A recent study from the University of Science and Technology in Norway has revealed that exercising daily, or to the point of exhaustion, can damage a woman's fertility potential. Even after taking other factors into account, such as age, weight, marital status and smoking, figures showed that women who trained the hardest were three times more likely to have fertility problems than those who exercised moderately.

This study supports earlier research from Harvard University which found that active athletes often had irregular menstrual cycles and many experienced infertility while training. Additional data has shown that women who participated in cardio work outs (such as aerobics or running) have a 30 percent lower chance of successful live birth after IVF, and that strenuous exercise alone can disrupt the menstrual cycle and reproductive hormone regulation.

Dr. Eve Feinberg, reproductive endocrinologist with Fertility Centers of Illinois, explains that while moderate exercise is important to help women stay healthy and to achieve and maintain their fertile body weight, it's important that they don't overdo it. "It's best to engage in work outs that help rather than hinder reproductive potential, which means opting for low impact instead of high intensity," she adds.

Fertility Centers of Illinois partners with holistic experts from Pulling Down The Moon to provide additional fertility resources and patient education seminars on topics related to exercise, diet, cleansing, weight management and more. Specifically, their Fitness for Fertility seminars educate patients on the best exercises to perform when trying to conceive, issues of exercise intensity as well as how much and how often one should exercise to enhance conception odds. Together, experts from the Fertility Centers of Illinois and Pulling Down The Moon offer the following fertility-friendly fitness tips:

5 Steps to Fertility-Friendly Fitness

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