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Trying to conceive can feel like an emotional rollercoaster, and it’s natural to wonder if there’s more you can do to support your chances. The good news is that both men and women can make small but meaningful changes – through nutrition, lifestyle, and healthy habits – that may help boost fertility.
In this guide, we’ll share practical, science-backed tips designed to give you more confidence and control on your journey to parenthood.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding and tracking your fertile window is essential for conception.
- A fertility-supportive diet should include key nutrients like B6, C, magnesium, and zinc. These support hormone balance and reproductive functions.
- Regular moderate exercise helps reduce stress and balance hormones. Avoid over-exercising, which can disrupt your cycle and ovulation.
- Getting 7–9 hours of quality, consistent sleep boosts fertility by improving hormone regulation, especially progesterone and FSH.
- Avoiding endocrine disruptors like BPA, phthalates, and microplastics can protect hormonal health.
- Male fertility is equally important. Men should prioritize sleep, balanced nutrition, and regular exercise.
- Male partners can benefit from supplements like vitamin C, D, CoQ10, and L-carnitine to support sperm quality. A diet rich in zinc and omega-3s is also key.
- Limiting alcohol, smoking, soy, and processed foods can improve male fertility outcomes.
Six Tips for Women To Boost Fertility
First, let’s go over six practical tips for women to improve fertility and increase their chances of conception.
Tip # 1 – Get the Timing Right
Here’s the truth: If you don’t time intercourse right, the rest of the tips don’t really matter.
This is where the term fertile window comes into play. Think of your fertile window as the timeframe where intercourse has the best chance of leading to conception.
Here are the specific days of your cycle that are in the fertile window:
- The four days before ovulation
- The day of ovulation
- The day after ovulation
Why are these days considered to be in the fertile window?
Remember, sperm can survive for up to 5 days, and an egg can survive for up to 1 day. So this results in a total of 6 days where the timing can line up just right for the egg and sperm to rendezvous.
Not every day of your fertile window has an equal opportunity, though. Your best chance at conception is the two days leading up to ovulation. This is why (when possible), it’s best to have intercourse before ovulation occurs.
This helps eliminate the chances of the egg being reabsorbed back into the uterine lining before it has a chance of being fertilized.
Know more: When to Have Sex to Conceive
How can you make sure to get the timing right?
Having a method to carefully track both ovulation and your fertile window is key! And this is exactly what the Inito fertility monitor was made for.
Inito helps you accurately predict your fertile window by giving you numerical values of LH, estrogen, PdG and FSH on a single test strip. Your estrogen levels increase 3-4 days before ovulation. And 24-36 hours before ovulation, your LH starts to rise.
Being able to visually see the fluctuating hormones can help you plan the timing of your baby-making efforts with confidence.
On top of that, Inito also helps confirm ovulation by detecting PdG (the urine metabolite progesterone), which rises soon after ovulation.
The best part about Inito is that you don’t have to use different test strips for all of these hormones. You get all of the precise numerical values from a single test strip!
Tip # 2: Optimize Your Diet
Don’t underestimate the power of what you put into your body. The foods you eat play an important role in your overall health and fertility.
Incorporating vital nutrients in your diet can support your body in all of its reproductive functions and potentially boost your chances of conceiving.
4 key nutrients to incorporate into your diet while TTC:
1. Vitamin B6
Why it’s important for fertility:
It supports progesterone production. And research shows that women with adequate vitamin B6 levels have a lower chance of early miscarriage.
Foods rich in vitamin B6:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Fish
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Bananas
2. Vitamin C
Why it’s important for fertility:
We all know that vitamin C is vital for healthy immune system function. But did you know that it also boost progesterone production? Research has linked vitamin C supplementation to higher levels of progesterone.
Foods rich in vitamin C:
- Citrus fruit like orange, lime, and grapefruit
- Other fruits like strawberry and kiwi
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
3. Magnesium
Why it’s important:
Magnesium helps balance your hormones (particularly your estrogen to progesterone ratio). It also helps with regulating your pituitary gland which is responsible for producing other important hormones like FSH, LH, and TSH.
Foods rich in magnesium:
- Leafy greens
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Whole grains
- Legumes
4. Zinc
Why it’s important:
Zinc promotes healthy production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH is vital for maturing your ovarian follicles in preparation for ovulation.
