5 effective ways to improve sperm motility naturally

Sperm motility is the ability of the sperm to move or ‘swim’. In order to get a woman pregnant, the sperm of a man has to fertilize her egg. For this to happen the man has to ejaculate during sexual intercourse, after which the sperm travels through the vagina of the woman to her fallopian tube where it can fertilize the egg resulting in a pregnancy.

A man with normal fertility can ejaculate about 39 million sperm in one go. Not every sperm in it will always be healthy or will have good motility. But it is expected that at least 40% of the sperm will have good motility. If you have a total of 20 million motile sperm then your sperm motility will be considered normal. A low count of 5 million motile sperm is considered low sperm motility and less than 1 million motile sperm is considered to be severe poor sperm motility.

Sperm motility is highly dependent on genetics, metabolic and regulatory mechanisms [1]. However, there are some treatments available through which sperm motility can be improved. There are some natural ways to improve sperm motility as well. They are:

1. Eat healthy and nutrition-rich food

The lifestyle we live today has a significant impact on our reproductive health. Eating processed and fried food has become an everyday habit. These type of food are filled with carbs and don't have much nutritional value. Lacking vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, copper, etc can also result in fertility issues like low sperm motility. Hence it is important to maintain a healthy diet. Include as many vegetables and fruits in your daily diet as you can. Some of the superfoods that help improve your sperm motility are:

• Egg
• Banana
• Brocolli
• Dark Chocolate
• Spinach
• Garlic
• Ginseng
• Pumpkin
• Carrot
• Pomegranate
• Papaya seeds

2. Refrain from using chemicals

In our daily life, we come across many products that are loaded with chemicals which are bad for our health. We usually don’t pay attention to the amount of exposure we have to these chemicals out of necessity for those chemicals. For example, the chemicals in washing liquids and powders, pesticides, insecticides, bleached paper such as toilet paper, tissue paper, napkins, cosmetics full of chemicals, etc can be very harmful for health. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals may also lead to fertility issues like low sperm motility, low sperm quality in men.

3. Healthy and Active lifestyle

Everyone knows that it is important to have a healthy and active lifestyle to maintain good health. But not everyone relates health to reproductive health. A healthy and active lifestyle also helps with keeping your reproductive health intact. One of the best ways to maintain an active lifestyle is to exercise daily. Follow a routine of exercising regularly for at least 30 minutes. Exercising regularly can boost testosterone levels in men which helps maintain reproductive health.

Another way to maintain your reproductive health is to avoid alcohol and smoking. Prolonged consumption of both can be harmful for your reproductive health. Many studies have confirmed that drinking alcohol can decrease sperm motility. The same can be said about smoking as well. In a recent study, 26 men in their early 20s were examined. Men who were drinking alcohol 8 times a day or more and smoked cigarettes had a significant decrease in their semen parameters including sperm motility [2].

4. Medications affecting fertility

There are many medications which can also have a negative effect on your fertility. Many medications contain chemicals like Methadone hydrochloride, Cortisone acetate, Methylprednisolone, Danazol, etc higher doses of which can cause a decrease in sperm motility [3]. Hence, it is important to be aware of the medications you are taking. It is a good practice to ask your doctor about the medication they are prescribing you. Ask them about the side effects of the medication, how long can you continue taking the medicines, will it affect your health, etc.

5. Using lubricants during sexual intercourse

There are evidences showing that using lubricants during sexual intercourse may cause a decrease in sperm motility. Hence, it is better to refrain from using lubricants. There are some myths regarding lubricants which say that lubricants kill sperm. However, they are not completely true, but yes they do lower your sperm down. Hence, if you are using lubricant thinking it may give protection against unwanted pregnancy then it won’t help. It will only slow your sperm down but in order to have safe sex and avoid unwanted pregnancy always use a condom.

Conclusion:

Just like our physical health, equally to take care of our reproductive health. Even men have fertility issues and their reproductive health is compromised due to their day to day lifestyle. Hence, it is always better to take precautions and live a healthier life. Your declining sperm health may result in you unable to get your partner pregnant. Which may lead to costly treatments which can go on for months. Hence, it is always better to maintain your sperm health for the starting itself.