Let’s be real: the journey to motherhood is deeply personal—and often complex. For most of our lives, so much focus rests on how *not* to get pregnant, that most of us don’t know how to prepare our bodies for preconception. Should you start taking prenatal vitamins? Is wine a no-go? And is working out off the table? The questions are endless, and there’s a lot of conflicting information.
Whether you’re trying for a baby naturally, with medical assistance, or preparing for the future by freezing your eggs, movement can make a big difference—especially for fertility and preconception health. But depending on your road to motherhood, there are important nuances to be mindful of to set yourself up for success.
The one consistent through line: stress is not your friend. So to cross one extra worry off your list, obé launched a new Workouts for Preconception workout collection, stocked with gentle exercises to keep you happy and healthy.
Here, we tap obé’s Melody D.—a prenatal and postnatal fitness expert, women’s health specialist, and mom of two—to brief you on all the essential pre-pregnancy workout info. As always, make sure to consult with and get clearance from your doctor before you start any new exercise routine.
How Working Out Benefits Fertility and Preconception Health
One of the biggest myths that continues to scare and confuse women trying for a baby? The idea that you shouldn’t work out at all while trying to conceive—and that exercise can stall or derail your efforts entirely.
“Until recently, there have been very few studies exploring the relationship between exercise and preconception or fertility,” explains Melody (see: the gender data gap). “This lack of research has led medical professionals to generally recommend the path of least resistance, opting for the safest option, which isn’t necessarily the most beneficial.” The better safe than sorry mentality is why we’ve been told to avoid exercise.
What we know for certain is that movement is critical to our bodies functioning optimally—physically, mentally, and cognitively. And for those looking to get pregnant, a 2019 meta-analysis concluded that exercise can actually boost pregnancy rates, particularly for those with PCOS. What’s more, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) specifically encourages women to get more physically active pre-pregnancy. A regular exercise routine can reduce stress, improve insulin sensitivity, manage cortisol, and help balance hormones, which can all help boost fertility.
If you were previously active, transitioning to a sedentary lifestyle for an extended period (conception can take months or years!) can do more harm than good. “The physical benefits of exercise—like maintaining muscle mass, bone density, and a healthy metabolism—all contribute to creating an optimal state for you to conceive and ensure a smooth pregnancy,” adds Melody.
Of course, everyone is individual, and if you have specific medical conditions or sensitivities, always consult with your doctor first. But know there is always a good option to move your body, it may just be gentler than you’re used to!
A Guide to Exercising While Trying to Conceive Naturally
You may be surprised to learn that these general recommendations don’t vary much from the norm. The key difference? Consider your base level of fitness going into the conception phase, and don’t scale up the intensity. In other words, now is not the time to start triathlon training if you were just a casual runner before!
Overall, Melody recommends three key ingredients: ensuring you have a solid strength training foundation, tending to your cardiovascular health, and prioritizing recovery.
On the strength front, go for 2 weekly classes. You can use your body weight (check out obé’s options) or level up with resistance (dumbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, whatever!). Sculpt, Pilates, and Barre classes count here too, though you’ll tap into more benefits if you challenge yourself to lift some moderate weights.
As for cardio, aim for 150 weekly minutes of Zone 2 cardio—that’s your walking, cycling, hiking, jogging, or dancing. Fun fact: you’ll need to pump up to 50% more blood during pregnancy, so preconception is the best time to get your heart in shape. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is okay, but go for smaller doses (if you were doing 2-3 sessions a week previously, limit it to one).
“Be mindful of the overall amount of stress you’re putting on your body,” says Melody. “If you’re overtraining or pushing the intensity too much—for example by doing too much HIIT and not recovering—your body may not have enough energy to support fertility.” Living in a high-stress state will put you into fight or flight, so balance high-intensity moments with lower-intensity options, sleep well, and don’t skip the recovery.
Can Working Out Interrupt Ovulation?
Too much strenuous exercise can certainly disrupt a woman’s menstrual cycle and impede ovulation, which is crucial for conceiving naturally. Athletes, for example, can be more prone to developing amenorrhea, which is the absence of a period, or irregular cycles. But many women—athletes or not—experience irregular cycles if their bodies are in a high-stress state.
That’s because your reproductive system is extremely sensitive to energy deficits. It’s not exercise in and of itself that causes reproductive dysfunction. Thirty minutes of daily exercise actually decreases the risk of ovulatory-factor infertility, according to this study. The problem is periods of intense training without adequate nutrition to refuel after, particularly in cycles.
“If conception is your goal, be mindful of ‘too much’ and ‘too intense,’” explains Melody. “You’ll definitely know you’re doing too much if you notice irregular cycles, and that’s a good indicator to scale back.” The good news is that most women don’t come anywhere near hitting their exercise limits during preconception, so don’t let this deter you from moving your body.
