HOW TO INCREASE SPERM MOTILITY
Getting a really low sperm motility score on a semen test is rarely good news, however it doesn’t really have to mean daddy doomsday.In fact, majority of factors that negatively impact your sperm motility (moving sperm- the ones that actually count!) are entirely reversible.It takes about 3 months for your body to produce a fresh batch of sperm, so implementing simple and easy lifestyle changes can really change your stats within a couple of months.
HERE ARE A FEW LIFESTYLE CHANGES THAT CAN HELP YOU TO INCREASE SPERM MOTILITY
1. EAT BETTER
We all know that eating fruit, vegetables, and whole foods is really good for your heart, but did you know that it’s also good for your sperm also? The antioxidants and linolenic acid found in many varieties of produce have been proven to actually improve sperm health over a diet of processed foods. Specifically, processed meats can actually cause sperm count as well as motility to plummet . So even if losing 10 pounds wasn’t enough to motivate you to ditch the hot dogs as well as donuts, boosting your sperm motility could actually do the trick.
2. AVOID CHEMICALS AND PLASTICS
No one knows exactly why male fertility is dipping so quickly, but one of the theories is that exposure to pesticides and toxins from plastic cookware could also be a factor.This is also one among the easiest lifestyle changes to implement- choose organic produce and ensure to warm your food up in glass or ceramic dishes instead of in Tupperware or other plastic containers.
3. PUT OUT THE CIGARETTES
It has been proven that smoking largely affects sperm count and motility, as well as tobacco metabolites can also be found in semen.Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between smoking and sperm count or mobility.More than 20 studies done on over 5000 men across Europe found that smoking actually negatively impacted all elements of sperm health which includes sperm count, sperm motility (moving sperm) as well as sperm morphology (sperm shape) that further impacts the sperm’s ability to swim to the egg.Some studies have also shown that smoking can really damage the DNA of your sperm.The good news is that sperm health seems to be bounce back relatively quickly once you quit smoking.
4. GET YOUR SLEEP
You may think about your bed in other ways when trying to conceive, but actually getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do to improve your sperm motility.Research has shown that men who get about 7-8 hours of sleep have a 42% higher chance of getting their partners pregnant than men who sleep less (or more).A recent study has shown that poor sleep quality can have negative impact on sperm health.
Well this is probably because the body produces more testosterone, a hormone critical to sperm health, during sleep.A study discovered that men who slept for 4 hours had testosterone levels of around about 200-300 ng/dl. In comparison to those who slept for 8 hours and had much higher levels at around 500-700 ng/dl.
5. DITCH THE DRINKS
Multiple studies have found that heavy alcohol consumption in men actually appears to affect sperm count as well as the motility of sperms.You may be thinking that it’s not really a big deal however here’s a simple statistic, drinking more than 5 alcohol units (a 330ml can of beer is a unit) a week can really cause a drastic decrease in sperm count as well as sperm motility.Furthermore, research even show that males who used to drink more than 6 units of alcohol per week were 14% less likely to actually become a father as there sperm count and motility is much low.
Even moderate drinkers, who consume less than 5 drinks a week, were found to have decreased sperm count and motility as compare to those who doesn’t drink.It is really hard to say exactly how many drinks are too many; however your swimmers (that is sperms) will swim faster and much better with less alcohol in your system.
6. GET MOVING
Exercising regularly has actually shown to directly improve motility of sperms as well as health. Just like with sleep, this is most likely due to hormones, that too mainly testosterone, which are produced when exercising. So when you actually get moving, your sperm do so too. Exercise impacts sperm count and motility.
Ensure that you’re getting the right balance of exercise as well as rest and then test your sperm, choose an exercise program and then maintain it for about 1 month. At the end of the month, test again and then see if your results have actually improved. If they actually have, keep up with your program, and if not, consult a good sexologist doctor for medical help.