7 Best Exercises for Erectile Dysfunction

Okay, this is obviously not the easiest subject to talk about even with your doctor. But, here's one factor that might make the whole situation a tad more approachable: your body may already have some of the elements needed to fight erectile dysfunction, and you can build up that "equipment" without relying on a pill.

And yes, blood vessels and muscles needed to get and keep a healthy erection can actually be exercised – just like any other muscles. Even slight but frequent movements targeted to the right area can work wonders for many guys suffering from ED - specifically when ED is caused by poor blood flow or pelvic floor weakness.

No need to pack up your gym bag or devote two hours to your workout routine, as you’re going to see below, these 7 targeted exercises can easily be incorporated into your daily life and many can be done right from your living room couch:

Can Exercise Help With Erectile Dysfunction?

Erections rely on adequate blood flow to the penis, proper contraction of the muscles around the penis to hold the blood in, balanced hormones, and cardiovascular health. Exercise can help all three by increasing circulation and helping you to get and keep stronger muscles around your groin, as well as balanced hormones. Let’s have a look at the benefits of exercise:

Blood Flow and Circulation

Erections occur because blood can flow easily into the penis and remain trapped. The more you walk, swim, or bike, the stronger and more efficient your cardiovascular system becomes, boosting blood circulation throughout the body. As circulation of blood through arteries and veins, including those that enable a strong erection, often dictates the physical causes of erectile dysfunction, exercise can make a measurable difference.

Pelvic Floor Strength

The pelvic floor muscles control the blood flowing through the penis once it has been attracted into the erectile chambers, keeping it from being lost and thereby keeping it erect. These muscles can be trained with targeted pelvic floor exercise for ED ( Kegels), and as such, Kegels are perhaps one of the most studied forms of exercise for erectile dysfunction that exists.

Hormonal Balance

Exercise – in particular, resistance exercise – can also help your body produce healthy levels of testosterone, one of the hormones central to your sexual desire and ability to get an erection. It, combined with efforts to manage weight, can even tackle some hormonal components of ED.

A Natural Solution for Aussie Blokes: If you're an Aussie man and you're looking into how to fix ED naturally, exercise is a free, readily available solution with no side effects, which you can employ in addition to or as an alternative to pharmaceutical interventions for mild erectile dysfunction.

7 Exercises That May Help Improve Erectile Dysfunction

1. Pelvic Floor (Kegel) Exercises

One of the most evidence based Erectile dysfunction exercises is pelvic floor exercises. A pivotal trial, published in BJU International, showed that in men who did Pelvic Floor Muscle Training and Biofeedback plus lifestyle advice, erectile function improved much better at 3 months versus men who just did lifestyle advice.

Long-term results from the same group of scientists, using pelvic floor exercises regularly for months, found that 40% of men regained normal erectile function, 35.5% experienced noticeable improvement, with about a quarter experiencing no improvement, according to BJUI.

How to do it:

• To get acquainted with the muscles involved in pelvic floor training, stop mid-way through urination; do this once to get familiar.
• Now squeeze the muscles in a firm, tightening action for three to five seconds and then relax them for the same period of time.
• Ideally, this would be done three times a day with 10 reps a day, increasing hold time of the squeezing with greater strength.

Timeline: Many trials have shown improvement between 8 and 12 weeks with consistent practice.

2. Aerobic Exercise (Cardio)

A significant amount of clinical trial evidence surrounds cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise such as running, swimming and cycling. In a meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials on the effect of aerobic exercise in men with ED, aerobic exercise led to a significant increase in ED function scores compared to no treatment. This improvement was more significant for men with severe ED.

How to do it:

• Moderate intensity cardio like swimming, cycling or jogging for 30 to 60 minutes, 3 to 5 days per week.
• As the strength-building period takes longer to build, more intense work is needed for the best outcome, with intensity increasing with time.

Timeline: Significant changes in erectile function scores are often found after between 2 and 24 months, with the average length of trial being around 6 months.

3. Brisk Walking

While planned workouts are sometimes easier said than done, even simply walking on its own will make a positive difference. A smaller study of the genetic links suggested that your risk of ED will fall by 76%.

How to do it:

• Start by walking at a brisk pace that should be fast enough that you can carry on a conversation but not belt out a song (think 4 mph or more) for at least 30 minutes a few days of each week.
• Once comfortable, try to increase the intensity of your pace slightly more over time.

Timing: The health benefits of walking are likely to develop over years of consistency, but men have reported feeling stronger, more vigorous in as few as several weeks.

4. Yoga

Physical activity coupled with focused breathing provides a variety of channels for yoga’s effects on male sexual performance. For example, in one 12-week study involving 65 men published in ScienceDirect, the men who participated in a yoga training program demonstrated improvement in their overall sexual performance as measured by sexual function scores by 11.81% and saw impressive gains in sexual function for the domains relating to erection and ejaculation.

How to do it:

• This might take a little getting used to, but a beginner yoga session three to four days a week, including hip openers (like bow pose or cobra pose), core strengthening work and focused breathing techniques, should provide significant gains.
• It's very common to blend these techniques into your existing workout routine.

Timeline: You can expect the benefits of yoga on your sexual health within three to 12 weeks of steady practice.

5. Strength and Resistance Training

The combination of healthy testosterone levels and healthy body weight, two factors strongly connected to erectile function, is provided by resistance training, involving weight training, resistance bands, or simply the body's weight.

Although less rigorous trials have been performed to prove the positive effect of resistance training on men’s sexual health as a standalone activity (compared with aerobic activities), it’s often combined with a cardio workout due to its ability to enhance body composition, improve insulin sensitivity and improve health conditions related to erectile dysfunction.

