Men should take a walk for sexual health
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When it comes to love, some men will walk to the end of the earth to find it. But in a couple of studies from the past a much shorter 2 mile walk a day is just as effective in retaining good sexual health. This study demonstrates that if men want to reduce their risk of erectile dysfunction (ED), they should take the time to make this daily trek.
The first research is from August of 2000 published in Urology. Lasting for 9 years, the study included 600 men who at the beginning of the research had no issues with ED. The men who kept exercising over the 9 years were shown to have a reduction in the incidence of ED. This particular study also showed that quitting smoking, losing weight or reducing alcohol intake, did not lessen the risk of ED as effectively as physical activity such as walking.
Another more recent study from 2015 and published in the American Journal of Cardiology, found men who had a recent acute myocardial infarction, reported a reduction in erectile dysfunction when they participated in a home walking program. Men who were considered to be at a low cardiovascular risk were randomized to either a home-based walking group or a control group receiving usual care. Thirty days later, the researchers determined functional capacity by a six-minute walk test and assessed sexual function by the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire. At the time of their hospital discharge, 84 percent of the men reported previous ED.
Findings from the study showed that compared with baseline, after 30 days there was a 9 percent increase in ED in the control group in contrast to a 71 percent decrease in the home-based walking group.
The message to men is go out and invest in a good pair of walking shoes and get in at least 2 miles a day of walking to maintain sexual health without the use of medications. If walking at a moderately brisk speed of at least 3 mph, a two mile walk should take between 30 to 45 minutes.
Walking is a great exercise most people can do and for men it appears to prevent erectile dysfunction by improving blood flow keeping plaque formation reduced and lessening risk of cardiovascular disease. When men experience erectile dysfunction, this is an early warning sign of heart disease due to reduced blood flow.
Another way exercise such as walking reduces ED is by increasing vascular nitric oxide. Nitric oxide increase blood flow to the penis necessary for achieving an erection.
If walking is not the kind of physical activity men want to participate in, then jogging or another exercise that increases heart rate getting blood flow going is acceptable. However, bicycling is not recommended as it has been shown in some studies to increase the risk of ED due to blood flow restriction from sitting in the bike seat.