The Fertility Benefits of Your New Year’s Resolutions
If you’ve been making New Year’s Resolutions for a while now, you can probably guess the categories that most of them fall into – and you also recognize that most of us tend to ditch those New Year promises by mid-January. As I run down the list of the most popular commitments people make on January 1, I’m struck by how many of them can also have a positive effect on enhancing fertility. If any of these are on your list, perhaps knowing that they’re “dual purpose” will help you stick to them well past January 15.
Weight Loss – It’s number one on the New Year’s Resolution list for many Americans and for good reason. Shedding those excess pounds has been clinically proven to have a host of overall health benefits. Did you know among them is enhanced fertility? It’s true. In fact, some studies have even shown that up to 30% of infertility cases are due to overweight or underweight. If you want to boost your fertility and weight loss is on your resolution list this year – stick with it. It definitely matters!
More Exercise – Have you ever been inside a gym on January 1? They’re packed! This resolution is also high on the list because it coincides with those weight loss goals everyone’s setting. Aside from its help with losing excess body weight, increasing your physical fitness can also have a positive effect on fertility. From stress reduction to hormone regulation, a regular and moderate exercise routine is a great way to make sure you and your partner are doing all you can to help the process along.
Better Nutrition – Between the family gatherings and seemingly endless holiday parties most of us engage in during the final few months of the year, we’ve consumed a gravy boat-load of calories. We eventually begin to see that consumption manifest itself on our waist lines and many of us resolve to “eat better” in the New Year. The great news is that consuming a healthy diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables can also have a positive effect on fertility. Focus on integrating more fatty fish, whole grains, dark leafy greens and berries into your diet. It’s among the ways to help protect your body from inflammation and the free radical damage it can cause to sperm in men and PH levels in women. Both are significant factors in getting pregnant as well as sustaining viable pregnancies and eventually, delivering healthy babies.
Stop Smoking – If you put this one on your list, you know you need to “just do it.” Need another reason why? Smoking increases the chance of male infertility by up to 30%. If you and your partner are struggling to get pregnant and you’re still smoking, quit now. Find a doctor who can help guide you to a program that you can achieve success with. You may not realize it today, but your body and reproductive processes will definitely thank you for it later.
Manage Stress – I know it’s easier said than done. But it’s important because life stress also causes our reproductive mechanisms to go haywire. I know very few people with fertility concerns who say they also lead an “easy” lifestyle. The two just don’t go together. So, if you can commit to healthier ways to manage stress, you may begin seeing benefits to your fertility in no time. Looking for some healthy ideas? Try yoga or meditation. Both can be great ways to channel stress for the greater good of your body and fertility.
If any of the popular New Year’s Resolutions have made it to your list this year, I encourage you to stick with them. Especially for those who are concerned about fertility, I have seen complete reversal of symptoms in many cases where these types of considerable efforts were made. I hope that provides you some encouragement as you put in the hard work of beginning and sticking with those New Year’s resolutions. Resolving to better your health is an important commitment no matter the time of year and I applaud you for making it.
Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!