How to Treat Peyronie’s Disease


If you have a bent or curved penis, you may be dealing with Peyronie’s disease.

Between 1 and 23% of men over age 40 deal with Peyronie’s disease at some point. Although it’s a benign condition, it can be painful and make sexual intercourse unbearable.

And I’m a firm believer in the importance of sex for a happy and healthy life.

To ensure you are living to full sexual vitality, let’s take a look at the basics of Peyronie’s: what it is, what causes it, and how you can treat it to regain your sexual prowess.

What is Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s is an inflammatory condition that causes the curvature or deforming of the penis. With the disease, the penis can be bent at an angle ranging from 10 to 90 degrees, and it can bend up, down, or to either side.

It’s normal for a man’s penis to curve slightly. If you have a bend in your penis, don’t panic, especially if you’ve had that bend your entire life. 


Peyronie’s is when the penis bends due to an accumulation of fibrous scar tissue. So, in most cases, this is a new or unexpected bend in the penis.

But Peyronie’s is more than just a cosmetic concern. It can impact sexual performance and cause debilitating pain. A lot of men with Peyronie’s have so much pain that they can’t have sex.

(But not always. You can have Peyronie’s and still have a satisfactory sex life.)

Peyronie’s disease may also lead to high levels of stress and anxiety. That makes sense. It’s easy to get stressed if you look down and see your penis is bent…

But don’t stress yet. Peyronie’s is treatable—and it may even go away on its own!

What are the symptoms of Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s onset can be sudden or gradual. You might wake up one day (with a morning erection) and see a bent, painful penis. Or you might find that over the course of a few months, your penis slowly stops straightening or functioning like it used to.

The top symptoms of Peyronie’s include:

  • Bent or curved penis
  • Penis pain during erection and orgasm (sometimes when flaccid as well)
  • Lumps in the penis (cased by scar tissue)
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Loss of penis length (sometimes)

Peyronie’s can sometimes cause erectile dysfunction as well. The bend in the penis can be so painful that it can make getting or maintaining an erection nearly impossible. It can also create performance anxiety due to self-image concerns. Learn more about the causes of erectile dysfunction here.

What causes Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s occurs from a formation of scar tissue in the penis. Scar tissue forms as a healing response to some sort of injury. Thus, in most cases, Peyronie’s is caused by some sort of injury or trauma to the penis.

This “injury” can be a sporting accident, car accident, or even a sex incident.

The injury causes damage to the capillaries (small blood vessels) in the penis. The penis has two sponge-like tubes on either side called the corpus cavernosum. These are filled with capillaries that engorge with blood in order to have an erection. If the vessels are damaged, blood can’t flow to the penis for an erection.

Some scar tissue may form in order to heal these capillaries. If this scar tissue sticks around, it could lead to Peyronie’s disease.


The penis is surrounded in a casing of skin that’s elastic and flexible. This skin stretches when the penis is erect. However, if there’s scar tissue in the penis, the casing can’t stretch as far.

When the penis becomes erect, the skin has to stretch out to accommodate the erection. But the scarred part can’t stretch. Thus, the scarred part pulls down that side of the penis to keep it bent.

Scarring on the top of the penis will bend it upwards, scarring below will bend it downwards, and scarring on the side will bend it in that direction.

You’ll sometimes see scar tissue referred to as “plaque.” This simply means there’s a buildup of gunk in the penis, which is what’s causing it to bend.

However, there can be other cases of men with Peyronie’s who did not suffer trauma to the penis.

Risk Factors

There are other risk factors for Peyronie’s as well. For example, men with Dupuytren’s contracture, which is a connective tissue disorder, may often have concerns with Peyronie’s.

Age may also play a role, as it becomes harder for our bodies to heal as we age. (Even though most men with Peyronie’s are over age 40, about 8-10% of men with the disease are under age 40.)

Another potential risk factor for Peyronie’s is the treatment for prostate cancer, like a radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. This is likely because treatment can obstruct the penile blood vessels. These incite the body to go through the healing process, which can include scarring—and scarring can cause Peyronie’s.

How do I know if I have Peyronie’s?

If you have any of the above symptoms, like a bent penis or pain with erection, or you recently had a trauma to the penis, it might be time to visit your doctor.

He will do a physical exam to measure the curvature of the penis. He will be able to identify the location and amount of scar tissue with the examination as well.

