Fertility yoga: How to improve your fertility with yoga practice

Fertility yoga is a specialized, low-impact yoga practice aimed at improving fertility. It’s not an entirely new kind of yoga, but rather a hybrid version of gentle practices, such as Hatha, Iyengar, and restorative yoga. Fertility yoga has been shown to positively affect fertility and reproductive health by reducing stress, balancing hormones, and ensuring a better blood flow to your reproductive organs. It is also known to improve sperm quality in men.

Generally, this kind of practice combines gentle yoga poses and breathing exercises. Some common fertility yoga poses include:

• Butterfly pose
• Legs up the wall
• Bridge pose
• Cobra pose
• Warrior II
• Garland pose

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Without any doubt, every couple hopes for a fast result when they embark on their trying-to-conceive journey. However, conception doesn’t always happen fast. According to studies, roughly 80% of couples get pregnant within six months to a year of having regular, unprotected sex. But there are no rules when it comes to pregnancy. The truth is that conception success (and timing) depends on a huge number of factors, including your and your partner’s age, health, medical history, and others. So, if you’ve been trying to conceive for some time with no luck, there might be many possible causes. And it’s not necessarily a cause for concern.

In as many as 85-90% cases, challenges with conception can be solved with the right approach. Sometimes, it requires medication, surgery, and other forms of medical intervention. But in most cases, the fertility journey begins with lifestyle changes.

Fertility yoga is considered one of the popular lifestyle adjustments that can help. But is it truly effective? In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this approach and how it can help.

What Is Fertility Yoga?

Fertility yoga is a specialized type of practice that uses a combination of breathwork and gentle yoga exercise for fertility. It’s recommended for women who have been struggling to get pregnant, have had recurring miscarriages, or are undergoing fertility treatments like IUI/IVF. It might also be useful for male partners in couples who have been trying to conceive.

Does Fertility Yoga Help to Get Pregnant?

While it’s a common fertility practice, many people experience certain doubts when hearing about fertility yoga for the first time. Since it’s a non-medical practice, it’s natural to question its effectiveness.

So, does fertility yoga help to get pregnant for real? Studies show that it might.

Different studies indicate the potential effectiveness of fertility yoga in different infertility cases:

• A 2024 review of studies reveals that yoga intervention helps significantly reduce oxidative stress and malondialdehyde levels in women with unexplained infertility and increases the likelihood of conception.
• A 2018 study shows that couples who did yoga received better assisted reproduction technology outcomes.
• A 2013 study found that regular yoga practice helps support sperm production and overall male reproductive health.

The Science Behind Using Yoga Exercise for Fertility

As you now see, multiple studies confirm the potential of gentle yoga to improve fertility. But how does it actually work?

In reality, there is no magic in it. Both female and male fertility are intricate mechanisms, affected by a variety of factors. These include not only medical conditions, but also hormonal levels, overall health, physical tension, and mental stress. Yoga exercise for fertility helps address some of these factors and improve them:

Stress

Many women on their trying-to-conceive journey experience some stress and anxiety related to it. And their partners also tend to experience stress. Furthermore, as found in one study, 56.6% of women and 32.1% of men even demonstrated depressive symptomatology in the course of their fertility treatment.

Constantly increased cortisol levels can lead to a range of adverse health effects, including impaired egg and sperm quality. A combination of yoga poses and breathing techniques helps reduce stress markers and strengthen immune system function, which can help overcome these adverse effects.

Hormonal Balance

It’s no secret that excessive and ongoing stress has a significant impact on your hormonal balance. This is confirmed by the fact that stress can delay your periods, interfering with the production of essential sex hormones. Needless to say, it also significantly affects the chances of conception.

According to studies, the mental improvements received thanks to yoga therapy can actually help balance essential hormones and thus support fertility.

Reproductive Organ Function

Physical tightness and weakness of your muscles, especially in the pelvic area, have been shown to decrease blood flow and create pressure on nearby structures, such as the uterus. This can negatively affect the function of your reproductive organs. And this is one more area where fertility yoga can help.

Gentle yoga poses help open up the pelvis and release tension. This can create a better blood flow to your ovaries and uterus, improving their function and, potentially, fertility.

What Is the Best Type of Yoga Exercise for Fertility?

Fertility yoga isn’t exactly a separate type of yoga. It’s rather a combination of more gentle and calming exercises taken from different yoga practices.

The best types of yoga used to consider for fertility purposes include:

• Hatha
• Iyengar
• Restorative

These practices are considered the most low-impact ones and hence, safe and beneficial for women who are trying to conceive.

