Babble Health

Bespoke & rolling fitness course

£199.00

A Fitness expert is a personal trainer who specialises in supporting men and women who are trying to conceive. They understand that high intensity training is probably not the best type of training for you, even if you are trying to lower your BMI. You DO NOT want to be working out at a 9/10 or 10/10 effort level when trying to conceive. This may actually do more harm than good. A fitness expert can guide you on the right exercise levels for you.

 

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Description

There are a number of factors to consider when you are on your fertility journey, one of the key factors being BMI, or body mass index.

Most fertility clinics want you to have a BMI of 30 or below before you can start treatment. This means that many women will aim to lower their BMI as quickly as possible, often turning to High intensity interval training (HIIT) in the process. Whilst this seems to make sense, (after all, for a lot of women they have been trying to conceive for a long time, and there is the added pressure of the biological clock) it can actually be detrimental to your overall fertility.

HIIT training exerts a lot of stress on your body and this can lead to the release of cortisol.

Cortisol is the stress hormone we release when we sense danger. It certainly has its uses, especially if you are being chased by a bear, or if someone jumps out on you in the dark but it is far less useful when you are trying to get pregnant. Excess cortisol leads to a number of negative side effects such as fatigue and the constant feeling of being stressed, but it can also interfere with your menstrual cycle and some research has even suggested it can affect implantation of a fertilized embryo.

So, when it comes to trying to conceive, there certainly isn’t one piece of advice to suit everyone but it is crucial to make sure you have a personal trainer that understands fertility. You need to make sure that you are getting healthier and working on your fertility at the same time. The last thing you want is to be making great progress fitness wise, but accidentally decreasing your fertility at the same time.

There are a number of factors to consider when you are on your fertility journey, one of the key factors being BMI, or body mass index.

Most fertility clinics want you to have a BMI of 30 or below before you can start treatment. This means that many women will aim to lower their BMI as quickly as possible, often turning to High intensity interval training (HIIT) in the process. Whilst this seems to make sense, (after all, for a lot of women they have been trying to conceive for a long time, and there is the added pressure of the biological clock) it can actually be detrimental to your overall fertility.

HIIT training exerts a lot of stress on your body and this can lead to the release of cortisol.

Cortisol is the stress hormone we release when we sense danger. It certainly has its uses, especially if you are being chased by a bear, or if someone jumps out on you in the dark but it is far less useful when you are trying to get pregnant. Excess cortisol leads to a number of negative side effects such as fatigue and the constant feeling of being stressed, but it can also interfere with your menstrual cycle and some research has even suggested it can affect implantation of a fertilized embryo.

So, when it comes to trying to conceive, there certainly isn’t one piece of advice to suit everyone but it is crucial to make sure you have a personal trainer that understands fertility. You need to make sure that you are getting healthier and working on your fertility at the same time. The last thing you want is to be making great progress fitness wise, but accidentally decreasing your fertility at the same time.

About Your Expert

After struggling with her own fertility issues, Maria Howell wants to help as many people as possible manage their own issues through fitness.

Maria is a qualified personal trainer, a pre and post natal personal trainer and is also a qualified Psychology teacher with 15 years teaching experience.

Here is what she says about choosing a personal trainer when TTC:

Training when trying to conceive and when going through infertility is not the same as training to get a six pack, visible abs or the glutes of your dreams. This is a whole different ball game.

So, here are eight vital things to think about when looking for a personal trainer when you are also trying to conceive:

1.Make sure your trainer understands that high intensity training is probably not the best type of training for you, even if you are trying to lower your BMI. You DO NOT want to be working out at a 9/10 or 10/10 effort level when trying to conceive. This may actually do more harm than good.

2.When trying to conceive, rapid weight loss can be harmful to your fertility. You may need to lower your BMI, and that’s ok, but you need to do this slowly. No crash diets, no extreme exercise and definitely no shame or guilt about not losing excessive amounts of weight each week. Infertility has enough shame and guilt, you don’t need that from a trainer as well.

3.It is crucial that your trainer understands the different stages of the menstrual cycle. They have to know when you are approaching ovulation, when you are ovulating and when you are in the two week wait. It is crucial to ensure the training at each of these stages is appropriate for you and your goals.

4.It is crucial that you can talk to your trainer about the stage of your cycle you are at. You have to be comfortable telling them when you are on your period or when you are due to ovulate and your trainer has to respect that and treat you and your journey with respect and understanding.

5.There are risks associated with IVF, including when working out. During STIMS, ovarian torsion is a risk when working out, as your ovaries can become twisted. This is extremely dangerous. You need someone that understands this and can adapt accordingly.

6.Had a visit with wanda that day? Does your trainer understand what this means? You may want exercises adapted to the fact that you have been to see your gynecologist and had a very invasive procedure that day. You probably don’t want to have to explain this to your trainer so find someone who already knows what this means.

7.Resistance training can be fantastic for those with insulin resistant PCOS. But if you are training with someone who has no knowledge of PCOS, let alone insulin resistance, they are not going to take this into consideration when designing your training plan.

8.Your mental health is incredibly important. It can also take a real battering when you are going through infertility. You must make sure that your trainer treats you with the respect and understanding that you deserve. Stay well away from a trainer that shames you or makes you feel bad about not achieving your goal that week. You are fighting a tough enough battle as it is, you just need someone on your side.

It is important that you do everything you can to optimise your chances of conceiving, so make sure you have a trainer that can support you fully on your journey.

Bespoke and rolling fitness course

Maria Howell offers a bespoke and rolling fitness course for £199 per month. The course involves:

  • Personalised training plan with gradual exercise progression
  • Programme for two workouts per week
  • Seven day a week access to your trainer via the app
  • Feedback on exercise form every two weeks
  • Once a week formal contact with trainer
  • Setting and tracking of healthy goals and healthy habits
  • Part of a supportive community group (numbers depending)
  • Accountability support
  • Can be designed for pregnancy or post natal training
  • Meal plans for three days a week designed around your calorie and basic macro needs (when signing up to meal plan option)
  • Everything programmed on an easy to use, free, app
  • All exercises demonstrated in the app, all you need to do is press start
  • Minimal equipment required, can be done in gym or home
  • Workouts progressed to ensure you make progress
  • Two week wait workouts
  • Fertility supporting yoga exercises in every workout
  • Relaxing yoga poses to help lower your stress levels
  • Repeatable fertility supporting yoga routine
  • Pelvic Floor Supporting workout
  • Time not reps, can go at own pace (e.g. endo/pcos flare up)
  • Workouts designed to support you with reaching or maintaining a healthy BMI
  • Cancel any time

 

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