Gentle IVF Exercise Tips: Support Your Body Safely
IVF asks a lot of your body and your time. When it comes to movement, you don’t need a total reset—just a plan that respects your energy and your protocol.
This blog shares ways to think about exercise through IVF. The aim is to help movement feel safe, steady, and genuinely supportive—so you can stay connected to your body without pressure.
IVF in brief (and why exercise shifts)
IVF moves through a few stages. During stimulation, medications help several eggs mature; the ovaries get larger, which is why impact and heavy lifting are dialed down. Egg retrieval is a short procedure, but the ovaries stay sensitive for several days afterward. Then comes embryo transfer and the two-week wait, when most clinics prefer light, low-stress activity. Your team may also mention ovarian hyperstimulation (OHSS). If they do, think extra-gentle walks and mobility until you’re cleared. Protocols vary. If something feels off—pain, dizziness, fever, heavy bleeding, or severe bloating—pause and contact your doctor. Some San Francisco women work with the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health, Pacific Fertility Center — San Francisco, or Spring Fertility — San Francisco.
Why keep moving at all?
Gentle, regular movement can make IVF feel more manageable. It helps regulate stress and sleep, supports circulation, and eases that “tired and tense” feeling many women notice during treatment. Just as important, it keeps you connected to a routine that feels like you—without pressure to chase numbers or intensity.
How to train by phase
Before stimulation, you have the most flexibility. If you already lift or take classes, keep what works—just choose routines you can scale down later. If you’re starting fresh, a mix of moderate strength, walking, gentle yoga, cycling, or swimming is a reliable base.
Once stimulation begins and the ovaries enlarge, shift toward low impact and lighter loads. Walking becomes the anchor. Add easy cycling, restorative or gentle yoga (skip inversions and deep twists), and simple mobility. If your team flags OHSS risk, keep things extra easy—walks and light mobility until they give you the green light.
In the final two or three days before retrieval, keep activity minimal. Short, easy walks and gentle stretching are enough; save twisting and deep bending for another time. After retrieval, the first 24–48 hours are about recovery. Short, slow walks help with circulation, and bloating or cramping is common. When you feel better—and your clinic agrees—reintroduce gentle mobility, restorative yoga (still no inversions), and easy walks.
Pre-transfer, stay in the moderate lane: walking, gentle yoga without deep twists or inversions, light strength with excellent form, and easy swimming if you like. You should finish sessions feeling better, not depleted. After transfer and during the two-week wait, most clinics are comfortable with light daily activity, unhurried walks, breath work, and supported yoga. Keep the environment calm and the effort predictable; it’s consistency that helps here, not intensity.
Phase quick-reference (mini cheat sheet)
Pre-stimulation: normal routine is fine; build habits you can scale
Stimulation: walk, gentle yoga, light mobility; reduce impact/load
Final 2–3 days pre-retrieval: minimal activity; no twisting/deep bends
0–7 days post-retrieval: rest + short walks; reintroduce gentle mobility when cleared
Pre-transfer: moderate, feel-better-not-drained sessions
Post-transfer waiting period: light daily activity, easy walks, restorative yoga
What actually counts as “IVF-friendly” movement?
Think simple and steady. Walking works in every phase because you can adjust pace and time to match your energy that day. If you want scenery without hills, try Marina Green and Crissy Field, the open meadows in Golden Gate Park, or your own flat neighborhood loop.
Strength work can stay in the mix with lighter dumbbells or bands and higher reps—supported rows, seated pressing with light weights, sit-to-stands, and heel raises are all useful. Keep form tidy and avoid hard abdominal bracing. Restorative or gentle yoga can be a big exhale, especially when you choose supported poses and avoid heat, strong flows, deep twists, and inversions. Water walking or easy laps feel great for joints; just wait until any post-retrieval bleeding has fully stopped before you swim. A stationary bike is another quiet option—short, easy spins with a neutral posture are enough.
Often avoided during IVF (per clinic guidance)
High impact/jarring work (running, jumping, plyometrics)
Heavy lifting; avoid breath-holding/hard bracing
Core-intense moves (planks, sit-ups, deep twists/compressions)
Heat exposure (hot yoga, saunas, steam rooms)
Higher-risk sports (contact or fall-risk activities)
Red-flag symptoms (pause and call your clinic)
Sharp or one-sided pelvic pain; sudden swelling
Severe bloating, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting
Fever or heavy bleeding
Anything your team told you to watch for
A mindset that actually helps
“Measure progress by capacity—not by how ‘hard’ it felt.” Keep sessions short and repeatable, because that’s what you’ll stick with. Use movement to support the big levers you can influence right now: stress and sleep. And protect your environment. During this phase, calm environments matter more than ever—think quiet walks, low-pressure movement, and spaces that feel supportive, like Eden.
Choose what fits right now
At Eden, you can choose what fits right now. If you want privacy and your own pace, our 24-hour Private Women’s Gym in Lower Pacific Heights is a clean, women-only space—learn more at Private Women’s Gym. If you’d rather have guidance, our Personal Training pairs you with San Francisco’s top female trainers—experienced in prenatal and postnatal strength—so you can train with clarity and confidence. Explore Personal Training or Start Training to get matched.
This article is for informational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your exercise routine.
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