Whether you’re having trouble getting or keeping an erection, both can be quite stressful. But don’t worry: once you understand how an erection works, you can take control of your body and take proactive steps to train your penis. Then not only will it look and feel stiffer, but with the right training, you’ll stay hard longer. Win-win-win!
Let’s start with the science. Why does your penis actually get hard?
Because the arteries inside it swell with blood. When you’re sexually aroused, your body sends blood to your genitals, and that blood fills two erectile tissues in your penis. When these swell, the penis becomes erect, and the veins here constrict to trap the blood. This keeps the penis hard until you reach orgasm or the arousal subsides. Then the blood flows again as usual.
What is the cause of erection problems?
When someone can’t get or maintain an erection, it’s either because there’s insufficient blood flow to the penis – that is, the arteries aren’t pumping enough blood in – or too much blood is flowing out of the penis because the veins aren’t working enough.
Ten to twenty percent of the causes of erectile dysfunction are psychological and are triggered by stress and anxiety. But other psychological problems related to arousal and sexual expectations can also play a role. But no need to worry, with the right training you’ll get it back.
Here are 6 tips on how to train your penis both directly and indirectly for harder erections.
Most of these workout tips have the added benefit of improving your overall health, which, admittedly, is pretty sexy in itself. A person who takes care of their body? That’s what we like to see.
Kegel exercises
You’ve probably heard of Kegels before, but what you may not know is that any gender can do them – not just people with vulvas.
“Kegels” is the term for tightening your pelvic floor muscles as if you’re stopping the flow of urine. By taking time to exercise this muscle group every day, you’ll help prevent premature ejaculation, which depends in part on the tone of your pelvic floor muscles. But strong pelvic floor muscles also allow you to have a more intense orgasm.
It’s as simple as this: tense your pelvic floor, hold it for three seconds, and then release it for three seconds. Repeat up to 20 times. Start with one session a day and then increase to three or four sessions a day.
Workout while having solo sex and watching porn.
This version of Kegel exercises is called edging: it’s basically the same thing, except you do the exercises while you’re aroused.
For example, while masturbating, experiment with getting closer to orgasm – say, to a 7 or 8 (on a scale up to 10) – and then relaxing back down. If you keep getting excited this way, you’ll experience an intense orgasm because there’s so much blood flow to your genitals. But also your pelvic floor muscles will be trained and your erection will last longer in the future.
Sleep
If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re more likely to build up plaque in your arteries, which has a negative effect on your circulation. As we now know, this makes it harder to get and maintain an erection.
So make it a point to get a good night’s rest and aim for six to eight hours a night. It’s best to get an hour’s rest before bedtime (no cell phone!), avoid caffeine in the afternoon, and try to go to bed around the same time each day so your body gets used to the rhythm of being awake and tired.
Reduce your stress
The insidious thing about erectile dysfunction is that you can quickly slip into a negative spiral. That’s because in addition to erectile dysfunction, modern life is fast-paced, complex, and offers all too many ways to cope with stress that exacerbate the existing problem: Alcohol, overeating, Netflix, and overchill. None of these, however, are good for your circulation and blood flow, which a strong erection needs.
So find ways to manage stress that support your main goal. Go for a walk, talk to friends, keep a journal, or meditate. Most importantly, make these stress-relieving activities a daily, calming habit (rather than a quick fix for a moment).
Refrain from nicotine and alcohol
Nicotine damages blood vessels and alcohol interferes with the neurotransmitters in your brain that are responsible for an erection. Alcohol can also decrease the production of testosterone, which is important for arousal.
However, you can keep your morning cup of coffee or tea: Caffeine can improve blood flow and thus promote arousal. As always, you should, but enjoy it in moderation: Too much caffeine can lead to restlessness, and when it comes to erections, we want to reduce stress and restlessness as much as possible.
Please note that if you have erection problems and can’t solve the problem yourself, see a health professional to get a health checkup. The motto in this case is: No risk, just fun!