Beli Prenatals are HSA/FSA eligible!

Regular Exercise Is Key to Better Sperm Quality

New year, new you? If you’re committing to standard resolutions like drinking more water, cutting back on the booze, eating a more nutritious diet, or hitting the gym, you’re in good company. And for men in particular, especially men hoping to make 2022 the year they become fathers, that last resolution may have a happy side benefit — better sperm. There’s an entire body of evidence proving that regular exercise improves sperm quality. And since sperm quality plays a critical role not only in conception, but the health of the placenta and the lifelong health of your future baby, well, that’s pretty compelling motivation for a serious gym habit. Here’s what the research shows and how much exercise you need to reap the better sperm benefits.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Benefits of regular exercise go beyond the gym — for men hoping to conceive, regular exercise can help improve sperm quality.
    • Sperm quality is linked to male fertility and defined specifically by sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology.
    • It’s estimated that only one in four men have high sperm quality.
    • Proper function of the male reproductive system depends on a man’s health as a whole. That’s why regular exercise can have a positive impact on sperm health.
    • Exercise alone may not be enough. Men should take steps to lead a healthier lifestyle in general, which includes adequate sleep, minimizing stress, dropping bad habits like smoking or drug use, eating better, and incorporating a high-quality men’s prenatal vitamin to improve sperm quality and fertility.
    • Beli for Men is a science-backed men’s prenatal vitamin with the right nutrients in the right amounts that can help improve sperm health across all parameters.

Defining Sperm Quality and Male Fertility

When we’re talking about sperm quality, it’s intrinsically linked to male fertility. The healthier and more robust the sperm, the more virile the guy, right? Sperm quality itself is identified in a few ways:

    • Sperm count. There are around 55 million sperm cruising around in a healthy male’s ejaculation. In a single milliliter of semen, anywhere from 15 million to well over 200 million sperm is considered the normal range. When you get below 15 million sperm per milliliter or less than 39 million sperm in ejaculate, you’re dealing with low sperm count. Only one lucky sperm will fertilize an egg, but the more sperm you have, the better the odds.
    • Sperm motility. Motility describes sperm movement patterns, and there are three general groups. Some sperm swim in straight lines or big circles, some swim in all directions but forward, and then there’s the non-moving group. A man is considered fertile if 40% of his sperm are motile.
    • Sperm morphology. This is the structure of the sperm. Normal sperm are tadpole-esque, with oval heads and long tails. Abnormal sperm — you know, the ones with two heads — are associated with lower fertility rates. Interestingly, poor lifestyle habits can often be the culprit behind poor sperm morphology.


Real talk — it’s estimated that only one man in four has optimal sperm quality. That makes conception itself harder for the unlucky 75%, but even more concerning, it poses a risk to the health of the pregnancy and the baby, including brain development and birth weight, which can be attributed to the pre-conception health of dad-to-be.

So what’s a guy to do? Commit to a healthier lifestyle — and that includes regular exercise!

Train the Body, Train the Sperm?

beli-prenatals-for-men-improving-sperm-quality

It doesn’t work quite like that, but healthy reproductive system function relies on a man’s overall health. When a guy exercises regularly, his testicles work better and those sperm quality parameters improve. In particular, exercise like weight lifting, running, and jogging are linked to higher sperm concentrations, with more bang for your buck than activities like walking or aerobics. Still, any exercise is better than no exercise, since movement can help reduce inflammation for better sperm function. And keep in mind that definitive studies on the exact amount or kind of exercise to improve sperm count don’t yet exist. The big takeaway is that exercise improves sperm quality, so as long as you're moving consistently — three to five times a week  you’re doing something right.

Exercise is Just One Piece of the Puzzle

If the goal is a baby, regular exercise is important — but it may not be enough all by itself. Round it out by taking steps to clean up your lifestyle in general. In addition to exercise, that means getting adequate sleep, doing what you can to minimize stress, cutting back on excessive alcohol consumption, definitely quitting smoking or recreational drug use, and eating better. 

