If you’re trying to conceive, you may be wondering whether there are ways to improve fertility naturally. While no diet, supplement, or lifestyle change can guarantee pregnancy (or treat every cause of infertility), your everyday habits can play a role in reproductive health.
There are definitely gender-specific factors of fertility, but things like smoking, nutrition, physical activity, alcohol use, sleep, certain medications, and exposure to excessive heat can affect reproductive health in women and men. Making healthy changes may help support ovulation, sperm health, and overall wellness while preparing your body for pregnancy.
At Red Rock Fertility Center, we believe fertility care should look at the whole picture. Understanding which lifestyle factors you can change, and which fertility challenges require medical evaluation, can help educate you as you try to grow your family.
Can You Improve Fertility Naturally?
You can take steps to support your reproductive health naturally, but it’s important to distinguish between supporting fertility and treating infertility.
Healthy lifestyle changes may make it easier to conceive, particularly when factors such as smoking, nutrition, weight, or alcohol consumption are affecting reproductive health. However, lifestyle changes cannot necessarily overcome medical causes of infertility such as blocked fallopian tubes, diminished ovarian reserve, significant sperm abnormalities, endometriosis, or certain ovulation disorders.
For that reason, think of lifestyle changes as one part of a broader approach to fertility rather than a replacement for fertility testing or treatment when it’s needed.
7 Ways to Improve Fertility Naturally
Here are a few of the most impactful lifestyle choices you can make to improve your fertility.
1. Stop Smoking and Avoid Secondhand Smoke
Quitting smoking is one of the most important changes you can make for both fertility and your overall health.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), substantial evidence indicates that tobacco use negatively affects fertility. Smoking has been associated with reduced fertility in women, while tobacco exposure can negatively affect sperm concentration, motility, and morphology in men.
Smoking may also affect the outcomes of fertility treatments. ASRM reports that smokers may require nearly twice as many IVF attempts to conceive as nonsmokers.
If you smoke and want to become pregnant, talk with your healthcare provider about a safe strategy for quitting.
2. Eat a Nutrient-Rich, Balanced Diet
One of the major links between lifestyle and fertility is diet. What you eat (and, more importantly, can have a significant role in how fertile you are. Good nutrition supports your overall health and provides your body with nutrients it needs for reproductive function and pregnancy.
Instead of focusing on individual foods that may help fertility, aim for a balanced diet that includes:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Lean sources of protein
- Legumes, nuts, and seeds
- Healthy sources of unsaturated fats
Try to limit ultra-processed foods that provide little nutritional value.
If you’re planning a pregnancy, your healthcare provider may also recommend a prenatal vitamin containing folic acid. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that women who can become pregnant consume 400 micrograms of folic acid each day to help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine.
3. Review Medications and Supplements With Your Doctor
Certain medications can have a significant impact on whether a couple can get pregnant. In men, they can interfere with sperm production, making it much more difficult to fertilize an egg. With women, some medications could even interfere with ovulation and similar areas.
If you’re trying to get pregnant, it’s beneficial to consult with a doctor or fertility specialist to determine whether any medication you’re taking can affect your fertility. For example, certain medications may interfere with ovulation or sperm production. Testosterone therapy is especially important for men trying to conceive to discuss with a physician because external testosterone can suppress the body’s production of sperm.
That doesn’t mean you should stop taking prescribed medication when you decide to start a family. Never discontinue or change a medication without first speaking with the healthcare provider who prescribed it.
Instead, tell your physician or fertility specialist that you’re trying to conceive and provide a complete list of medications and supplements you take. They can determine whether anything needs to change.
4. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Body weight can influence reproductive function, although fertility is much more complex than a number on the scale.
Being significantly underweight or overweight can affect ovulation and menstrual cycles in some women. Obesity has also been associated with changes in male reproductive function and semen quality.
If weight could be affecting your fertility, avoid crash diets or extreme exercise programs. A physician can help you determine whether changes in nutrition, exercise, or weight management could realistically benefit your reproductive health.
The goal isn’t to have a specific body type or look a certain way, but to maintain a healthy weight to support your overall health and, therefore, your fertility.
5. Stay Active
Regular physical activity can support cardiovascular health, metabolic health, stress management, and help you maintain a healthy weight, which are all valuable when preparing for pregnancy.
More exercise isn’t necessarily better, however. Very intense or excessive exercise, especially if you’re not eating enough, can interfere with menstrual function and ovulation in some women.
A moderate, sustainable exercise routine is generally a better approach than suddenly starting an extreme fitness program because you’re trying to conceive.
6. Consider Your Alcohol Intake
If you’re actively trying to become pregnant, it’s worth discussing alcohol consumption with your healthcare provider.
The CDC states that there is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant. Avoiding alcohol also prevents inadvertent exposure during the early stages of pregnancy before you know you’re pregnant.
Alcohol can matter for male fertility, too. Heavy alcohol consumption has been associated with changes in reproductive hormones and semen quality.
7. Protect Sperm From Excessive Heat
Sperm production works best at temperatures slightly below normal body temperature. Repeated or prolonged exposure to excessive heat around the testicles may temporarily affect sperm production.
If you’re trying to improve male fertility naturally, it may be reasonable to limit frequent exposure to very high temperatures, such as hot tubs and saunas.
Keep the bigger picture in mind, though. Male infertility can have many causes, and avoiding heat exposure won’t correct underlying hormonal, genetic, anatomical, or sperm-production disorders.
Lifestyle and Fertility: Wrapping Up
The link between lifestyle and fertility is much closer than you’d think, with multiple factors playing a role. While there can be multiple causes of infertility beyond your control, there are meaningful steps you can take to improve fertility naturally, from quitting smoking and eating a balanced diet to exercising regularly and reviewing your medications with your doctor.
If you’ve been trying to conceive without success or have questions about factors that could affect your reproductive health, we’re here to help. Contact the team at Red Rock Fertility today and learn more about the options you have when it comes to growing your family.
