Blog

When erectile dysfunction rears its ugly head, men tend to scramble for a solution. Many turn to medication, while others look inwardly for solutions. But for some men, erectile dysfunction is just another issue to be overcome by working out. For these men, there isn’t a body problem that can’t be solved with twenty curls or a solid set of burpees. But can erectile dysfunction really be defeated with exercise? Is there a way to beat ED by working out?

Well yes, but not in the traditional sense. You see, erectile dysfunction isn’t a problem that can be defeated with barbells and pull-ups; rather, if you want to use exercise to overcome your ED, you need to focus on a very specific muscle group: Your pelvic floor.

The pelvic floor is the collection of muscles found in the pelvis. This bundle is responsible for controlling urinary flow, the pumping of semen, the achieving of erections, and other penile-based activities. And by toning this muscle group, you can help your body to overcome ED.

This is done by pinpointing your pelvic floor muscles. While peeing, halt the stream. Feel those muscles tightening? Those are the muscles you’re interested in.

After establishing the location of your pelvic floor muscles, lay down and tighten this muscle cluster. Hold it for two seconds, and relax. From there, do 10 reps of these muscle tightens, catch your breath, and then continue to reps in sets of 10 until you feel tired.

By doing this every day, you can eventually tighten and tone this vital muscle group, which can assist your body in achieving an erection.

So, no, there isn’t an exercise set for ED that involves curling or lifting, but this simple muscle targeting exercise could be the way to save your erection.

For men that are serious about their workouts, pumping iron isn’t just a way to get in shape; it’s a way to sculpt the body into a perfect pile of muscle and mass. For these men, working out is all about the pursuit of bigger: Bigger arms, bigger legs, bigger everything. But as the body struggles to reach top physical condition on its own, workout enthusiasts tend to utilize “workout enhancers.” These enhancers, typically sold at gyms and GNC, help in a variety of ways, from serving as a protein enhancer to helping the body to stitch hurt muscles back together faster. But by utilizing these workout enhancers, could men be trading out bigger muscles for less luck achieving an erection?

Well, that depends. Utilizing workout enhancers does not mean the end of your erection. In fact, certain workout enhancers, such as Muscle Milk and other similar protein-heavy drinks, does not present any risk to the body, and can truly help a man with his workout. This is due to the fat that protein drinks simply load a man up with amino acids and similar protein-rich vitamins, which are definitely not harmful to the body, allowing the body to achieve mass quick.

But other workout enhancers, such as the popular “pre-workout enhancer” category of supplements, have been found to lead to issues with the erection. These supplements load the body up with creatine and caffeine, giving the user energy to power through a workout.

But in excess, creatine and caffeine have been found to cause issues with the erection. These stimulants can lead to issues with the heart and with blood flow, causing the penis to struggle to receive the blood necessary to achieve an erection.

So, no, workout enhancers are not a cart blanche guarantee for erectile dysfunction. But be careful what enhancer you end up using; if its one rich in elements such as caffeine and creatine, erectile dysfunction could be right around the corner.

Whether it’s a man and a woman, a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, one thing is universal about relationships: Anxiety. For many men, settling into a relationship can be nerve racking; after all, transitioning from a swinging bachelor to a committed partner can be a jarring change. And while relationships are fulfilling and rewarding in a way the single life can never be, many men struggle with settling down. In fact, many men find committed relationships so nail biting that it causes the development of erectile dysfunction.

This is due to anxiety, and the way the brain interprets extreme feelings such as anxiety. Whether it’s a new relationship or the possibility of a promotion at work, anxiety has a way of weaseling into a person’s mind, becoming an all-consuming feeling.

As a man becomes consumed with focusing on the subject that is causing anxiety, the brain will subconsciously begin to prioritize the anxiety. As the anxiety becomes prioritized, the brain will struggle to focus on other, non-anxiety related activities, including sex.

Yes, the erection depends upon brain signals to work, and too much stress can actually cause the signals needed for an erection to get lost in the shuffle. A man’s brain can become some preoccupied with anxiety that the brain actually neglects important signals for pleasure, leading to the development of erectile dysfunction.