A big part of sperm quality comes down to the right nutrients at the right time. If you’re a pizza-and-wings kind of guy, consider incorporating more lean proteins and leafy greens, cutting back on the processed foods, and hedging your bets with a prenatal vitamin specifically formulated for the specialized nutrition guys need. A man’s prenatal vitamin, like Beli for Men, includes scientifically-proven nutrients in the right amounts to help improve and support all parameters of sperm health and increase testosterone.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to a healthy conception, pregnancy, and baby, there are a lot of moving parts. But it takes two to make a baby, and the health of that hopeful dad-to-be can’t really be overstated. All of the things that make for a healthy lifestyle, exercise included, directly benefit your health, and what benefits your health benefits your sperm quality. Funny how that works.

Additional Resources

PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility in women, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant. Supplementing with ingredients proven to support women with PCOS can help increase your chances, and so can speaking with your doctor and dietician.

Read More

There’s an essential connection between our minds and our bodies, and when we neglect one, it inevitably catches up with us through the other. For women becoming mothers especially, the body-mind connection is worth paying close attention to. Here's how prenatal vitamins can help.

Read More

The role of a prenatal vitamin is to support the healthy growth and development of growing babies, and minimizing the risk of birth defects is front and center. But can your prenatal vitamins really reduce the risk of birth defects? Absolutely!

Read More

You think you know, but when it comes to male fertility and sperm health specifically, you probably have no idea. Here at Beli, we’ve had an education-first approach to male fertility since day one and today we’re breaking down fact from fiction, sperm edition. Let’s see how you do!

Read More

Between responsibilities at home and at work, commitments that just keep piling up, and a mile-long to-do list, sex may be on your mind, but only in a vague, wouldn’t-that-be-nice kind of way. It's normal! But men hoping to become fathers might be stressing that a waning sex drive is signaling a problem with their fertility (spoiler: not necessarily). Still, it’s true that a man’s fertility and his libido are linked, so let’s hop into all the details, including 4 ways to rev up that sex drive.

Read More

Medical science tells it like it is–a man’s health and his fertility are undeniably linked. But what role do genetics play in the fertility factor? It's a good question! In today's post, we're taking a deep dive into exactly how genetics affect male fertility.

Read More

Time and time again, men are an afterthought in the fertility conversation, and it’s setting couples up to fail. In light of recent research confirming–again–that sperm counts around the world are indeed declining, Beli wants to lead the charge. Join us, and let’s make March men’s fertility awareness month.

Read More

Knowing all the facts about sperm doesn’t just make you positively lethal on trivia night, it actually puts you in prime position to optimize your chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby. So let’s get to it, with these 10 facts about sperm that will (probably) blow your mind.

Read More

Shilajit is finally getting the credit it’s due, and we’re proud to point out that our proprietary formula was the very first to include this powerful Ayurvedic compound. Here’s why shilajit is rapidly becoming the darling of the male fertility world–and what you’re missing if you’re skipping it.

Read More

Somewhere between the “let’s have a baby!” conversation and seeing those two pink lines, you’re going to end up researching prenatal vitamins. And trust us when we say you’re going to have a ton of options to wade through. Consider this your handy guide to the best prenatal vitamins for men and women in 2023.

Read More

Beli for Women has all the current nutrient recommendations for prenatal vitamins, including choline, vitamin D, folate, magnesium, and iodine. All the right ingredients, in all the right amounts. But it does beg the question, how exactly does Beli fit everything into just three capsules?

Read More

Getting your ducks in a row at least three months before you hope to conceive can help nourish your fertility in preparation of everything to come. That’s where a high-quality prenatal vitamin for you both comes in. Our guide walks you through all the behind-the-scenes benefits during your first three months on Beli.

Read More

The second you start looking into fertility testing, the acronyms are everywhere. Chief among them is AMH, or anti-müllerian hormone. Here’s what to understand about your AMH level and what it means for your chances of becoming pregnant.

Read More

Dr. Taylor Wallace calls choline the “under-consumed and under-appreciated essential nutrient.” He’s right–in spite of its importance, choline is worryingly absent in so many mainstream prenatal vitamin formulas. We sat down with Dr. Wallace for a rundown on choline and why it’s so critical for pregnant and nursing moms, plus how to be sure you and your baby are getting enough.