In some cases, you may need an ultrasound or X-ray to pinpoint how much and where the scar tissue is exactly located. This is especially important if you’ve elected to have surgery (which I’ll discuss below).

If you’re diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease, you have several options for treatment. This can help reduce pain and make sex possible—and enjoyable—once again.

Keep in mind that the first six months of Peyronie’s symptoms are the most painful. Usually, though, the pain will start to go away without treatment. Because of this, a lot of doctors will wait for 6 to 12 months before attempting to treat Peyronie’s. It’s preferable to wait and see if your body will heal the plaque on its own.

If not, you’ll then have a discussion about treatment options.

How is Peyronie’s treated?

  1. Medication

Most medications for Peyronie’s are injected directly into the penis, not ingested.

There is only one FDA approved medication for Peyronies. Xiaflex, clostridium hystolyticum, is a series of penile injections that help breakdown the buildup of collagen. This can “loosen the gunk” in your penis to return it to its natural elasticity. It’s typically only recommended or prescribed for men with a curvature of more than 30 degrees.

Some doctors will prescribe interferon, which helps break down the fibrous tissue. It may also help reduce swelling and pain.

Verapamil is another possible option. This is a hypertension therapy medication that stimulates the activity of collagens, which plays a role in wound healing.

Keep in mind that these injection medications put a new incision in the penis. This perforation itself requires healing—which could further cause the growth of scar tissue. And scar tissue can lead to Peyronie’s.

  1. Anti-inflammatories

Anti-inflammatories are a type of medication usually taken orally. Some are prescription but many are over-the-counter. The goal of anti-inflammatory medication is to reduce pain and discomfort associated with Peyronie’s. These usually can’t reduce scarring or fix the curve, though.

If you have only a slight curve, your doctor might prescribe anti-inflammatories to temporarily relieve discomfort. When the pain goes away, you may not need treatment if the curve isn’t that severe.

  1. Shockwave therapy

Doctors have started to use shockwave therapy as a means of breaking up scar tissue. This hasn’t been proven as a continuous success, but it works for some patients.

How does shockwave therapy work? Imagine the Hulk just pounded his fist on the ground near a building. The building shakes a bit but stays intact. However, some of the coffee cups fell off the desks, some of the chairs fell over, and some of the ceiling tiles broke loose.


This is how shockwave therapy works (sort of). It uses waves to break up the scar tissue inside to help rid the body of backup and plaque.

  1. Iontophoresis

Iontophoresis uses a weak electrical current to deliver medication through the skin. This allows the medication to be delivered in a targeted area of the penis without an incision. This is only in the trial phases and hasn’t proven successful yet.

  1. Vacuum Devices

Some doctors will use a vacuum device to pull the penis outwards. This helps break up the tissue and straighten the penis. Vacuum devices are sometimes used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction as well.

However, it’s important to note that vacuum devices have a high rate of injury, meaning you could actually worsen your Peyronie’s if the vacuuming doesn’t go well.

  1. Penile therapy

You may need to put your penis through therapy to help rehabilitate it back to life. Therapy is especially recommended for patients taking medication like Xiaflex.

There are two penis exercises that can help get rid of pain and scarring.

When not erect, stretch the penis by gently pulling on it. Do this three times daily for thirty seconds each. This can help break up scar tissue in a temperate way.

You can also gently straighten your penis when experiencing a spontaneous erection. If your penis is curving to the left, pull it gently to the right during erection and vice versa. Do this for 30 seconds once daily.

  1. Nesbit procedure

The Nesbit procedure is the most recommended surgery for Peyronie’s. The doctor will remove or pinch the tissue where there’s scarring or plaque. This gets rid of the tissue, which frees the penis to bend and flex as it used to.

Although it’s the most successful reconstructive procedure, it also causes a shortening of the penis. Thus, it’s usually reserved for men who have adequate length, don’t suffer from erectile dysfunction, and don’t have any other nonsurgical options.

  1. Vein graft

Some doctors will do a plaque incision with a vein graft. This is especially common for shorter penises, those with a more severe curve, or those with an hourglass shape. This procedure puts an incision in the plaque and then grafts a vein in that area.

In this procedure, the surgeon may actually change the size of your penis. They might shorten the unaffected side, which pulls the penis back to be even on both sides. But this will shorten the length of the penis.

