Can Exercise Improve Fertility? What Research Says About Movement and Conception

When trying to conceive, many women focus on ovulation tracking, hormone testing, supplements, or fertility treatment.

Exercise is often discussed too — but the advice can feel confusing.

Should you exercise more? Less? Does the type of movement matter?

Research suggests that mild-to-moderate exercise may support reproductive health, while very intense training may not always be beneficial.

But one important question is often missed:

Not all exercise is the same.

Different forms of movement train different systems and create different physiological adaptations.

The Aviva Method is different from general exercise because it was specifically developed with reproductive and pelvic health in mind.

So when we ask whether exercise can support fertility, the question is not only whether movement helps — but also what kind of movement may be most supportive.

Quick summary

✓ Mild-to-moderate exercise is generally considered compatible with — and often supportive of — reproductive health
✓ Exercise appears particularly beneficial in women with metabolic dysfunction such as PCOS
✓ Physical activity before IVF may improve pregnancy outcomes
✓ While fertility-specific Aviva studies have not yet been published, moderate exercise research, the method’s reproductive-health design, and decades of instructor and participant experience together provide a meaningful rationale for its use as a complementary practice