Why you should take steps now to safeguard your sperm – before trying to conceive

Infertility is a strain and a stress, can be long, very expensive and upsetting.

One of the men featured in a long, emotional article in The Guardian this week says that it was a long time before anyone mentioned the possibility of environmental factors affecting his sperm count. Since then he started taking vitamins, dieting and exercising more and his sperm levels did improve.

There’s more men can do to safeguard their sperm. And you don’t have to wait until you are having trouble conceiving to start making changes.

Using alcohol, drugs and cigarettes all damage sperm. If you are thinking about starting a family they should be the first things to go. A good level of health and fitness is important in all areas of life, including fertility. Obesity does affect fertility and testosterone. A good diet with plenty of – ideally organic – fruit and veg.

Exercise is important to stay fit and healthy as well as to fight stress – more on that later. But the old wives tales are true – stay away from too much cycling and wear loose fitting clothes and underwear around your private parts. You want to provide as consistent a temperature as possible for your little guys to grow.

Stress is so common in modern life but it really takes its toll. It can affect your sperm count, your hormones, and just the amount of time you dedicate to baby making in the first place. Make sure you get plenty of sleep – at least 7 hours, preferably 8, each night. Exercising will help boost your happy hormones and fight stress but you could also try meditation and mindfulness. Take a break from social media or your phone, indulge in hobbies and spending time with your partner. These things will improve your relationship as well as your stress levels.

And speaking of your phone – the electromagnetic radiation it emits has been linked in study after study to male infertility. Some experts said mobile radiation was like “cooking” sperm. WaveWall’s anti radiation phone cases as well as iPad case and laptop case or shielded boxers, will protect you and your sperm.