On the other hand, more vigorous types of yoga, such as Bikram (hot yoga), Ashtanga, and Vinyasa, are recommended to avoid. So, if you’ve been doing one of them before, it’s better to switch to a more gentle exercise routine. Or consider continuing your practice under your doctor’s supervision, unless advised against.

Top Fertility Yoga Poses to Try

If you’re new to yoga and don’t know where to start, here are some of the most common and low-impact fertility yoga poses to try:

Butterfly Pose

This is an easy pose that allows you to open up your hips, improve blood circulation in the pelvic area, and reduce stress.

How to do it: Get seated on the floor and bring the soles of your feet together. Put your knees out to the sides, as if trying to reach the floor. Perform the pose gently, without putting too much pressure. And remember to breathe calmly.

Legs Up the Wall

The next pose is also very simple and suitable for beginners. It helps gently stretch your lower back and hamstrings, while also providing lymphatic drainage, improving circulation, and calming your brain.

How to do it: Sit against the wall (with your right side), knees bent, and feet next to your hips. Slowly bring your legs up against the wall and turn to lie on your back at the same time. Bring your hips closer to the wall, get comfortable, and relax.

Bridge Pose

The next pose has a number of positive effects. Apart from improving blood circulation, it also strengthens the pelvic floor muscles, stimulates the work of the thyroid gland, and helps balance essential hormones.

How to do it: Lie flat on your back with knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Then, gently bring your hips up so that your body creates a “bridge.”

Cobra Pose

The next beneficial pose is one of the three yoga movements that are frequently recommended to women with recurring lower abdominal pain (dysmenorrhea), for example, caused by PCOS. This pose is believed to stimulate ovarian function, balance hormones, and ease abdominal pain.

How to do it: Lie on your stomach and bring your palms close to your chest. Gently press your hands into the floor and bring your chest up.

Warrior II

This pose is perfect for strengthening your muscles, improving stability, and creating mental focus. It also opens your chest and hips, stimulates abdominal organs, and supports fertility.

How to do it: Place your feet wide apart, with the right foot turned out 90 degrees. Align the arch of your left foot with the right heel. Bend your right knee so that your thigh becomes parallel to the floor. Then stretch your arms out to the sides, keeping them at the height of your shoulders. Turn your head so that it faces your front hand.

Garland Pose

This pose might be a little more advanced, as it requires greater muscle strength. Yet, it can offer quite many benefits. In particular, it helps you stretch your hips and groin, thus stimulating the work of your reproductive organs.

How to do it: Place your feet hip-width apart. Slowly squat as if you’re trying to sit down. Keep your spine long.

FAQ

What are the best fertility yoga poses for beginners?

Although fertility yoga is designed to be gentle and safe, it’s still important to get started slowly. For beginners, it’s recommended to start with easy poses like Butterfly Pose, Legs Up the Wall, Bridge Pose, Cobra Pose, and similar. Poses like these will help you begin gently opening your hips, improving circulation, and reducing stress, without trauma.

Should I consult a doctor before doing yoga to improve fertility?

Yes, it’s always recommended to consult a healthcare provider or fertility specialist before you do any lifestyle adjustments. Although fertility yoga can be rather beneficial, it’s crucial to consider individual factors before getting started with it. A professional will be able to provide you with personalized guidance based on your medical history and current health condition to prevent trauma and negative consequences. 

Is hot yoga bad for fertility?

Generally, hot yoga has been shown to be safe and beneficial for nonpregnant individuals. However, there is growing evidence that high-impact exercise, such as hot yoga, might negatively affect those who are trying to conceive. During such workouts, your body experiences:

• Increased stress
• Elevated body temperature
• Dehydration

These things can impair your hormonal balance and fertility. Additionally, intensive exercise, such as hot yoga, increases the likelihood of ovarian torsion in people undergoing IVF treatments. So, it’s generally recommended to avoid hot yoga and choose more gentle workout options.

Conclusion

Fertility yoga has been shown to offer numerous benefits to couples who are planning a baby. By reducing stress levels and improving circulation, such exercise can help you balance hormones and support your reproductive health, hopefully, leading to a faster and easier conception.

After reading this article, you should have a better idea of how gentle yoga practice can impact your reproductive health. Use the information we shared with you here to support yourself on your trying-to-conceive journey. But don’t forget about the importance of consulting with your healthcare provider or fertility specialist first for personalized advice.

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