Reports suggest that men who watch countless hours of TV could be reducing their sperm count by as much as half – while not yet definitively proven, scientists believe that the medical research behind this study could pose a serious problem for men who are leading a sedentary lifestyle. There’s more to a man’s fertility than his sperm count though – a lifestyle change may not always be the quick fix for improving one’s sperm count.
While the results sound like yet another good reason for male couch potatoes to get more active, it is possible, for example, that an underlying factor affects how much exercise men do and their sperm counts. The study looked at the link between the quality of semen and the level of physical activity in the individual – due to the design of the study, it’s not possible to completely prove that the level of TV watching and physical activity impacts the quality of the sperm. However, researchers noted a higher level of exercise can be better for the body generally, which in turn creates more positive bodily functions.
The study simply provides a small snapshot of the effects of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle on semen quality, but it does show that the sperm count is lowered by watching too much TV. This could be due to many other factors which go hand in hand with this type of lifestyle, such as weight, fitness and diet. Men who had a higher level of activity in their life had between a 15 and 160 percent higher sperm count than those who didn’t. A balanced diet and giving up smoking are two ways to increase your health, as is getting regular exercise – this not only helps to boost your fertility but also to stave off other health problems, such as obesity, stroke and heart disease.
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