Sperm count is important for a number of different reasons, but, most critical, is for any guy who’s looking to reproduce with a partner(s) at some point in his life. As a growing problem, though, men are experiencing lower sperm counts, which can be caused by a number of different factors. That said, there are ways to reverse that.

Although no one wants to think about male infertility or a low sperm count, it’s an important topic to understand because of all the things it can do to a guy’s sexual health. Since we’re here to educate you on a bunch of different sex and male health issues, we figured we’d give some tips on how to increase your sperm count and try to squash any infertility problems.

Take D-aspartic acid (D-AA) supplements

Without getting to technical or medical on you, D-aspartic acid (D-AA) supplements are an amino acid that is believed to help improve testosterone levels and fertility in guys. Although scientists are still unsure if this is true or not, it’s an option that many men with a low sperm count may want to consider.

Avoid stress

We all know that stress is going to happen; after all, things come up that make your mind and emotions run. That said, it’s important to limit how much it impacts your health for plenty of reasons, understanding how what you can and can’t control. Increased stress is also a reason for a decreased sperm count, as it can lead to cortisol rising, which plays a negative part in testosterone.

Get enough zinc

Having a good amount of zinc in your diet — which can be found in things like meat, eggs and fish — is critical into help men stay fertile. As with other suggestions we have here, the amount of zinc a guy gets is directly related to both testosterone levels and sperm count. It’s important to find the right amount to help your body stay strong, guys.

Find an exercise routine

We all know how important having an exercise routine is to both mental and physical health, and, to no one’s surprise, it has the same impact on men with a low sperm count. In addition to giving men confidence in their appearance, exercising can also help boost testosterone levels, as studies show that men who routinely exercise regularly have higher levels of testosterone and semen quality.

Make sure to get loads of vitamin D

Whether this means taking supplements or laying around out in the sunshine — make sure to wear your sunscreen! — getting a bunch of vitamin D will only help with any low sperm count problems. According to one study, men who lacked vitamin D were more likely to have lower testosterone levels, and that, guys who get about 3,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day for a year, could combat that by increasing levels by about 25 percent.