Exercises to Eliminate Erectile Dysfunction

August 09, 2021

4 mins

There are plenty of reasons for why you might be experiencing erectile dysfunction. Common medical conditions that can lead to and cause erectile dysfunction include heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and low testosterone. Other causes can include psychological issues, problems with blood flow, hormonal fluctuations, and nerve damage. 

One of the most common treatments for erectile dysfunction is prescription medications called PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil (Viagra®) or tadalafil (Cialis®). They work well for the majority of men who try them, but this is not the only option. There are also exercises that can be helpful in treating erectile dysfunction. Some exercises target the muscles involved in the erection process, and because erectile dysfunction is closely related to cardiovascular health, others target cardiovascular and metabolic function.

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Improving Diet for Erectile Dysfunction 

Although not an exercise, improving your diet can also play an important part in helping to prevent and treat erectile dysfunction. People who have erectile dysfunction are more likely to be overweight and inactive, so improving your diet coupled with regular exercise is one of the most beneficial approaches to naturally reversing erectile dysfunction. 

By following dietary guidelines and limiting your intake of alcohol and foods containing excessive salt, sugar, and fat, you can help to reduce your risk of developing erectile dysfunction. In addition, these efforts can also reduce your risk of stroke, metabolic disease, and cardiovascular disease, all of which are closely linked with the development of erectile dysfunction. 

Which Exercises Can Help? 

For the most part, exercises that focus on strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor are the most beneficial to treating erectile dysfunction. Pelvic floor muscles are key in sustaining blood flow to the penis and helping to maintain erections. These muscles accomplish this task by placing pressure on the penile veins. This pressure helps to prevent blood from leaving the area, helping to make an erection possible.

Kegel Exercises 

One of the most beneficial exercises for treating erectile dysfunction are pelvic floor exercises, more commonly known as Kegels. 

Performing pelvic exercises helped nearly 40% of men regain normal erectile functions according to one study. Nearly one-third of the men reported significant improvements in their erectile function. 

The target muscle of these exercises is the pubococcygeus muscle, located at the bottom of your pelvis. This particular muscle helps to support your pelvic organs and loops from your pubic bone all the way to your tailbone. When this muscle is weak, it may no longer be able to perform one of its usual responsibilities: preventing blood from flowing out of an erect penis. 

Another muscle that's targeted during Kegel exercises is the bulbocavernosus muscle. This muscle has three very important jobs: it helps the penis to fill up with blood in order to create an erection, it assists with pumping when ejaculation occurs, and it helps to empty the urethra after urination. 

The goal of Kegel exercises is to improve the strength and tone of the bulbocavernosus and pubococcygeus muscles. It’s important to note that even with daily exercising, it still may take more than a month before a noticeable change occurs in erections. 

Identifying the Pelvic Floor Muscles 

The first step in Kegel exercises for ED is identifying the proper pelvic floor muscles that you'll be working on. Very often the pelvic floor muscles are confused with abdominal, leg, and buttocks muscles. It’s important that you identify the correct muscles before starting these exercises. The easiest way to do this is by trying to cut off your urine midstream. That squeeze feeling identifies the muscles that you should be targeting during these exercises. 

Kegel Exercises 

This exercise can be done a few different ways. It’s best to start off by laying down flat on your back and getting comfortable with the exercise as you learn to identify the muscles being targeted. As you begin to grow more comfortable and accustomed, move to a sitting position and perform the exercises. After you are used to this method, you can perform Kegel exercises while standing and eventually while you're walking. The technique itself is a fairly simple one, but it’s critical that you're using the right muscles or this exercise won’t do you any good. 

1. Lay/sit/stand with your feet hip width apart and arms by your sides.

2. Take a deep breath, and as you exhale start squeezing your pelvic floor muscles while slowly counting to five.

3. When you hit five seconds, relax your muscles and inhale while slowly counting to five.

4. Repeat this process for 10 to 20 repetitions, two to three times daily. 

Pilates 

These Pilates exercises can help to activate the right group of muscles and challenge a person to maintain their pelvic floor strength while moving. For maximum effectiveness, it’s best to have a solid understanding and decent strength to your pelvic floor muscles before engaging in these exercises. If you haven’t sufficiently activated your pelvic floor muscles from the previous exercise, do that first before undergoing these slightly more advanced moves.  

Foot Lifts 

This is a beginner-level exercise and only requires a small amount of movement. 

1. Lie down flat on the floor with your knees touching the ground and your arms by your sides.

2. Take a deep breath, and as you are exhaling, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles. 

3. While you are exhaling, slowly raise your left foot off of the floor, while keeping your back and pelvis as still as you can. 

4. Continue to lift your foot upwards while engaging your pelvic floor muscles, and count to three.

5. Once you have reached the count of three, breathe in, relax your muscles and lower your foot to the ground.

6. Repeat this process with your right foot.

7. Start off with five repetitions for each side and eventually build up to 10. Repeat daily two to three times. 

Knee Drops 

This is another beginner-level exercise and only requires a small amount of movement.

1. Lie down on the floor with your knees bent and arms by your sides.

2. Take a deep breath, and as you are exhaling, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles.

3. While you are exhaling, lower your left knee all the way to the floor and continue to engage your pelvic floor muscles.

4. When you reach the floor, release your muscles, and inhale. Bend your knee back to the starting position.

5. Repeat this process for your right knee.

6. Start off with five repetitions for each side and eventually build up to 10. Repeat daily two to three times.

Aerobic Exercise 

There are other muscles beyond the pelvic floor that can also help to treat erectile dysfunction. 

A study from The American Journal of Cardiology suggests that aerobic exercise may also help to improve erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is very often the result of blood flow problems. Issues such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and vascular diseases can all affect the flow of blood and result in erectile dysfunction. 

Adding aerobic exercises to your daily routine can help to improve your overall health and may result in benefits regarding erectile dysfunction. Each exercise session should be of moderate or high intensity and last for a minimum of 40 minutes. Most physicians and experts recommend aerobic exercising for 150 minutes or more each week, and it can be as simple as a brisk walk. Some examples of aerobic exercises include:

• Boxing

• Cycling

• Spin classes

• Jogging

• Rowing

• Running

• Walking

What To Do If Exercise Isn’t Working 

While these exercises are known to be effective for most men living with erectile dysfunction, they aren’t guaranteed to work in all cases. There can be many causes of erectile dysfunction, and not all of them will be affected by changes in diet and increasing exercise. 

If you haven’t noticed any improvements after a few months of diet change and exercise, it's a good idea to talk with your doctor or see a urologist. Your erectile dysfunction may be a symptom of a more serious underlying medical condition. 

The Takeaway

Increasing exercise and improving your diet can both help with erectile dysfunction, but there are a few specific exercises that can be beneficial to penile function. Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles, in particular the pubococcygeus and bulbocavernosus muscles, can be very helpful when combating erectile dysfunction. 

Making significant lifestyle changes to your diet and your exercise routine can be helpful in reducing the effects of erectile dysfunction, but it will take time for the changes to be noticeable. It’s also possible that they may not help, as the cause of your erectile dysfunction could be broader or related to a more serious medical condition.

In the meantime, the most effective medical treatments remain the use of prescription erectile dysfunction medications like Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil). These medications can help to maintain sexual activity while you implement these new exercises and diet changes. Over time, you may no longer even need the assistance of medication. 

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SOURCES

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26538105/

https://bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2005.05690.x

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26482327/

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/kegel-exercises

https://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(14)02270-X/fulltext

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24521101/