In men, testosterone levels peak during adolescence and early adulthood, gradually declining with age. Once you hit your 30s, the decline will start, imperceptibly at first. By the time you’re in your 70s, your testosterone levels will be about 30% lower than when you were in your late teens.

          Although declining testosterone levels are a normal part of the aging process, there are steps you can take to halt the decline and even reverse the process. Testosterone therapy may be the last resort if your testosterone levels are really abnormally low. But there are other natural ways to raise your testosterone levels back up again. Here are 6 effective ways.

1. High-Quality Sleep

          The value of getting enough high-quality sleep is immeasurable. Not only does it make you feel good, rested, and refreshed, it also helps you maintain normal hormonal balance. In contrast, when you lack sleep, your hormonal levels, including testosterone, are adversely affected.

          Research indicates that lack of sleep can make your testosterone levels drop at a drastic rate. A 2011 study showed that in healthy young men, a week’s restricted sleep of only 5 hours per night can result in a 10%-15% drop in daytime testosterone levels.

          Other studies show that the less number of hours you sleep at night, the more your testosterone levels drop. And if you sleep for only less than 5 hours every day, there’s a high probability that you will develop testosterone deficiency, not to mention you’ll be chronically fatigued.

2. Carbs, Protein, and Even Fats

          Yo-yo dieting, just like overeating, can disrupt your hormone levels. Eating well, especially when your diet is healthfully balanced and contains carbs, proteins, and healthy fats, can help you maintain normal testosterone levels and overall hormonal balance.

          Your long-term calorie intake and your diet strategy can also have an impact on your testosterone levels. Eating sufficient amounts of protein daily can aid in fat loss. This also helps increase your testosterone levels since belly fat traps testosterone and converts it to estrogen. Hence, reducing your belly fat and total body fat can help free up your testosterone.

          In addition, you shouldn’t leave out carbs in your diet. Carbohydrates can actually help you optimize your testosterone levels, especially if you’re undergoing resistance training. Eating sufficient amounts of healthy fats can also help with your testosterone production, considering that your body makes testosterone out of cholesterol.

3. Resistance Training

          Any type of physical activity can help increase your testosterone levels. However, studies show that for boosting your testosterone levels both in the long and short-term, you will benefit the most from resistance training such as lifting weights or doing push-ups.

          The key is to stay physically active, and if that helps you lose weight, then so much the better. Men who are carrying more weight, especially around the middle, tend to have lower testosterone levels.

          Even young men between 14 and 20 who are already obese at such a young age tend to have 50% less testosterone compared to men their age who are not obese or overweight. Research shows that for overweight or obese men, staying physically active is a more effective way of increasing testosterone levels than losing a lot of weight.

4. Stress Management

          Cortisol is a key hormone that has important functions in managing various bodily processes such as your metabolism and immune response. Although cortisol is important, it’s not good to have elevated cortisol levels since it negatively impacts your testosterone production. Unfortunately, long-term and chronic stress results in high cortisol levels.

          When you experience stressful events, it can cause erratic changes in your testosterone levels. When you’re dealing with psychological stress, it can cause your serum testosterone levels to decrease.

          You need to manage your stress effectively if you want to lower your cortisol levels and increase your testosterone levels. One way that you can greatly reduce your stress levels is by working out, which will further help you in your efforts to raise your testosterone levels.

          Alternatively, you can try to get more sleep as that’s also a good way of relieving stress and increasing your levels of testosterone. You can limit your caffeine intake by not drinking late in the day or you can take melatonin supplements to help you sleep better.

          You can also try learning how to meditate, or you can try breathing exercises to better manage your stress levels. You can also try yoga, which is another physical activity that can help tone your muscles and raise your levels of testosterone. As an added bonus, yoga can help improve your sexual performance by strengthening your core, glutes, and pelvic floor muscles.

5. Vitamins and Minerals

          If you’re already in danger of being deficient in testosterone, you’ll need to get some sun or increase your intake of vitamin D rich foods. Vitamin D supplementation has been associated with corrected testosterone levels in men who were low on testosterone.

          Magnesium and zinc are also important trace minerals that can help boost your levels of testosterone, as well as improve your reproductive and sexual health. When you’re deficient in both minerals, your testosterone levels will likely drastically go down.

          To increase your intake of vitamin D, you should consume more fatty fish, cereal products, and fortified milk. For magnesium, you’ll need to eat more dark leafy greens and whole grains.

          Fortified cereals and whole grains also contain zinc. But for a higher dietary intake of zinc, try eating more beans, nuts, and seafood such as oysters and crabs. And don’t forget the leafy greens like spinach. Fruits like bananas and blueberries are also good sources of zinc, vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients.

6. Supplements

          Taking supplements for DHEA and creatine can also help promote testosterone increases. You can also try supplements containing natural ingredients that boost testosterone levels. For instance, herbal supplement that contains Tribulus terrestris and Tongkat Ali, two herbal ingredients that are known for their testosterone-boosting effects.

          This is a safe and popular male sex enhancement supplement that improves not only your sexual prowess but also increases your libido and testosterone levels. That’s because it is formulated using herbs that are scientifically proven to benefit your sexual and reproductive health.