And it isn’t just anxiety that causes erectile issues; depression, guilt, and a litany of feelings can lead to ED by becoming too important in the brain.

So, yes, a newfound relationship can lead to a lifetime of happiness, but it can also lead to anxiety-induced erectile dysfunction. If you find yourself struggling to consistently achieve an erection, seek help from a mental health professional, and you can confront and overcome these feelings.

For as long as man has struggled with the ailment, erectile dysfunction has been seen as a problem for the 50-and-over crowd. The general consensus is that erectile issues simply pop up as a man ages, and that the problem only afflicts men grappling with graying hair and aching joints. But the truth is that erectile dysfunction isn’t an issue constrained to any one age group; in fact, this ailment traditionally associated with older men can affect men of all ages. Yes, even the traditionally healthy, sexually active 20-somethings can develop ED, albeit for different reasons then older men.

While it is true that ED is much more common among older men, the root cause of erectile dysfunction is different then the cause of ED in younger age groups. This is because older men tend to develop erectile issues as a result of health problems; i.e., weak heart, clogged arteries, diabetes, etc.

On the other hand, younger men tend to develop erectile problems as a result of mental factors; i.e. stress, anxiety, depression, etc. These feelings then translate into the inability to achieve an erection.

But it isn’t just the brain that causes ED among young men; another cause among sports-inclined men tends to be physical trauma developed while playing sports. As younger men tend to be more active, they also tend to be more prone to injury. If a man incurs damage around his genitals, this can translate into the physical inability to achieve an erection.

So while the causes might not be the same, young men can develop erectile dysfunction just like older men. If you are a man in your 20’s and you struggle to achieve an erection, talk with your doctor and, together, you can fix this issue.

You know what they say: Nothing good in life is good for you. This goes double for soda, the sickly sweet beverage that millions of men across the world swear by. Whether it’s the neon green Mountain Dew or the more subdued Coca-Cola, soda drinkers drink the syrupy liquid refreshment with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But while the occasional pop never killed anyone, can the same be said about habitual soda drinking? After all, with soda chock full of sugar, all that sweetness can’t be good for the body, or for the erection. But does drinking soda cause erectile dysfunction?

Like all exceedingly sugary things in life, soda is meant to be enjoyed in moderation. This is because sugar not only packs on the pounds, but it can also mess with your heart. And for this reason, drinking too much soda really can cause erectile dysfunction.

The erection depends upon a steady flow of blood to function properly. Should blood flow to the penis falter, this can lead to missed erections and, eventually, erectile dysfunction. When a man regularly drinks soda, the sugary sweetness can actually clog up arteries and prevent proper blood flow to the penis.

This is because the small arteries in the body are always the first affected by artery clogging, and there are no smaller arteries in the body then the batch that lead to the penis. As a result, by ritually drinking soda, this cluster of arteries becomes obstructed, leading to blood struggling to reach the penis, causing erectile dysfunction.

That’s not to say that one or two sodas a week will guarantee erectile dysfunction. But daily consumption of soda can put a man on the fast track to a wider waistline, type 2 diabetes, and, yes, erectile dysfunction.

Like the worst things in life, erectile dysfunction always seems to strike at the most inopportune time, arriving without warning to totally ruin your sex life. But what if that erectile dysfunction isn’t arriving without warning? After all, many body affecting issues are precipitated by warning signs of some kind; i.e., tingling in the arms before a heart attack, numbness in the face before a stroke, etc. Working from this logic, shouldn’t erectile dysfunction have some telltale signs to alert a man that the affliction is right around the corner? If so, what are the warning signs of erectile dysfunction?

Unfortunately, as much as man wish it were true, there simply aren’t any warning signs for ED. The issue tends to crop up unexpectedly, and the body does not offer any white flags to alert the body that the issue is on the horizon.

But while ED doesn’t have any tried and true warning signs, erectile dysfunction itself can serve as a warning sign for its root cause. You see, by paying attention to your ED, a man can actually get some insight into what is causing the ED, and then seek appropriate help.