Read More

Fun fact – chemical-based preferences that steer women toward specific men appear to play out between the human egg and sperm, with the egg “choosing” which sperm will be the lucky winner in the race to fertilization. Spoiler – the higher quality the sperm, the better the odds of a successful journey and conception.

Read More

Research shows that the overall health of both biological parents during the preconception window plays a huge role in everything from conception to pregnancy health to the lifetime health of their baby. Luckily, there are simple steps you can both take to improve your health together.

Read More

Supplementing with key nutrients in the right amounts not only improves sperm health — think sperm count and sperm motility — it also means optimal fertility health for men in general. And that means the best chance of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and baby. 

Read More

It’s resolution-making time, and a lot of folks have babies on the brain. We got you! We double checked with the experts for the best ways to support and promote fertility for the very best chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and bouncing baby.

Read More

Special thanks to Becca, a fertility dietitian at Little Life Nutrition, for today's post! Becca is passionate about helping moms and dads-to-be uncover the root cause of fertility challenges, using nutrition, lifestyle, and functional lab testing to optimize her clients' chance of getting pregnant — a true "no-stone-left-unturned" approach. Here, she shares five ways to boost fertility naturally.

Read More

Most births occur between June and early November. Count back nine months, and you’ll see that places most conceptions in the fall and winter. So what’s the deal? Is it the cold weather. all the festivities, or something else driving us between the sheets? That ugly sweater is pretty cute, but you can chalk this up to reproductive seasonality. Here’s what that means, why it matters, and what to do to use it to your advantage.

Read More

The role of a prenatal vitamin is to support the healthy growth and development of growing babies, and minimizing the risk of birth defects is front and center. But can your prenatal vitamins really reduce the risk of birth defects? Absolutely!

Read More

You think you know, but when it comes to male fertility and sperm health specifically, you probably have no idea. Here at Beli, we’ve had an education-first approach to male fertility since day one and today we’re breaking down fact from fiction, sperm edition. Let’s see how you do!

Read More

Between responsibilities at home and at work, commitments that just keep piling up, and a mile-long to-do list, sex may be on your mind, but only in a vague, wouldn’t-that-be-nice kind of way. It's normal! But men hoping to become fathers might be stressing that a waning sex drive is signaling a problem with their fertility (spoiler: not necessarily). Still, it’s true that a man’s fertility and his libido are linked, so let’s hop into all the details, including 4 ways to rev up that sex drive.

Read More

Medical science tells it like it is–a man’s health and his fertility are undeniably linked. But what role do genetics play in the fertility factor? It's a good question! In today's post, we're taking a deep dive into exactly how genetics affect male fertility.

Read More

Time and time again, men are an afterthought in the fertility conversation, and it’s setting couples up to fail. In light of recent research confirming–again–that sperm counts around the world are indeed declining, Beli wants to lead the charge. Join us, and let’s make March men’s fertility awareness month.

Read More

Knowing all the facts about sperm doesn’t just make you positively lethal on trivia night, it actually puts you in prime position to optimize your chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby. So let’s get to it, with these 10 facts about sperm that will (probably) blow your mind.

Read More

Shilajit is finally getting the credit it’s due, and we’re proud to point out that our proprietary formula was the very first to include this powerful Ayurvedic compound. Here’s why shilajit is rapidly becoming the darling of the male fertility world–and what you’re missing if you’re skipping it.

Read More

Research shows that the overall health of both biological parents during the preconception window plays a huge role in everything from conception to pregnancy health to the lifetime health of their baby. Luckily, there are simple steps you can both take to improve your health together.

Read More

Supplementing with key nutrients in the right amounts not only improves sperm health — think sperm count and sperm motility — it also means optimal fertility health for men in general. And that means the best chance of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and baby. 

Read More

It’s resolution-making time, and a lot of folks have babies on the brain. We got you! We double checked with the experts for the best ways to support and promote fertility for the very best chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and bouncing baby.

Read More

Special thanks to Becca, a fertility dietitian at Little Life Nutrition, for today's post! Becca is passionate about helping moms and dads-to-be uncover the root cause of fertility challenges, using nutrition, lifestyle, and functional lab testing to optimize her clients' chance of getting pregnant — a true "no-stone-left-unturned" approach. Here, she shares five ways to boost fertility naturally.

Read More
li