Five Exercises To Promote Fertility
Did you know pelvic floor therapy could be the missing link to optimizing fertility? Whether you are just beginning to try to conceive or you have been dealing with fertility issues, prioritizing pelvic health can create a more supportive environment for conception.
Pelvic floor therapy can enhance fertility by decreasing muscle tension and imbalances, improving organ mobility, decreasing scar tissue or adhesions, and improving circulation. You can read more about ways that pelvic floor therapists can help patients optimize fertility here.
Today, I want to discuss five exercises to promote fertility. When most people think of exercising, they may think of running, biking, swimming, strength training, etc.
While those are all great types of exercise, and you should find ones that support your individual goals, I wanted to discuss exercises that help reduce stress, tension, and muscle imbalances!
Nervous System Regulation
You may or may not have heard of the vagus nerve and its role in stress. It controls your sympathetic nervous system or “fight or flight” and your parasympathetic nervous system or “rest and digest”.
If you are stressed, or in “fight or flight”, you are typically not ready for sex (think “running from a bear–not sexy–very stressful!”). It can also elevate your cortisol levels which can affect hormone health.
Instead, you need to be relaxed and have the parasympathetic nervous system activated (think “cozy blanket, roaring fire, cuddled up with your favorite person” – relaxed, calm – not stressful).
Activating the parasympathetic nervous system helps to increase blood flow to the genitals and other pelvic organs, which allows for increased lubrication, arousal and orgasm. All the things that are helpful for conception.
One way that you can work on tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system is with breathing exercises. Breathing exercises can sometimes seem silly or unnecessary– I get it – you breathe every day.
However, if your diaphragm isn’t activated when breathing, the vagus nerve isn’t activated either. If you are breathing into your upper chest and holding tension in your shoulders and neck, you're likely not effectively using your diaphragm, which may keep you in “fight or flight,” aka stress.
Exercise 1: 360-Degree Diaphragmatic Breathing
Why: Promotes relaxation, reduces stress and helps lengthen and contract the pelvic floor muscles
How to do it: Inhale deeply through the nose, expanding the ribs and belly; exhale slowly, gently engaging the deep core.
Another exercise that promotes diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation while supporting blood circulation is “Legs up the wall” pose.
Legs up the wall can also be a good pose for incorporating meditation to help calm the brain/nervous system. If yours is anything like mine, when I try to relax, my brain opens all 10,000 tabs I have open–not great for relaxing.
Doing a guided meditation focusing on relaxation, clearing your mind, and slowing down can help decrease stress while in this pose
Exercise 2: Legs Up the Wall Pose
Why: Supports blood circulation to the pelvis and calms the nervous system.
How to do it: Lie on your back with legs elevated against a wall for 5-10 minutes.
Pelvic Mobility Exercises:
Some people hold tension in their pelvic floor muscles (think “clenching of the glutes”)--especially when stressed. This is why kegels aren’t always the best exercise for everyone.
Doing kegels with already increased muscle tension and imbalances can actually make pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms worse (such as pelvic pain, urinary or fecal incontinence, or pelvic heaviness).
Kegals are typically associated with the “squeezing” movement. However, the pelvic floor needs to be able to move through the whole range of motion, from contracting to relaxing to bearing down.
Working on relaxing the pelvic floor can decrease muscle tension, improve blood flow, and adjust uterine alignment. Using diaphragmatic breathing can also help to lengthen and relax the pelvic floor.
Exercise 3: Pelvic Floor Relaxation
Why: Encourages pelvic floor relaxation, which is crucial for conception.
How to do it: Inhale deeply, imagine your pelvic floor “melting” or “softening.” Exhale without forcefully contracting.
Other options for working on pelvic mobility to reduce muscle tension and imbalances and better align the pelvis can include:
Exercise 4: Pelvic Tilts
Why: Improves pelvic mobility and relieves tension.
How to do it: Tilt your pelvis forward and backward slowly while lying on your back.
Exercise 5: Deep Squats (With Support if Needed)
Why: Opens the pelvis, promotes blood flow and pelvic floor relaxation
How to do it: Sit into a deep squat, keeping feet flat and spine tall. Hold onto a support if needed.
Incorporating these five exercises to promote fertility into your routine can help improve blood flow to the uterus, ovaries and pelvic tissue. They can also reduce stress by regulating the nervous system and encourage muscle relaxation.
When to Seek Pelvic Floor Therapy for Fertility
Although these exercises may be helpful, there are still many other things that pelvic floor therapy can address to promote fertility. If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, pelvic floor therapy may help to optimize your body for conception:
Chronic pelvic pain
Painful intercourse
Feeling of heaviness or pressure in vagina
Irregular or painful menstrual cycles
Endometriosis
Scar tissue from previous gynecological surgeries
History of PCOS or other hormonal imbalances
Other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include
Urinary incontinence
Diastasis recti/ core weakness
Hip, pelvic or low back pain
I work with patients in Lancaster and Columbus, OH, providing individualized support to help optimize your fertility and would love to support you on your journey.
If you’d like more information:
Take this free questionnaire to see if you have pelvic floor dysfunction
Schedule a free discovery call to discuss your symptoms and see how I can help
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Pelvic Floor Therapy For Fertility
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