Five natural ways to overcome erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when a man is unable to get an erection or keep an erection firm enough for sex. It can occur due to a number of underlying diseases but can also be caused by psychological reasons such as stress.

Having mild or moderate erectile dysfunction is quite common as it affects half of the men at age 50 and is more common above 50 years of age.

Being unable to have an erection can cause issues in relationships and result in low self-confidence but thankfully, the condition is treatable.

Although it is usually treated with medication, there are also natural ways of overcoming ED.

Take a walk

According to a Harvard study, taking a walk for 30 minutes per day resulted in a 41 percent drop in erectile dysfunction risk. Research has also suggested that walking as a form of exercise can also help improve sexual performance in obese middle-aged men suffering from erectile dysfunction.

Create a healthy diet

Problems relating to blood flow usually cause erectile dysfunction. Maintaining your blood flow health can be achieved by making some changes to your diet.

Some of these changes include eating more of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and with fewer servings of red meat and refined grains.

Some specific foods like cocoa and watermelon can also help with ED. Alcohol should also be avoided as much as possible.

Kegel exercise

Kegel exercises are simple clench-and-release exercises that you can do to strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor.

A study compared two groups of men with erectile dysfunction. While the first group performed regular kegel exercises, the second group received only advice on lifestyle changes. The result of the study showed that the first group had significantly improved penile function in 3 months. The second group saw little improvement in penile function.

Here’s how to perform a kegel exercise:

1. You need to first identify your pelvic floor muscles. You can do this by stopping your pee midstream. The muscles you use to do this are your pelvic floor muscles.
2. After identifying where these muscles are, contract them for 3 seconds, then release them.
3. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times in a row, three times a day.

Develop a healthy sleep pattern

With the hustle and bustle of life, it is not uncommon for most people to get less than 8 hours of sleep daily. A poor sleep pattern can, however, be a major contributor to ED. A study showed that testosterone levels increased with sleep and lower levels are associated with erectile dysfunction.

Sticking to a healthy sleep schedule can help overcome erectile dysfunction.

Practice yoga

In a growing body of research, yoga has been suggested to help with erectile dysfunction.

In a study where 65 men — with an average age of 40 — took part in yoga practice, there was a significant improvement in penile function after just 12 weeks of the exercise. The men also saw improvements in desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, and ejaculatory control.