Unlock Your Fertility Potential: A Lifestyle Checklist for Improving Fertility in 2024
As the new year begins, you may be considering ways to optimize your reproductive health and enhance your chances of conceiving.
Alongside medical interventions and fertility treatments like intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF), natural approaches, such as dietary changes, can play a significant role in regulating fertility and improving pregnancy outcomes. In this blog post, we'll explore a lifestyle checklist to help unlock your fertility potential in 2024.
Boost Fertility With Diet and Supplements
Following a healthy diet can enhance fertility by providing essential nutrients. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low-fat dairy, and fish can improve fertility by enhancing sperm count and motility in men and providing essential nutrients that support ovulation and overall reproductive health in women. These foods also provide antioxidants, which protect against oxidative and cellular damage, inflammation, and chronic conditions that may impact fertility.
Daily nutritional supplementation can also support fertility. Folic acid, recommended for all women of childbearing age, is particularly crucial. Other beneficial supplements for both women and men include calcium, vitamin B12, CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and omega-3 fatty acids.
Fertility and Exercise, a Winning Combination
Regular physical activity plays a crucial role in enhancing overall health and reproductive health for both men and women. Engaging in consistent exercise can help maintain a healthy weight, which is important as being either overweight or underweight can disrupt ovulation and normal egg release cycles in women, and affect sperm quality and count in men.
For women, it's important to avoid excessive or very intense activity, as this can impact ovulation and hormone levels. Aim for workouts that total less than five hours per week and are less than 60 minutes daily, focusing on activities like walking or yoga. Before starting any new exercise routine, it's advisable to consult with your physician.
Limit Your Vices for Reproductive Health
Avoiding alcohol is crucial for both men and women trying to conceive, as heavy drinking can worsen ovulation in women and lower testosterone levels in men, leading to concerns with erectile dysfunction. All forms of tobacco can harm sperm, affecting their concentration, count, motility, and morphology (shape). For women, smoking can affect hormone production and conception.
Marijuana use can also have negative effects on fertility, slowing ovulation and increasing the risk of anovulation (failure to release a healthy egg). Additionally, it can disrupt male hormones and lead to unusually shaped sperm. Both partners should avoid these substances when trying to conceive.
Schedule a Fertility Evaluation
If you have been actively trying to conceive without success, it may be time to see a fertility specialist. Typically, this visit should be scheduled after one year of regular unprotected sex if under the age of 35, 6 months of trying if 35 or older, or sooner if you have certain medical conditions that may affect fertility. Fertility evaluations include medical and family histories, blood tests, physical exams, and diagnostic infertility tests. These tests can reveal any underlying issues, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Unlock Your Fertility Potential in 2024
Incorporating these lifestyle changes can significantly improve your fertility journey. If you're ready to take the next step or have questions about your fertility health, schedule a consultation with Chelsea Fertility NYC today. Our expert team is here to support you on your path to parenthood.