Erectile dysfunction breaks down into two categories: Physical and mental. ED that is physical in nature is typically caused by issues related to the heart; i.e. weakened blood output, blocked arteries, etc. If the ED is related to a physical issue, the man will incapable of achieving an erection even while unconscious. If the man never wakes up with an erection, this is an indication the root cause is physical.

But if the man struggles to achieve an erection during intercourse, but often finds himself waking up with an erection, this indicates the root cause is mental in nature. This means the body is physically capable of producing an erection, but a mental hang-up (depression, anxiety, guilt, etc.) is causing the men to not be able to achieve an erection consciously.

So, no, you won’t be able to look for telltale clues to let you know when ED is coming. But by paying attention when it rears its ugly head, you’ll be able to shake it off that much quicker.

Odds are, if you’ve heard the term “Vitamin D,” it was in a commercial. As the cheery woman in the commercial angles the body of juice towards the camera, she offers a big smile and yelps “It’s a great source of Vitamin D!” And while having plenty of Vitamin D in something sounds good, most men would be hard pressed to tell you what exactly Vitamin D does. But this mystery Vitamin is actually important to the body, and men looking to avoid erectile dysfunction would be wise to learn what it is and how to get it.

In technical terms, Vitamin D is a secosteroid that aids the body in increasing intestinal absorption of vital chemicals such as calcium and iron. With plenty of Vitamin D in the body, these chemicals get absorbed properly and assist in pumping and moving blood.

But when a man is Vitamin D deficient, the body will not have the proper levels of Vitamin D acquired chemicals, which can lead to issues relating to the heart (i.e. heart disease, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, etc.)

In relation, when the heart begins to suffer due to a lack of Vitamin D intake, this can lead to issues with the penis. As the heart falters, blood output will slow and the arteries will begin to harden, making it difficult for the body to supply parts of the body with the blood needed for tasks such as erections. As the body continues to struggle with heart issues, the small cluster of arteries near the penis can harden to the point that the required blood for an erection can no longer be received, leading to erectile dysfunction.

Thankfully, Vitamin D is remarkably easy to get. Aside from the Vitamin D rich rays of the sun, this little vitamin can be found in foods such as eggs, mushrooms, salmon, milk, and small servings of pork and beef.

While it can be easy to not think about your Vitamin D levels, men definitely want to avoid the pitfalls that come with Vitamin D deficiency. So make sure to get plenty of that healthy vitamin and your life, and your heart, and by association your erection, should be just fine.

Some things are inevitable in aging: Wrinkles, creaky bones, getting the senior discount at the movie theater. But while many aspects of aging are set in stone, there is one malady that men seem torn over: Erectile dysfunction. For many men, ED is seen as a normal aspect of aging, as inescapable as white hair. For others, erectile dysfunction is not definitive, and can be kept at bay until the day a man dies. So which camp is right exactly? Will you develop erectile dysfunction once you hit a special age, or is ED avoidable as you age?

Ultimately, it all depends upon how you have lived your life. While ED is typically developed as men age, this is only because the body has been conditioned to develop this issue; if a man makes the right health choices, a man’s erection can stay healthy and strong until he kicks the bucket.

This is because the erection is reliant upon the heart’s ability to supply a steady stream of blood. If the heart is performing properly, blood will be quickly and efficiently sent to the penis, allowing the penis to engorge and become an erection.

If a man makes poor health choices, such as consistently eating poorly and not exercising, the heart and associated blood vessels will begin to degrade with age. This will cause blood output to slow, eventually leading to the man no longer being able to achieve an erection.

That’s not to say that a lifetime of bad choices guarantees that man will develop erectile dysfunction as soon as 60 rolls around. Rather, if a man makes positive changes in his life and works to stay heart healthy, it is possible to undo years of damage to the heart and keep your ticker pumping as it should.

Sure, as you age, probably the last thing you’re going to want to do is work out and eat greens, but being healthy could be the only thing that stands between losing or keeping your erection.