Try these lifestyle changes for better sexual function
Manage your weight
People who are overweight have more inflammation throughout their bodies. Inflammation increases substances called reactive oxygen species, or ROS. All you need to know about ROS is this: It fights against your nitric oxide and makes it less effective.
Losing weight decreases inflammation, and that decreases the ROS in your body. When you do that, your nitric oxide wins.
And here’s some extra motivation: When you lose weight, you look better naked. That’s not vain. That’s a real psychological boost you get when you succeed in managing your weight to improve your sexual function. Embrace it.
Eat better
Good nutrition helps your health in so many ways, including helping you manage your weight.
For people who have diabetes, even temporary increases in blood sugar leads to higher levels of ROS, which you now know is a threat to your nitric oxide. Eating the right foods helps you avoid those blood sugar spikes.
Even if you don’t have diabetes, making healthier choices when you eat should be part of your plan to improve your sexual function. If you need help identifying better ways of eating, ask a registered dietitian for ideas.
Work out
Regular exercise can boost your heart’s ability to circulate blood, and better circulation helps blood flow throughout the body, including during erections.
Aim for a combination of cardio exercise (for example, walking, running, swimming) and strength training (for example, weights, resistance bands, bodyweight exercises).
You also have a couple of great options for exercises that target erectile function:
Improve blood flow to your penis by using a vacuum pump specifically designed for that purpose. You can purchase one online or at a pharmacy.
Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles by doing Kegel exercises. Pelvic floor muscles do the work of closing off the veins that drain blood from your penis during an erection. When those muscles are weak, your erections aren’t as rigid and won’t last as long.
Reduce your stress
One of the ways your body responds to stress is by constricting blood vessels. That means your blood flow, including blood flow to erections, is reduced when you’re stressed. Even erectile dysfunction medications like Viagra and Cialis can be canceled out by stress.
Stress management is a highly personal choice that can include exercise, meditation, hobbies, or even just talking it out with a friend or a therapist. Investigate options that you think would work best for you.
Drink responsibly
Alcohol in moderation can be helpful with relaxation and for getting into the mood for intimacy. But excess alcohol consumption will worsen erectile function, in the short-term and the long-term.
Stop smoking
When you stop smoking, you’re doing your body a favor in so many ways, but when it comes to your sexual health, smoking cessation decreases the impact that ROS has on your body’s production of nitric oxide.
When you stop smoking, your nitric oxide wins again.