A Lanarkshire man has thanked his personal trainer for the part he’s played in improving his fertility chances.
Jason Griffin saw his sperm count increase to more than five times what it was last year, after months of life-changing fitness work and nutritional advice.
He and wife Kate, 39, are now hoping to conceive a baby through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the coming weeks and months.
The couple are currently going through the treatment, which they decided to pursue due to their ages - now the pair want to raise awareness of the process, taking away any associated taboo.
After a little over four months of training with PT Barry Martin in Strathaven, Jason's sperm count went from 15 million to 77 million.
Surprised at the drastic improvement, a doctor asked what he was doing differently, and Jason told of his new fitness regime.
And the couple were shocked to learn the amazing impact Jason’s recent health-kick had had on his swimmers, which has now boosted their chances of conceiving a baby.
The 35-year-old told Lanarkshire Live : “Going through IVF, we’re always looking at ways to make it more successful.
"One of the biggest ones was fitness, BMI and just trying to be healthier.
"I had just broken my leg while playing fives and I was becoming concerned that my fitness was decreasing. So I went to Barry near the end of recovery to try working on upper body and to get a bit fitter again.
“I went into the IVF treatment where they do an assessment on the number of sperm. It came back with a low number of 15 million, and the lower the number, the less likelihood of success.
“After four or five months of working with Barry we went back and were surprised it had gone up to 77 million. So it’s shown not just the benefits visually, but bodily function wise as well.
"Hopefully it can make the IVF more successful.
“They asked what I’d been doing for the last few months and I said I’ve been working with a personal trainer which has helped my body and improved a positive mental attitude.
“I think we were all surprised at just how high it got afterwards."
Jason and Kate will take a pregnancy test in around two weeks time and are keeping their fingers crossed for a positive result.
After his recent fitness turnaround, Jason said the paid had put themselves in the best possible position for the treatment to be successful.
The IT consultant from Glassford explained: “When you get little wins, it is a big thing.
"I don’t want IVF to be seen as a taboo subject anymore. A lot of people do it, but it seems to be a hidden thing for some reason.
“If this even gets to help one person to talk about it then it’s worthwhile, because you need a support network. It’s a stressful process."
Jason and Kate got married at the start of the pandemic in 2020 before trying to conceive naturally.
They focused on ovulation cycles but Kate became concerned for her age and the newlyweds decided to waste no more time and went for IVF treatment.
But they are now in good place and staying positive, knowing they have played their part in helping their chances to have a baby.
Jason says he is forever grateful for Barry's patience and dedication in getting him to where he is today.
He added: “I wouldn’t have had the energy and motivation for all this if it wasn’t for Barry.
“I’m unbelievably thankful for going on the programme and seeing where it takes me.
"I can see the benefits visually and now medically.
“The time he’s taken with me has been brilliant and has gotten me to a great place."
Barry, 40, runs his fitness business with wife Jo Martin.
They converted their garage at their home in Strathaven into a commercial gym which caters for one-to-one personal training sessions.
He says he was "touched" after realising the positive impact of his work with Jason.
Barry told us: “Jason came to me in September last year after his broken fibula and was just off crutches.
“The focus of the training was to rebuild his leg and give him more strength and mobility.
“As a side effect of his good progress, it’s helped his IVF process as they’re trying for a kid.
“So now hopefully they can have a successful baby at the end of this. It’s been a real success story for us.
“It was quite touching for us to see the impact the work has had on Jason and Kate.
"The PT work is not always about transformation, it’s about the greater good and helping people.
“The motivation for us is seeing people get the best out of themselves and achieve what they want to achieve."
Barry offers free initial consultations for his training and can be contacted on 07825 108855 or by visiting his website here.
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