Working Out During In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): Do’s and Dont’s
Here’s where you want to be more mindful about what type of exercise you’re engaging in (but no, don’t cut it out entirely!). A 2014 study found those who work out regularly are more likely to get pregnant following IVF treatment.
The Dont’s
Avoid high-intensity workouts, particularly if they’re new to you (think: HIIT, sprinting, but also hot yoga, which can add strain on the body). Too much workout volume with too little recovery time is a big don’t.
There are some technical considerations as well. During a medically-assisted fertility treatment, you’re given medication to increase the number of eggs you’re creating during your menstrual cycle, which enlarges your ovaries. You’re going to be more sensitive, so you want to avoid high-impact workouts (pro tip: you can filter for low or no-impact only on obé), jerky or sudden movements, quick changes in directions, twisting, and inversions, says Melody.
A lot of women opt for Yoga or Pilates during this time, since they’re no-impact options that seem gentler on the body. But Yoga often includes twisting poses and inversions (no crow poses or headstands, please!), while Pilates, with its laser focus on the core, can induce intra-abdominal pressure and feature lots of twists. You’ll want to modify in class, because while extremely rare, having enlarged ovaries can set you up for ovarian torsion, a serious medical condition.
The Do’s
What’s safe, then? You’ve got lots of options! Any moderate strength training or moderate cardio—like walking, low-impact dance, or low-impact endurance—is all good, sans jerky movements. Be mindful of cardio boxing, which includes rotation; you’ll want to modify and not rotate your trunk. The same goes for stretching, which can include quite a bit of twisting. Remember: now’s not the time to build your flexibility, your focus is maintaining movement quality.
In general, aim for the same guidelines as above (2 weekly strength-based classes and 150 minutes of moderate cardio). Pro tip: If you’re ever nervous about whether something is safe or not, browse the Workouts for Preconception collection or go for a prenatal workout!
Is It Safe to Exercise While Egg Freezing?
The short answer is: yes, with modifications! The same considerations and guidelines from above (working out during IVF) also apply here, as the initial stages of egg freezing are fairly similar to IVF.
Just like with IVF, the follicle-stimulating hormone injections you’re self-administrating cause the ovaries to swell—sometimes growing from the size of a strawberry to a grapefruit. This puts you at risk of ovarian torsion, so you want to avoid high-impact workouts, twisting, inversions, jerky movements, jumping, plus high-intensity classes. Stick to these precautions during the entire period of your ovarian stimulation (10-14 days), plus 10 days post egg-retrieval while you recover.
Modifying your routine is easier than it seems. If you typically run, opt for walks. If you love strength training, focus on your upper body and arms. Keep your Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), aka how hard you’re pushing yourself in your workouts, to a 5-6/10, or at most a 7. “You don’t need to work towards a specific body composition or aesthetic goal right now,” says Melody, “just listen to your body’s cues and honor them.”
But again, don’t ditch exercise altogether. Physical activity can ease stress and improve blood flow, which can alleviate some of the unpleasant symptoms like bloating.
obé’s Workouts for Preconception Collection
If this all feels overwhelming, don’t stress. This obé collection is your safe space and was designed with you in mind. Featuring Strength, Dance Cardio, Walk, Pelvic Floor, and Breathwork classes, it has the perfect balance of everything you need, and none of what you don’t.
“The pelvic floor and breathwork classes are key here,” says Melody. “Ideally, you should train your pelvic floor before you even get to preconception! Learning how to both relax and contract the pelvic floor is critical for pregnancy and beyond. Plus, it’s a great swap for the strenuous core work you’d see in a Pilates class, where you could risk a complication.”
Pairing your workouts with breathwork, like the basic box breathing taught in this collection, lets your body know it’s in a safe environment to conceive. At the end of the day, a lot of this journey is just keeping your mind right, because it can be an emotionally taxing time. And that’s where the mental benefits of exercise shine, supporting your mood, as well as self-confidence and self-esteem.
If you’re ready for more after the collection, feel free to branch out into prenatal or postnatal classes to stay safe. For more structure and a weekly schedule, go for a moderate training program like Simply Strong or Training Essentials. “These programs don’t include impact, twisting, or sudden movements,” Melody affirms. “So as long as your body is telling you it’s okay and you’re not taxing yourself too much, these are at a safe intensity.”
Preconception Is the Time to Put Yourself First
Above all, remember: now is the best time to tend to your wellness holistically! If there are practices that bring you joy—like writing a gratitude journal, getting sun every morning, or having a wind-down cup of tea at the end of the day—don’t sacrifice them.
“It’s so easy to get lost in the stress and anxiety of trying to conceive,” says Melody. “You become so focused on the task at hand, that you can lose your sense of self-worth and self-identity. So whether it’s a fitness class on obé, breathwork, meditation, or something else, keep those rituals in the mix.”
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