How to do it:

• The way to apply this technique is to train with weights at least 2 or 3 times per week, including all muscle groups in training, while working on large muscles during your compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, push-ups and lunges).

When will results be visible: Fitness based improvements after weight training are observed after 4-8 weeks, but noticeable changes related to erectile function are expected with the other lifestyle and weight loss changes occurring over several months.

6. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT is an efficient (and time-saving) cardiorespiratory building protocol, oscillating periods of extremely high intensity with rest. And since cardiovascular fitness and erections are closely related, particularly among patients with early vascular ED, a variety of medical practitioners are recommending HIIT as part of a more holistic cardiovascular training routine.

How to do:

• For about 30 seconds, do intense exercise such as sprints, aggressive cycling or rigorous bodyweight exercise, followed by 60-90 seconds of ultra-low intensity or rest, for 15 to 20 minutes two to three times per week.

Note: If you have a known heart condition, talk to your doctor first.

Timeline: You can expect to see the cardiovascular benefits of HIIT in just 4 to 6 weeks, and then a similar delay in seeing erectile improvements as the other aerobic-training approaches described above.

7. Core and Glute Strengthening Exercises (Bridges and Squats)

When paired with the pelvic floor training described above, the core-strengthening activities below will build support muscles for improved blood flow around your pelvis and pelvic stability.

Though these haven’t been extensively studied for direct effect on erectile function alone, they complement pelvic floor training because they involve the same muscle groups.

How to Do It:

• For a bridge, you lie flat on your back, with knees bent, feet hip-width apart, and then lift your hips off the floor, contracting your glutes and pelvic floor.
• You want to pause with your hips high, then lower yourself back to the start for two or three sets of 12 to 15 reps, three days a week.

Timeline: Best if paired with pelvic floor training and practiced together for 8 to 12 weeks.

Can Exercise be Helpful for Erectile Dysfunction?

For a few men with ED associated with bad shape, too much fat, high blood pressure or moderate weakness in their pelvic floor muscles, it may take exercise alone to substantially resolve ED signs and symptoms (or eliminate them). But ED is frequently caused by problems that exercise alone can't treat fully, like:

• Diabetes, hormone issues or metabolic health problems; low testosterone
• Most certain prescription drugs (including some antidepressants or even blood pressure meds)
• Nerve issues triggered by trauma, surgery or serious sickness
• Significant anxiety, mental health or interpersonal issues.

These problems don't need the complete solution provided through exercise.

Alternatively, exercise is often part of a total treatment plan in cases like these – one that could also include treatment options like medication, testing your hormones or a professional mental health doctor.

Get the Best Results From Your ED Exercise Tips:

1. Most of the studies for these types of exercises include regimens of at least 8 weeks and up to a year-they are not single sessions.
2. In studies that include more than one approach to exercise for ED, the combo typically includes aerobic exercise, Kegel, and lifestyle counselling, so consider combining a few of the listed types.
3. You and your doctor can monitor how well they’re working by keeping track of how your workouts are going and your erectile function over time.
4. Limiting alcohol, quitting cigarettes, and getting enough sleep can be effective in improving the effects of your exercise regimen.

Consult a Doctor When Appropriate:

For most, this is an obvious first choice. If any of these apply, though, consider making a health appointment ( telehealth is an option):

• Your ED has occurred and not responded to your exercise plan, even for a few months now.
• Your ED started unexpectedly, quite suddenly.
• You notice other symptoms including fatigue, chest pains or low sexual drive.
• You have a medical history that includes heart disease (possibly a family history, too), diabetes or high blood pressure.
• You notice that your relationships or confidence have been affected due to ED.

Your doctor can check whether the underlying cause is a particular disease, then determine the type of tests you may require, as well as the medication and your fitness regimen that need to be adjusted to take on board.

How DirectMeds Can Help

DirectMeds supports healthy living by making it easier to access AHPRA-registered health professionals online, helping you manage Erectile Dysfunction with the right medical guidance.

You can consult your doctor from home to discuss your situation and treatment options. You can discuss any adjustments to your existing lifestyle or lifestyle medications that could enhance your sexual health, wellbeing and confidence. You will receive ongoing support from the doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions for Erectile Dysfunction Exercises:

What is the best exercise for ED?

The pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises have the strongest evidence of their specific use to treat ED; According to BJUI, it is found that 40% of men achieved complete erectile function after 6 months. Aerobic activity has strong and consistent evidence, especially for ED related to vascular function.

When does exercise make a difference with ED?

Yes, but it is also important to understand that most trials offer benefits within 8 to 12 weeks of exercise. It may take a total trial length of 6 months or longer.

Is walking an effective treatment for ED?

Yes. According to PubMed Central, a study on men with ED showed that walking at home improved erectile function greatly. They had 71% fewer self-reported ED symptoms on the home walking program than before the study. This means for some guys, walking may be an option for non-drug therapy.

Do I get rid of the medication with just exercise?

This could not apply if the severity of your condition is higher (for instance, if your erectile dysfunction is due to medication or hormone levels). In case of mild erectile dysfunction, lifestyle changes can definitely help.

How do I know if my pelvic floor exercises are working?

The changes can be subtle and can be more easily monitored over a few weeks using your erection quality or using a specific tool such as the IIEF-5 questionnaire that can be given by a doctor to chart your progress.

Can I do high-intensity exercise if I have ED?

Generally, this type of workout is safe for most men to do but if you suffer from serious medical conditions like high blood pressure and/or heart trouble, please check with your doctor before engaging in HIIT or another high-intensity training method.