Foods rich in zinc:
- Meat
- Shellfish
- Legumes
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Dairy
Of course, you’ll want to talk to a healthcare professional or nutritionist to tweak your diet to your unique needs. This is especially important when planning for conception and pregnancy!
Read more: Diet and Fertility: What to Avoid When Trying to Conceive
Tip #3 – Get a Healthy Amount of Exercise
When it comes to exercise and fertility, balance is key!
Moderate exercise has been proven to help reduce stress hormones like cortisol. This is helpful for your health and fertility because when cortisol is elevated for a prolonged period of time, it can throw your other hormones out of balance.
But what does “moderate” exercise actually look like in practice?
Here’s a general recommended exercise plan to give you an idea:
Moderate-intensity cardio workouts
- Each cardio session should last around 30 minutes.
- Try to get in 3-5 cardio sessions per week (or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise total for the week).
- Moderate-intensity cardio looks like: brisk walking, light cycling, or moderate-paced swimming.
Strength training
- Aim for 2-3 strength training workouts each week.
- Focus on major muscle groups like your chest, back, legs, glutes, arms, and shoulders.
- Use weights or resistance that allow you to get in about 12-15 repetitions per set.
- Your goal is to support muscular health, not excessively strain your muscles.
Important considerations for exercising while TTC:
While exercise can be a super helpful way to boost your health and fertility, there are a few things you need to be careful of:
1. Avoid over-exercising
Repeated high-intensity workouts can actually have a negative impact on your fertility.
Shocked by this? Prolonged physical stress can result in hormonal imbalances (like heightened levels of cortisol).
And these imbalances can interfere with the regularity of your menstrual cycle and ovulation.
2. Listen to your body
Whenever you make any changes to your exercise routine, keep a close eye on your body’s response. If you experience fatigue, irregular periods, or other out-of-the-ordinary symptoms, it’s a sign that you’ll need to make some tweaks.
Also, be sure to talk about any of these changes with your doctor or a trusted fitness expert. They can help personalize your workout plan to your health and fertility goals.
Know more: Exercise During Ovulation and Implantation: Need-to-Knows
Tip #4 – Practice Good Sleep Habits
Tired of hearing all the wellness gurus talking about this? We get it. But getting adequate quality sleep really is one of the single most important things you can do for your overall well-being.
Sleep also plays a significant role in fertility by regulating your hormones and promoting your reproductive health.
Studies have shown that:
- Women who get longer periods of sleep have about a 20% increase in FSH production.
- Regular sleep schedules are correlated with a 60% reduction in estradiol levels.
- For each extra hour of sleep you get per day, you have an increase of about 9.4% in average progesterone levels.
So what do “good” sleep habits actually look like?
Here are some helpful recommendations for improving your sleep:
- Length of sleep: The ideal amount of sleep for most adults is between 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
- Consistency: It’s best to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day (or as close to the same time as you can get).
- Sleep environment: The optimal sleep environment is dark, cool, and quiet. This will limit the risk of you waking up in the middle of the night.
- Pre-bed routine: Before you go to bed, it’s helpful to engage in a routine that helps your body wind down. Consider reading, gently stretching, journaling, or meditating. Once you make this practice consistent, it will begin to signal to your body that it’s time for sleep.
Tip # 5 – Keep Your Stress Levels to a Minimum
Just like with sleep, managing your stress levels is key to your overall vitality as well as your fertility.
Trying to conceive can certainly feel like a stressful time. There’s so much on your mind and lots of logistical planning going on. In spite of this, there are some simple ways you can lower your stress levels!
Here are a few suggestions for keeping your stress levels under control:
Try out stress-relieving practices like warm baths, meditation, yoga, or deep-breathing.
Address what’s stressing you out head-on to avoid a build-up of overwhelming emotions. To do this, try journaling or EFT (emotional freedom technique), aka tapping.
Give yourself the gift of an occasional digital detox. Constantly being plugged into social media and the digital world can lead to information and sensory overload, which can increase your stress levels.
Be intentional with your social interactions. Spend quality time with friends and family members who make you feel loved and lifted. Join and participate in communities and groups that align with your interests or struggles.
Tune into nature. Make it a habit to spend time in nature daily. Take a 10-minute walk around your block, have lunch outside, or keep your windows open when you drive to work.
Know more: Stress and Fertility: Is It Actually Hurting Your Chances?
