Rethink Running for a Healthy Conception |
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 Millions of American women identify themselves as regular runners, and at one time, experts would have uniformly urged these women to give up running if they were planning to become pregnant soon.Thankfully, that’s no longer the case, as even the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists encourages women to “exercise before, during, and after pregnancy.” But there are key ways that runners may want to tweak their workouts to protect fertility. 1. Remember to refuel “The bottom line for an exerciser is to balance nutritional intake with what you’re expending in your exercise,” explains Anne Z. Hoch, D.O., director of the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Women’s Sports Medicine Program. “Assuming a woman was eating a baseline healthy diet that kept her at a steady weight before beginning her running program, she should have added 100 calories per mile run daily to maintain that weight. Typically, if you go into a 30 percent calorie deficit, you stop ovulating.” 2. Relax while you run So many runners focus on how long, how fast, and how often they run that running becomes another form of stress rather than a chance for tension relief. “Yet the neurohormonal system probably has more to do with the inner workings of the body’s conception pathways than does a woman’s precise percentage of body fat,” maintains exercise physiologist Ralph La Forge, M.S., of Duke University. Translation: Relaxation may be even more important for hormone balance and fertility than percentage of body fat. At a 2009 meeting sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine, La Forge reported on the trend for runners to incorporate yoga moves as part of their warm-ups and cool-downs, or to practice meditative walking or tai chi on days they choose not to run. Other alternatives are programs like ChiRunning, an innovative mix of tai chi-inspired moves with distance running. ChiRunning enthusiasts point to the importance of building up strong, stable core muscles to support a more relaxed style of running that decreases unnecessary muscle tension—both elements that make it particularly appealing for a woman contemplating a future pregnancy. (To find a certified ChiRunning instructor in your area, go to chirunning.com.) “It makes intuitive sense that if you’re stressed and tense, you may have more trouble becoming pregnant,” says La Forge, “so anything you can do to make yourself more relaxed, during and after exercise, would be positive.” 3. Set your own goals Despite tales of marathon moms, if you’re planning on becoming pregnant within the next year or so, this probably isn’t a good time to train for your first marathon. “Hydrating and eating appropriately are key to safeguarding your reproductive health; it would be a challenge to do this on your own, as a recreational runner, when greatly increasing your training,” says Dr. Hoch. Plus, since most women don’t know immediately that they’re pregnant, erring on the side of safety is smart. 4. Consider interval training Many beginning runners start out with a mix of walking and running; if you’re trying to conceive, this might be the ideal time to revisit this idea, whether you’re a new runner or not. Or, says La Forge, you could also consider a change in running style and timing. “For many runners, the goal is the so-called ‘runner’s high.’ Basically, there are two ways to achieve this. You can run intensively to reach that endorphin surge at 50 minutes, or you can do a long, slow, meditative run.” Research suggests that covering about six to eight miles in approximately 90 minutes can produce that same effect. Or, you could consider “meditation walking” suggests La Forge, in which “the focus is on the choreography of your breathing to achieve the best of both worlds, relaxation plus physical exercise.” Starting on a walk-run program now can also carry you through to maintaining an exercise program throughout your pregnancy, as many experts advise modest-intensity interval training as the safest course during the third trimester of pregnancy. 5. Step off the trail If you’ve always done your running outdoors, now is a good time to check out some of the options for indoor workouts that are kinder on your muscles and joints, and can be continued throughout your pregnancy. Even running on a treadmill rather than on city streets takes some of the stress off knees, shins, and feet. Stationary bike workouts (especially recumbent bikes), elliptical machines, and swimming can all provide good aerobic workouts while posing less joint injury risk and preventing possible falls that become more of a concern during the later months of pregnancy. These all are also the types of aerobic workouts that can be continued for a lifetime of activity, not a bad goal for any woman to have. A version of this story originally appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Conceive. |
