stopped when doing stims and walked or gone to the gym just to use the treadmill or stepper.  I know from previous cycles even for a month after I have only walked as my ovaries have been that swollen I was told by the hospital that I could end up in A and E if I did  high impact exercise which scared me! I was thinking of doing the shbam class on Tuesday and taking it really down (just so I am feeling normal) but I will see how I feel as I might also worry that I could hurt myself.  Dont want to add any stress!


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## tentoes (Nov 8, 2016)

Hi everyone.  I would love to respond individually but there are so many incredibly helpful comments here that I will just have to say a big thanks to everyone instead!! 

I've also been reading online about ovarian torsion - I didn't know anything about that previously until it was mentioned here- it's quite scary.  A good friend of mine has just done one (sadly unsuccessful) round of ICSI and when I was speaking to her Friday she also hadn't heard anything about it - her clinic never even mentioned it to her! Her clinic just told her to listen to her body and not push herself.

The messages people have got from their clinics as to what is and isn't okay seem to be a bit mixed.  I've been reading some of the guidance online from fertility clinics here and in the US, with some saying to avoid all high impact exercise but yoga is okay, others saying to avoid high impact and anything (including yoga) where you twist and contort your body but cycling and elliptical trainers are okay, and some places saying so long as you don't go too hard and just listen to your body you will be fine!  I guess the consistent message is nothing too strenuous. And I'm going to have to speak to my clinic again about it all.  

Like some OPs exercise is so important for my mental health, that I can't see I can cut it out completely.  It really has been the thing that has helped me get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other during what have been a very tough couple of years.  That BFP is so important to me but it won't be good for me, my husband or any future baby if I achieve it to the detriment of my mental health.  However, I guess there is no avoiding the fact I am going to have to cut it back and cut back the intensity of it no matter how I feel!


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## teammonkey (Apr 19, 2014)

Hi tentoes,
Just read your post, and wanted to say I totally relate to how you feel. Just wanted to say I got pregnant through ICSI, just swam & did Pilates which killed me, and by 8 weeks post partim I was back in the gym doing spin classes, body attack, kettle classes. It was the hardest year of my life, I won't sugar coat it! But having my baby in my arms, I now no I'll do it all again. 
I'm about to start ICSI again, after a recent miscarriage. Again I'll still exercise but only gentle exercise in stims/first trimester if I'm that lucky! I hope you find a balance that works for you! All I would say is having a child is the best medicine for your mental health, even if it suffers a little right now. X


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## tentoes (Nov 8, 2016)

Hi Teammonkey, 

Thanks for your post - it does make me feel a lot better to hear that despite a really tough year it was worth it and that you were able to get back to exercise so soon after birth. 

I'm so very sorry to hear about your miscarriage.  I really hope that this round of ICSI works and am sending you lots of positive thoughts.  x


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## teammonkey (Apr 19, 2014)

Hi tentoes, 
Thank you, fx it's successful for us both!

Just wanted to give you hope that even though sacrificing such a big part of who we are, it really is worth it xx


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## Molly78 (Jul 1, 2014)

I m a running junkie but cut back to brisk walking during stims and after transfer x


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## Cma700 (Nov 12, 2012)

Does anyone know when I can start excercising after failed ivf?


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## pollita (Feb 23, 2011)

I'm sorry to hear t failed. I was just told as soon as I had bled, but I tried right after and could feel some discomfort in my ovaries so I've postponed it another week. Still at risk of ovarian damage if they haven't shrunk back to normal size yet


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## teammonkey (Apr 19, 2014)

Hi cma, again so sorry your in this position. I think its probably best to check with Nurture, but I was all under the impression it can take a few weeks for them to start to shrink. Personally I would wait for a few weeks to remove any risk of a torsion x


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