Body Mass Index, Exercise and Fertility

Exercise actually gives you energy. Study after study supports those words, including one by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

More than 200 federal employees were placed on a moderate, regular exercise program. The results: 90 percent said they had never felt better. Almost half said they felt less stress, and almost one-third reported they slept better.

Energetic exercise, aerobics,a brisk walkï¿1/2three to five times a week, for 20 to 30 minutes each time and no later than 2 hours before bedtime are extremely beneficial.

If you're obese, if you need to drop 20 percent of your weight or more, losing weight will be a great help. Make sure you follow a sensible diet in combination with exercise. Losing a lot of weight quickly isn't healthy and will wear you down.

To the over-achiever, too much exercise can wear out your mind and muscles fast. For all the good exercise you do, it can be addictive. You can overdose if you're not honest about what your body is telling you. Taking time off allows your body to recover and grow. This is one of the main reasons we exercise in the first place. A University of Michigan study done on intense exercise showed that it may result in a drop in the production of hormones involved in potency, fertility and sex drive. Remember: moderation is the key to everything!

Body Mass Index plays a part in fertility. A woman's weight can affect her fertility chances. We know that at both extremes, very thin and obese, that there can be disruption of the normal process of regular, consistent ovulation. (12, 13). Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a personï¿1/2s weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

* A standard medical definition of "normal" body weight is a BMI of about 18.5 - 24.9
* A BMI under 18.5 indicates that the person is "underweight"
* A BMI of between 21 and 24 is optimum for proper ovulation to occur
* A BMI of 25.0 - 29.9 indicates that the individual is "overweight", but not obese
* A BMI over 30 indicates obesity
* A BMI over 40 indicates extreme obesity



Andrew Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac
Peacefulmind.com
Therapies for healing
mind, body, spirit