Exercises for Erectile Dysfunction

What causes erectile dysfunction?

As we've already established, erectile dysfunction is a relatively common problem, especially for men hitting middle age and beyond. A Kings College London study from 2019 suggested around a fifth of men across the UK have suffered from ED, as well as over 320 million men globally by 2025.

The causes of ED can be broken into two key brackets:

Physical causes: including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, low testosterone, and smoking

Psychological causes: including depression, anxiety, stress, mental strain relating to relationship issues, and other mental health conditions

How can exercise help with erectile dysfunction?

Prescription medicines remain the most effective treatment for ED. But given the physical and psychological causes of the condition, it should come as no surprise that exercise can help too.

In the simplest terms, exercise boosts both your mental and physical health. This can not only potentially improve your ability to get and maintain an erection but also increase your interest in sex.

There are four key ways exercise can improve erectile dysfunction:

Improve circulation to the penis: Getting and maintaining an erection relies on a network of blood vessels flowing efficiently to your penile tissue. Therefore, any disruption to this network can cause issues. Exercise helps maintain good circulation and strengthens your heart to pump more blood at rest. Furthermore, because much of the blood flow is routed via your genital region when you work out, exercise will help strengthen circulation in this area both actively and while at rest.

Strengthens muscles involved in maintaining an erection: Targeted exercises, like Kegels (more on that below), help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which are key to the hardness of your erection.

Reduces ED-related health issues: Physical causes account for around 80% of ED cases. Exercise works in a multitude of ways to reduce major risk factors for ED, like lowering your blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, strengthening your heart and helping you maintain a healthy weight - all of which are great news for your erection.

Helps combat psychological contributors to ED: Exercise is one of the simples ways to start combating issues like depression, anxiety and other forms of mental strain, all of which can cause ED. Likewise, it can also boost your libido as you feel more confident and better in yourself, helping to break down any mental barriers to being intimate. 

Can too much exercise cause erectile dysfunction?

While there is an established link between exercise and ED that's largely positive, it is possible to overdo it when it comes to exercising for the sake of helping the issue. 

Research has shown that people who do too much high-intensity endurance exercise can experience a decreased libido and a higher risk of ED. So, if you are going to target your ED problems via exercises, ensure your activity levels are healthy and appropriate to you.

Kegel exercises for erectile dysfunction

Pelvic floor exercises, more commonly known as Kegels, are some of the most effective exercises you can undertake to help with ED. Kegel exercises target the muscles at the base of the pelvis, particularly the pubococcygeus, which loops from the pubic bone to the tailbone and supports the organs in the pelvis.

If the pubococcygeus weakens, its ability to prevent blood flow away from the erect penis is hampered. Thus, keeping this muscle healthy and strong is a big help in maintaining an erection. 

The easiest way to locate your pelvic floor muscle is by stopping your stream during urination. The muscles you clench to do this are your pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises generally consist of engaging these muscles for a few seconds and then relaxing, repeating this process 10-20 times, 2-3 times a day. Do this for 4-6 weeks and you should see a difference in the strength of your erections.

Here are some of best Kegel exercises you can do to help strengthen your key pelvic floor muscles:

Basic pelvic floor activation

• Inhale and relax for 3-5 seconds.
• Lie down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms by your side.
• Exhale and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles for 3-5 seconds.
• Repeat 10-20 times to complete the exercise.

Sitting pelvic floor activation

• Use the same basic pelvic floor activation technique for 3-5 seconds, ensuring you're not engaging your buttocks, stomach and leg muscles as you engage your pelvic floor.
• Sit with your arms at your side and feet flat on the floor, should width apart.
• Repeat 10-20 times to complete the exercise. 

Standing pelvic floor activation

• Use the same basic pelvic floor activation technique for 3-5 seconds, ensuring you're not engaging your buttocks, stomach and leg muscles as you engage your pelvic floor.
• Stand up straight with your arms at your side, feet shoulder width apart
• Repeat 10-20 times to complete the exercise. 

Aerobic exercise for erectile dysfunction

Kegel exercises may be the best targeted physical exercise you can do to help with the muscles that can actively combat ED, but don't discount the importance of aerobic exercise. 

Because ED is often caused by blood flow problems to the penis as a product of conditions such as obesity, vascular disease and high cholesterol, it makes sense that aerobic exercise, which helps to lessen these conditions, can also assist.

As per The American Journal of Cardiology, even setting up a simple daily walking routine can have benefits for ED sufferers. If you're looking to up the intensity, other good aerobic workouts for ED include:

• Boxing
• Cycling and spin classes
• Running
• Rowing
• Team Sports

Get the help you need for erectile dysfunction with Rightdose

When it comes to erectile dysfunction, exercise can go a long way to help. Still, the most effective way of managing ED remains medication, which is where we come in.

Find out more about the prescription erectile dysfunction treatments we offer and how you can combat ED for good today.