Can Yoga Improve Male Fertility? AIIMS Study Offers New Hope for Couples

For many couples struggling to conceive, infertility can be an emotionally exhausting journey filled with uncertainty, stress, and repeated medical consultations. Now, a new study by researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, suggests that an ancient practice may offer some hope: yoga.

Published in the International Journal of Yoga ahead of the International Day of Yoga on June 21, the study found that regular yoga practice can significantly improve sperm quality while reducing oxidative stress and DNA damage in infertile men. These factors are considered major contributors to male infertility.

According to global estimates, infertility affects more than 15 percent of couples worldwide, with male-related factors responsible for nearly half of all cases. Experts say that modern lifestyles, chronic stress, poor sleep, unhealthy diets, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and environmental pollution are increasingly impacting male reproductive health.

Researchers believe yoga helps by lowering stress hormones, improving blood circulation, reducing inflammation, and enhancing the body's antioxidant defenses. Previous studies have also linked yoga with better hormonal balance, improved mental well-being, and healthier reproductive function.

While yoga is not a replacement for medical treatment, the findings suggest it could be an effective complementary therapy. For couples navigating the challenges of infertility, simple lifestyle changes such as regular yoga may provide both physical and emotional benefits, offering a holistic path toward improved reproductive health.