Back in the day, you could probably get a good, hard erection and keep it for at least one go around. But as we grow older, things may stop working out so well. An erection requires healthy nerves, blood vessels and hormone function, among other things. If you're less than the picture of health, your erections may be disappointing.
The first thing you should do if you're having trouble getting or keeping it up is to visit with your doctor. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is often an early warning sign of heart disease, and it affects around half of all American men over the age of 60, most of whom have at least one risk factor for it.
Before throwing little purple pills at your erection, try taking care of the physical and mental health issues that underlie your ED. These may include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, depression, or chronic stress. Doing this requires a three-pronged approach, and it's all but guaranteed to make your life in--and out of--the sack much more satisfying.
1. Exercise
It's hard to overstate the importance of regular exercise for good health. It's a panacea for just about everything, including diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure and cholesterol. Exercise can harden and extend your erections through a variety of avenues, from better blood flow to a calmer mental state. It can also improve your overall performance in bed, giving you better endurance and flexibility.
Starting an exercise regimen now can extend your life and improve your quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control, you should strive for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like walking or swimming, each week, plus engage in two days of strength training.
2. Eat healthy food
Your diet plays a key role in your overall health and vitality. Fatty foods ultimately diminish the blood flow throughout your body, including your penis, and processed foods are packed with unhealthy fats and chemicals that can do a number on the functioning of all of your body's systems. High sugar intake can lead to inflammation, insulin resistance, and numerous other serious health problems. Do away with the fatty, sugary, processed foods, and replace them with fruits and vegetables; whole grains; nuts and seeds; and lean proteins. Quit smoking and cut down on the booze.
Certain foods and supplements can make a big difference in the quality and longevity of your erections. Spicy foods are great for revving up the central nervous system and enhancing sexual arousal. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in oily fish, promote healthy blood flow. The building blocks of heart and sexual health, omega-3s are easily available through supplements, which also improves joint flexibility to make bedtime acrobatics less painful.
3. Take care of your mental health
Don't forget that erections require more than good blood flow. Depression, anxiety, and stress can interfere with a good erection, and untreated mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD,) obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD,) and binge eating disorder can lead to problems with keeping and maintaining erections.
Mental health problems are no longer stigmatized like they used to be, and they're highly treatable. There's no reason to live with depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, which can affect your physical and sexual health and reduce your quality of life. Treatment can include both medication and therapy, which in combination are highly effective for treating a range of mental illnesses.
Taking a holistic, health-centered approach to ED can improve the hardness and longevity of your erections, and it improves your overall physical and mental health. Start slowly. Make little changes to your lifestyle at first and live with them for a few weeks before adding more. Once you see positive results, it'll be easier to make significant changes in your life for better erections, better sex, and a better, healthier life.
Sources:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00406874
