Data from the CDC shows that only 23% of adults over the age of 18 meet the physical activity and aerobic and muscle strengthening guidelines. Which is a pretty shocking statistic. To take that a step further, here in the United States, an estimated 30 million men have been affected by erectile dysfunction at some point in their life.
Now with those statistics in mind, let’s talk about the connection between our everyday lifestyle choices and how they can affect our sexual function. We’re going to answer all of your questions about ED and whether or not your lifestyle choices affect your erections.
Let’s take a look.
Lifestyle Choices & Your Health
The food we eat, the way we move, and the things we expose our bodies to on a daily basis all play a role in our overall health. Making healthy choices in each of these areas can help reduce our risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.
We constantly hear about making better eating habits or exercising more regularly, but based on the statistics we mentioned earlier, you can see that not many people take it seriously.
Eating a healthy diet is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Eating nothing but junk food or constantly overeating can lead to weight gain, which increases our risk of developing obesity and all its attendant health problems.
Getting regular exercise is another important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Exercise helps to improve cardiovascular health, strengthen bones and muscles, and reduce stress levels.
Just 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week can have a significant impact on our health. But it’s not just the quantity of exercise that matters, it’s also the quality. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), for example, has been shown to be more effective than moderate-intensity exercise in improving cardiovascular fitness.
Making healthy lifestyle choices is not always easy, but it’s important for our long-term health. By making small changes in the way we eat and exercise, we can make a big difference in our overall health and well-being.
While some lifestyle choices may be out of our control, there are many small changes we can make that can have a big impact on our health.
Do Lifestyle Choices Affect Your Erections
Erectile dysfunction is a common problem that affects men of all ages (Don’t think that it only affects men over the age of 50). Although the cause of ED can vary, lifestyle choices play a significant role in many cases.
Things such as excessive smoking and drinking, drugs, lack of exercise, and others have a direct effect on your sexual function and erection health. Let’s take a look at the way these lifestyle choices can have a profound effect on your body.
Smoking & ED
Not only does smoking ruin the lungs and lead to cancer, but smoking is also a major risk factor for erectile dysfunction. The chemicals in cigarettes can damage the blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to flow to the penis. Nicotine interferes with the nitrous oxide pathway, which is crucial for strong erections.
In addition, smoking can damage the tissue of the penis and contribute to the development of plaque. Plaque is a hardening of the arteries that can cause erectile dysfunction. This will constrict and reduce the blood flow to your penis, preventing erections.
Heart Disease & ED
Keeping a healthy heart is critical for your overall health, but also has a direct connection to your sexual function. Heart disease and ED are directly linked.
The reason for this is that the same factors that contribute to heart disease can also interfere with blood flow to the penis. atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is one such factor. When Atherosclerosis narrows the arteries, it reduces blood flow to the penis, making it difficult to achieve and maintain an erection.
Excessive Drinking & ED
For many men, alcohol is synonymous with relaxation and good times. However, what many men don’t realize is that excessive drinking can lead to erectile dysfunction. Alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to produce testosterone, a hormone that is essential for sexual function.
Alcohol also causes the blood vessels to relax, which can lead to decreased blood flow to the penis. In addition, heavy drinking can damage the liver, kidneys, and brain, all of which are necessary for healthy sex life. As a result, men who drink excessively are at increased risk for erectile dysfunction.
Obesity, Diabetes, & ED
Obesity is a major problem because it can lead to a number of health problems, including diabetes. When someone is obese, they have too much body fat. This excess fat can lead to insulin resistance, which is when the body doesn’t respond properly to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar levels. When insulin resistance occurs, blood sugar levels can become too high. High blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels and nerves that are essential for an erection.
Diabetes is a serious condition that occurs when blood sugar levels are too high. Obesity is one of the leading causes of diabetes. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels and nerves that are essential for an erection. In addition, diabetes can also cause low testosterone levels. Low testosterone levels can also lead to ED.
Other Lifestyle Choices That Affect Erection Health
You are probably now just starting to see what a dramatic effect your everyday choices have on not just your overall health but your erection health. On top of everything we just listed, there are a few other things that can have an effect that you should know about:
Dehydration: Hydration is key when it comes to performance and making sure your vital organs are functioning at optimal levels.
Cholesterol: When there is extra cholesterol in the blood, it causes arterial plaque.
Prescription Medications: Erectile Dysfunction is a side effect of many common drugs, such as blood pressure medications and antidepressants.
Prolonged Sitting: Excessive pressure on the soft tissues, especially the flesh and nerves around the perineum can make a man experience poor erections.
Stress & Anxiety: Your mental state has a direct connection to your ability to have erections.
How to Make Better Lifestyle Choices for Better Sexual Function
Having a healthy sex life is important for overall well-being and quality of life. Unfortunately, sexual dysfunction is a common problem that can be caused by a variety of physical and psychological factors. The good news is that there are a number of lifestyle changes that can help to improve sexual function.
Exercise More
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your sexual health. It improves blood circulation and testosterone levels, which is essential for achieving and maintaining an erection. In addition, exercise helps to reduce stress and anxiety, both of which can be major contributors to sexual dysfunction.
Maintain Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is also important for sexual health. Excess weight can lead to hormonal imbalances and other health problems that can impact sexual function. Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Stop Smoking
quitting smoking is another lifestyle change that can improve sexual function. Cigarette smoking damages blood vessels and impairs blood flow, both of which are necessary for a healthy erection. Quitting smoking can help to improve blood flow and restore erectile function.
Reduce Alcohol Consumption
We get it, it helps you relax. However, excessive use has devastating results on your sexual health. Reducing your alcohol intake can help prevent ED and help you keep a stronger erection.
Reduce your stress
Stress has a myriad of negative impacts on the human body, one of which is constricting arteries. This decreases blood flow to erections, amongst other places. Stress management is highly recommended for your mental and sexual health. Which can be anything from exercise, hobbies, or even just talking it out with a friend or a therapist.
Making these lifestyle changes can help to improve sexual function and enhance your overall quality of life.
Preventing & Treating ED
While it’s normal for men to occasionally have trouble getting or maintaining an erection, erectile dysfunction (ED) is a concern if it happens frequently. ED can be caused by various physical and psychological factors, including stress, anxiety, certain medications, and the many lifestyle choices we just talked about. Luckily, there are many ways to prevent and treat ED.
To prevent ED, men should try to reduce stress and anxiety, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. If these lifestyle changes don’t help, there are also several medication and therapy options available.
One of the most effective and increasingly popular choices in improving healthier erections is using The Phoenix At-Home Shockwave Therapy Device. The Phoenix has been helping men improve their sexual performance in the bedroom, and restore their sexual function, and according to the brand’s website, has had a 94% success rate with full treatments.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that no treatment or therapy is going to effectively and permanently improve your erections without the help of you making better lifestyle choices.
Do Your Lifestyle Choices Cause ED
Your everyday lifestyle choices can have a direct effect on your sexual function and lead to erectile dysfunction. Making simple changes in your everyday choices can have a huge effect on not only your erection health but also your overall health.
Start making better choices today and keep your sexual function working properly!