Tip # 6 – Avoid Products That Contain Endocrine Disruptors
Maybe you’ve seen all the social media hype and internet craze around “endocrine disruptors.” But what does that even mean, and what products does this refer to?
Your endocrine system is responsible for the production of hormones. Hormonal signals are essential for regulating tons of physiological processes in your body—including many reproductive processes.
So endocrine disruptors are materials and chemicals that interfere with your body’s natural hormone production in some way.
Here are some of the most common endocrine disruptors:
Bisphenol A (BPA)
BPA is found in many plastics and resins. It disrupts your hormonal balance by closely resembling estrogen.
Phthalates
These are chemicals that are usually added to plastics to improve flexibility and durability. But they can impact the healthy movement of sperm (motility) and trigger hormonal changes in women.
Microplastics
These are super small plastic particles found in our water, food, and the air we inhale. Microplastics can absorb and release toxic chemicals that then find their way into our bodies and impact our reproductive health.
So what can you do to limit your exposure to these endocrine disruptors?
If you haven’t read up much on endocrine disruptors before, this may all sound a bit alarming! And it is definitely a concern for human reproductive health.
But thankfully, there are some ways you can significantly reduce your risk of harm:
- When possible, avoid using plastic containers, especially for heating or storing food. Instead, opt for glass, porcelain, or stainless steel containers, which won’t seep harmful chemicals into your food.
- Avoid microwaving anything in a plastic container.
- On many plastic products, especially those used for food or drink storage, there are recycling codes. Two big ones you should be aware of are:
- Recycling code 3 (may contain phthalates)
- Recycling code 7 (may contain BPA)
- Opt for fragrance-free products as many fragrances contain phthalates.
- Eat home-cooked meals as much as possible as this gives you more control over what you put in your body.
How to Boost Male Fertility
Fertility doesn’t fall on just one person. A male partner’s fertility significantly impacts a couple’s chances of conception too.
Remember, male fertility challenges play a role in up to 40-50% of cases of infertility.
So let’s take a look at some ways that male partners can optimize their sperm health and overall fertility.
Here are 5 ways to maximize male fertility:
1. Move your body daily
Exercising regularly at a moderate intensity level can lead to better health outcomes all around. This includes improvements in sex drive and sperm quality (win-win!).
2. Get restorative sleep
Aim to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. This will help with hormonal balance and overall reproductive health.
3. Consider taking nutritional supplements like:
- Vitamin C: to help prevent damage to sperm DNA by reducing oxidative stress.
- Vitamin D: to maintain ideal testosterone levels.
- CoQ10 and L-carnitine: to support overall health as well as sperm motility (healthy sperm movement).
4. Eat a well-balanced diet
Consuming nutrient-rich foods in general is essential for your overall physical health. But you may also wish to focus on getting plenty of zinc and omega-3 fatty acids to give sperm quality a boost.
Foods high in zinc:
- Oysters
- Beef
- Pumpkin seeds
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids:
Oily fish like salmon
Walnuts
Flaxseeds
Avocado
Male partners can also boost fertility by avoiding:
Overly processed foods or those containing trans fats can harm sperm count and reproductive health in general.
Too much soy – soy contains phytoestrogens, which can mimic estrogen in the body and disrupt your hormone health
Endocrine disruptors like BPAs and phthalates
Alcohol consumption, smoking, vaping, or illicit substances – they can all harm sperm health
Having too much full-fat dairy – it’s been linked to poor sperm quality
5. Manage your stress levels
When your stress levels stay high for too long, your sperm quality and testosterone production could suffer. To combat this, try managing your stress with meditation, yoga, and leisure activities.
What’s the final word on female and male fertility?
When it comes to conceiving, both partners play a crucial role. Take steps to control the lifestyle factors within your power to give yourselves the best chance at conception.
Every effort—no matter how small—adds up in boosting your reproductive health and well-being!
And most importantly, don’t feel like you have to go through this all alone.
Whether you’re just beginning your fertility journey or you’ve been trying for months or even years, there are so many others out there who are going through the same or similar circumstances.
Feel More Supported on Your Fertility Journey
Trying to conceive but feeling a bit isolated and overwhelmed? Craving connection with people who get it?
Look no further! Inito has an incredibly supportive Facebook community who share all the highs and lows of their fertility. Real conversations with real humans who are trying to conceive just like you are.
This is the perfect place to ask questions you may be hesitant to ask elsewhere and to have your fertility concerns addressed by experts and others who care.
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