We know that obesity can lower a man’s fertility and that a healthy body is paramount to having healthy sperm. Although exercise is important, experts say that too much exercise can actually hinder your health.  

So, if you’re a gym fanatic who loves his HIIT workouts, you may need to rethink your routine...

A recent study assigned participants to four groups. Moderate intensity continuous training (MICT), high intensity continuous training (HICT), high intensity interval training (HIIT), and a control group that did no exercise. 

After completing the 24-week program, the MICT exercise group demonstrated the most improvement in sperm quality and maintained these benefits for longer. The participants from the MICT group had:  

• 8.3% more semen volume 
• 12.4% higher sperm motility 
• 17.1% improved sperm cell shape/morphology
• 14.1% more concentrated sperm
• and 21.8% more sperm cells on average

Despite these benefits to sperm count, motility and concentration, these levels began to decrease back towards pre-training levels after a week without exercise.  

So, you know the saying, ‘consistency is key,’ well, sorry guys but it’s true!

But, don’t fret...the great thing about exercise is that there are so many different types that you can do, you just gotta find the one that suits you. But, remember, MICT is best.  

Not sure what MICT exercise looks like? Here are some examples: 

• Fast walking 
• Jogging 
• Swimming 
• Aerobics 
• Cycling 
• Yoga (see our article: Fertility Yoga for Men) 

Now you might be thinking, 'ok, but these all activities vary in style and level, so how do I know that I’m doing an MITC and not HITC workout?' 

The best way to know this is to check your heart rate. To be an MITC workout, your heart rate must stay in the ‘moderate zone.’ This is calculated as between 50 – 70% of your maximum heart rate. 

You can accurately measure your heart rate by using an app, a heart rate monitor, or a fitness band or smart watch to make sure that you are in your moderate zone. 

I recommend: Instant Heart Rate Monitor: HR Monitor

This app is free, fast and very easy to use. You can quickly check your stress levels at any time and save your reports if you wish, which could be super useful for your doctor. 

Ok guys, hope this helps!