I attended the Fit for Fertility Information night in September and was so inspired by what I heard that I sat down the very next day and started writing this newsletter article. I felt compelled to share my learnings from the night with those of you who were unable to attend because I believe this issue is very important to us achieving our ultimate goal of becoming parents.

On a personal note, since I started fertility treatment two years ago I have gained a few kilos, and have had to buy a dress size up. I believe this weight gain is a result of comfort eating when I received bad news (unfortunately there has been a lot of bad news over the last 2 years), fertility medication that I constantly swallow and inject, and my inability to exercise for a couple of months due to surgery. Whilst gaining weight has been a depressing and expensive endeavour, I found out that it is also contributing to my fertility woes, according to the guest speakers and the latest research.

This research indicates that:
· 12% of infertility cases are due to weight issues
· Having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30 has a very significant and negative effect on IVF pregnancy success rates.
· 30% of estrogen comes from fat cells, so women who have more fat will produce more estrogen. This can negatively influence ovulation, menstruation, and conception.
· Overweight women tend to be resistant to insulin. Insulin resistance can force your body to produce excess levels of insulin, which can inhibit ovulation
· A moderate weight loss (10% of what you need to lose) may dramatically improve ovulation and pregnancy rates.

Leg Exercises

· Squat

Stand in front of a chair (facing away from the chair) with your arms by your sides and feet hip distance apart
Slowly bend your knees as if you are going to sit down
Keep your head forward, back straight, chest high, and feet flat on the floor with equal distribution of weight through the toes and heel
Push your backside back - do not bend your knees forward past your feet
Keep lowering until your backside touches the chair
Extend your legs until you are standing straight again
Repeat 10-15 times very slowly. Increase to 3 sets over time
Progress from lowering to a chair to lowering until your thighs are just parallel to the floor. When this feels easy, hold weights (cans, bricks etc)

· Clam (outer hip)

Lie on your side with hips bent forward 45° with your feet together and your knees bent at right angles (approximately 90°)
Ensure your top hip is stacked above your lower hip - do not lean forward or back
Slowly rotate your top kneecap up towards the ceiling until your knees are 10-15 cm apart
Keep your feet together - do not lift your top foot up
Hold for 3 seconds, then slowly lower your knee
Repeat 10-15 times very slowly. Increase to 3 sets over time

· Glute Bridge

Lie face-up with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your heels on the floor, arms straight out at about 45 degrees from torso, arms and palms flat on the floor.
With your navel drawn in, slowly lift your tailbone, then buttocks, and then lower back up in sequence. Think of trying to raise one vertebrae at a time
Only hands, arms, shoulders, head and heels should remain on the floor
Squeeze your butt muscles tightly and avoid holding your breath!
Slowly lower the bridge from the top down
Relax and the repeat 8-10 times very slowly (up to 10 seconds/repetition). Increase to 3 sets over time

Chest Exercises

· Push-Up

Stand facing a wall with your feet 30cm from the wall
Bend your arms up and place your palms on the wall at shoulder height but slightly wider than shoulder width
Keeping your body straight, lean your body forward till your nose touches the wall
Lift your body away from the wall by extending your arms - still keeping your body straight
Repeat 8 -10 times. Increase to 3 sets over time
Progress from wall push up to lying on floor doing push up on knees (see below) to push up on toes
Lie face down on the floor with your hands bent up with palms face down slightly wider than shoulder width
Raise your body up off the floor by extending your arms while keeping your body straight
Keeping body straight, lower body to floor by bending arms
NOTE: Both upper and lower body must be keep straight throughout movement

Back Exercise

· Single Arm Bent over Row

Kneel over a bench / bed / chair with the arm and leg on one side on the bench and the other leg on the floor. Be sure to keep your knee slightly bent and a natural arch in your spine.
Grasp weight (dumbbell, can, brick etc) with the free arm
Keep your abdominal muscles tight, shoulders back and chest up
Pull the weight up to your stomach while focusing on bringing your shoulder blades together
Stop pulling when your elbow is in line with your shoulders
Lower the arm until extended and your shoulder is stretched forward
Repeat 10-15 times very slowly
Change to the opposite arm and repeat
Increase to 3 sets each side over time

