You need to understand how your body works and how it responds to your lifestyle – what you eat, how often you exercise, how you manage stress, etc. Sadly, most of us don’t pay much attention to our bodies until something goes wrong—like a cardiac attack or a pulled hamstring. For some guys, body awareness doesn’t begin until they notice signs of erectile dysfunction. Only then will they take the male enhancement pills. When men aren’t prepared for changes in their sexual function, those changes can seem mysterious, embarrassing, and even frightening. That said, you need to be more aware of how exactly your body works. So, you can adjust your lifestyle to improve your sexual function in a real, noticeable way. We’ll find out soon enough what those adjustments are in your lifestyle.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

A person who is overweight has more inflammation throughout their body, which increases substances called reactive oxygen species, or ROS. ROS works against your nitric oxide and makes it less effective. Nitric oxide wins when you lose weight because it decreases inflammation and ROS in your body. You look better naked when you lose weight. That’s not in vain. That’s a psychological boost you get when you lose weight to improve your sexual function.

Improve Your Diet

Besides helping you manage your weight, good nutrition benefits your health in so many ways. You now know that even temporary increases in blood sugar can increase ROS, which can lead to a reduction in nitric oxide. Eating a balanced meal can help you avoid those blood sugar spikes. Make healthier choices when you eat to improve your sexual function, even if you don’t have diabetes. If you need help identifying better ways to eat, ask your registered dietitian.

Exercise

When you exercise regularly, you increase your heart’s ability to manage proper blood circulation, and this helps blood flow throughout the body, especially during erections. Combining cardio exercise (e.g., walking, running, swimming) with strength training (e.g., weights, resistance bands, bodyweight exercises) is best. Exercises that target erectile function can range from buying a vacuum pump online to Kegel exercises. A vacuum pump can easily improve blood flow to your penis. On the other hand, when you exercise your pelvic floor muscles with kegel exercises, your pelvic floor muscles can seal off the veins draining blood from your penis during your erection. If you’ve got such weak pelvic floor muscles, your erections won’t last as long.

Stress-Reduction

Your body responds to stress by constricting blood vessels. This reduces your blood flow, including blood flow to erections. Even ED medications like Viagra and Cialis may be counteracted by stress. That said, consider exercise, Yoga, meditation, relaxing hobbies, or even just hanging out with a friend. You can even choose to talk it out to a therapist as a way to manage your stress.

As a result of blood flowing into the penis during an erection, the penis becomes rigid. If you make these lifestyle changes, the blood flow to your penis will be good, and you’ll be able to keep it rigid by containing many nitric oxides.