With all the current research on the harm smoking can do to a person’s health, not smoking should always be a consideration, but especially when someone is pregnant or trying to conceive. Tobacco use has been demonstrated to affect the reproductive capacities of both men and women and is a particularly potent reproductive toxin.

Environmental toxins such as heavy metals, chemicals from industrial manufacturing and radiation therapy have also been shown to contribute to low sperm count.

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Regular physical exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. However, excessive exercise can cause a hormonal imbalance in both women and men, and can cause women to stop menstruating.

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When trying to conceive, men’s testicles need to remain cool in order to function optimally. In fact, they should be a couple of degrees below normal body temperature. There are several things men can do to help keep their testicles cool:

• Avoid briefs and wear boxers: Boxers are less constricting than briefs and allow testicles to stay cooler by hanging loose, away from the body.
• Avoid saunas and hot tubs: Temperatures in both these environments can become extremely hot and consequently raise testicle temperature.
• Avoid tight jeans or pants: Clothes that are tight warm up the testicles and may lower the quality of sperm.

The scrotum hangs outside a man’s body because testicles need to be a few degrees cooler than the rest of the body for normal sperm production. Underwear that is too tight, nylon biking shorts, a work space that is too close to a heat source, saunas and long hot showers can all consistently raise the temperature of a man’s testicles.

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