Abdominal Exercises

· Cross Extension - Opposite Arm and Leg

Kneel on 'all fours' placing your hands and knees on the floor
Place your hands directly under your shoulders with your knees directly under your hips
Keep your back flat with your eyes focused on the floor just in front of you (to keep your
spine straight through your neck)
Simultaneously extend your left arm and right leg to directly out in front and behind your body
Throughout the extension maintain a flat back position. Visualize balancing a glass of water in the middle of your lower back - your goal is to not spill any water
Hold the extension for five seconds and then return to the starting position
Repeat this sequence with the opposite arm and leg.
Alternate sides for 10 to 15 repetitions. Increase to 3 sets each side over time

· Alternate Heel Touches

Lie down on the floor.
Bend your knees and keep your feet hip distance apart.
Keep your arms straight down at your sides.
Crunch forward and up about 10cm
Remember to keep your lower back pressed flat against the ground and keep your head in a neutral position.
Alternate touching your right heel and then your left heel
Alternate sides for 10 to 15 repetitions - touching each heel once is one repetition.
Increase to 3 sets over time

Stretching
Don't forget to stretch afterward. Stretching helps loosen tight muscles.
Hold each stretch for 20 seconds at a point of a gentle stretch without bouncing

· Calf Stretch

Stand with your feet pointed forward
Keep your heels down and back leg straight
Slowly bend the front knee until you feel a calf stretch in the back leg
Hold for 20 seconds

· Hamstring Stretch

Lie on your back with one leg straight along the floor and the other raised at a right angle (90°) at the hip with the knee bent
Keeping your knee bent, slowly raise the bottom part of the raised leg toward the ceiling until you feel a stretch along the back of your thigh
Hold for 1-2 seconds then slowly lower your leg
Do 10-15 repetitions then repeat with the other leg

· Back Thigh Stretch

Sit with one leg straight and the other bent to the side
Keeping your back straight, slowly lean forward with your chest until you feel a stretch along the back of your thigh
Do not arch your back or reach forward with your hands
Hold for 20 seconds

· Butterfly (inner thigh)

Sit with your back straight and your knees bent
Place the soles of your feet together
Drop your knees toward the floor until you feel a stretch along the inside of your thighs. If required, place your hands on your knees and apply gentle pressure
Do not bounce or lean forward
Hold for 20 seconds

· Cross Over (outer hip)

Lie on your back and cross one knee over the other leg
With the opposite hand, pull your knee up and over toward the opposite shoulder
Keep your bottom leg flat on the ground
Hold when you can feel a slight stretch
Hold for 20 seconds

· Hip Flexor

Kneel on one leg with the other leg out in front, knee bent, foot on the floor
Squeeze your butt and shift your hips slightly forward until you feel a stretch along the front of your hip/thigh
Don't lean forward or twist your hips
Hold for 20 seconds

Cardiovascular Exercises
· Walking
o Outside with your partner and/or a dog
o Up and down hills or stairs

· Swimming
o Laps, Deep water running, aqua aerobics

· Cycling

· Dancing
o In front of TV when music video show is on
o On a PlayStation dance mat
o While you are doing housework

· Pilates or Yoga
o Pilates can be claimed back from some Private Health Insurance companies

1. Weight bearing exercise - twice a week
2. Cardiovascular exercise - four times a week for 30 minutes
3. Diet - aim for foods that resemble what came out of the ground (low human
interference)
4. Have FUN - if you don't enjoy your exercise and your diet, you won't stick
to it.

The benefits of exercising and achieving a moderate weight loss include:
· Dramatically improved ovulation and pregnancy rates
· Reduced diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease
· Improved self esteem
· Stress relief, which is helpful in restoring hormone balance and fertility
· Endorphin release, which encourages your body to better deal with pain and stress
· Helps restore your sleep patterns, allowing you to stay rested and in good health.