Erectile dysfunction is increasingly affecting even young men. Before resorting to medication, let's try changing our habits to healthier ones! The value of regular exercise for health goes without saying. Literally hundreds of studies conducted over half a century demonstrate that regular physical activity reduces the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer (for example, colon cancer). It also alleviates the effects of chronic ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis.
Perhaps surprisingly, regular physical activity can actually help prevent some prostate disorders and improve prostate health. Emerging scientific evidence suggests that engaging in a few hours of exercise per week can reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED).
Erectile dysfunction, or what is known for sure?
Despite the prevalence of erectile dysfunction, most studies examining the relationship between ED and lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, have been relatively small or conducted primarily in men aged 50 or 60. This changed in 2006 with a report from the Harvard Health Professionals Follow-up Study . The report included 22,086 men aged 40 to 75 who regularly completed health questionnaires for 14 years.
After analyzing the data, researchers found that men who ran for an hour and a half or exercised outdoors for three hours per week had a 20% lower risk of developing ED than those who didn't exercise at all. Increased physical activity yielded even greater benefits. Men who ran for two and a half hours per week had a 30% lower risk of developing the condition than their sedentary counterparts. Interestingly, regardless of activity level, overweight or obese men had a higher risk of developing ED than men with an ideal body mass index (BMI).
How to avoid erectile dysfunction?
If you're concerned about prostate health, how much exercise should you do? What activities can you do? Should you start running? Do you need to spend hours on the treadmill at the gym to maintain prostate health? There's no specific exercise program for men looking to reduce their risk of ED. But a well-balanced exercise program that includes just half an hour of physical activity every day or most days of the week offers solid health benefits. And you don't have to do this activity all at once; you can break it up into three 10-minute segments. Aim for a moderate pace. A good rule of thumb: you should be able to hold a conversation—yes, short sentences are fine—while exercising. If you find yourself too tired to talk comfortably, stop. When the activity becomes easy, increase the length or speed. (For more on how hard to work, see "What about my heart rate?" below.)
If you want, you can run or use the treadmill at the gym. But remember, cycling, swimming, or even brisk walks around the neighborhood will be just as good. In fact, walking is considered a near-ideal exercise. People of all ages and fitness levels can do it. Walking is also safe for almost everyone. It doesn't put stress on joints or raise your heart rate to dangerous levels, even for someone who isn't in good shape.
What about my heart rate?
Many people try to measure their heart rate during aerobic training to see if they've reached the target level for their training. To calculate your maximum heart rate (HRmax), subtract 220 from your age. Multiply the result by 50% for the lower end of your target range or by 75% for the upper end. Aerobic training should generally be performed within a range of approximately 65–70% of your maximum heart rate. For simplicity, most recreational athletes should maintain a heart rate of 120–140 beats/m during aerobic exercise.
If you don't want to bother with measurements (or invest in a proper watch), simply pay attention to your body's signals. Check how hard you're breathing to see if you can train harder or if you should slow down.
Bicycle saddle and your health.
Prolonged cycling on a narrow and poorly fitting bicycle saddle can cause pressure on the nerves in the perineum. This prolonged pressure in the area between the scrotum and the anus can lead to penile numbness. Sometimes, after prolonged cycling, the problem can persist for a week to a month. We don't want to scare anyone, but doctors have reported cases of impotence, although rare. Taking the following precautions can help avoid these problems:
• Choose a bicycle saddle that fits your anatomy first and foremost. The material itself is not as important as the appropriate width and shape.
• Wear padded cycling shorts.
• Do not tilt the saddle too far forward. This increases pressure on the perineum.
• Make sure the saddle height is correct. Your legs should not be fully straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
No matter what activity you choose, avoid occasional bouts of high-intensity activity. First, the health benefits of exercise depend on the total amount of exercise, not its intensity. But more importantly, higher-intensity activity increases the risk of muscle or joint injuries and sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias. This is especially true if you're a "weekend warrior" or haven't undergone the necessary checkups to ensure you're fit for strenuous exercise.
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