They may also lengthen the affected side where there’s scar tissue; they do this by creating cuts and grafts in the tissue. But this has a higher risk of impotence.


I don’t usually recommend these for my patients. There is a high risk for loss of sensation and erectile function, and it may cause an irreversible shortening of the penis. Plus, the body may again create more scar tissue around that incision, causing the Peyronie’s problem again.

  1. Prosthetic implant

You can put an implant in your penis, like those used for erectile dysfunction. This can help strengthen the curve of the penis while increasing the hardness of erections.

The implant is put in the spongy tissue that gets filled with blood during sexual arousal.

There are two types of implants. The permanent implant creates a semi-rigid penis; this can be cumbersome in daily life, but it’s enough for sexual intercourse. The inflatable implant is activated by a pump and creates a more natural erection, but you have to pump it in your penis right before having sex. This isn’t always the sexiest foreplay.

Nevertheless, implants can help improve rigidity and curvature without impacting the length of the penis or creating new incisions that require healing.

  1. Lifestyle changes

It’s also important to note that lifestyle changes have a positive impact on Peyronie’s disease. There is a link between lifestyle changes that are used to treat erectile dysfunction and treatment of Peyronie’s. For example, quitting smoking and exercising more frequently may be able to help the body better heal.

Learn more about treating your ED and Peyronie’s with lifestyle changes here.

Other treatments

Researchers are looking at other treatment methods as well, but these aren’t proven yet. For example, one study found that coenzyme Q10 can reduce penile curvature and another study found that acetyl-l-carnitine could help treat early Peyronie’s disease.

Vitamin E is another natural potential solution for Peyronie’s. It’s somewhat controversial, but I’ve seen success with a number of my patients using vitamin E as it helps to minimize pain and reduce plaque buildup. I will often recommend it to my patients because it’s cheap and easy–and it’s a necessary vitamin that everyone needs!

Is Peyronie’s curable?

Peyronie’s can be curable, but not always. Medication and surgery can show great results, but for some men, there is no permanent cure. Nevertheless, treatments can reduce pain and improve quality of life.

With certain treatments, you can have a more satisfying sexual performance and improved self-esteem, once again.

Bottom line

Peyronie’s disease is treatable. There are a number of options to help manage your pain and restore your sexual function.

You can and should have a healthy, happy sex life.

You deserve it.

If you want to restore your sex life to its youthful vigor, sign up for our G1 Performance Health program.

With an G1 Performance Health Consult, I’ll give you lifestyle changes that can help rejuvenate your sex life and health in weeks.

Don’t wait to have the healthy, sexy life you’ve dreamed of.

Epigenetics Series: Is Porn Addiction Genetic?


Nearly 23 million Americans suffer from a drug or alcohol addiction. It is estimated that between 7.4 and 14.7 million American adults are addicted to porn or sex. Porn addiction is a serious epidemic. 

“Addiction” is a broad term with an even broader population. Despite the prevalence, understanding, and treatment of addiction, it remains far behind where it should be, with only 1 in 10 individuals getting appropriate and lasting treatment.

Now, research in epigenetics is stepping in to help treat addiction on a deeper and broader scale.

Why are only some people addicted to activities, behaviors, and substances while others are not?

The answer may lie in the expression of your genes.

Recent studies show that epigenetic mechanisms could play a significant role in addiction. In fact, the risk of addiction may not necessarily come from an inherited genetic sequence but from how those genes are expressed.

Understanding the link between addiction and genetics may help create new advances in prevention and rehabilitation moving forward.

So what is the addiction? What is its link to epigenetics? And how can you alter your genes for a healthier life?

What is addiction?

“Addiction” is a psychiatric disorder where a person compulsively engages in or with some stimuli, like drugs, alcohol, or sex.

A person becomes addicted to the “feel good” aspects of this stimulus. This stems from the excitement of the brain’s reward regions. These “reward” regions include the nucleus accumbens (NAc), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and ventral tegmental area (VTA).

Drugs and alcohol are the most common associations of addiction. However, people can become addicted to nearly anything that ignites the reward centers of the brain. For example, other addictions can include gambling, shopping, sex, video games, television, overeating, exercise, and more.


Sex addiction is an especially prevalent concern in America, with the open accessibility of porn. In fact, an estimated 3-8% of U.S. adults suffer from a sex addiction that causes significant distress or impairment in personal, family, social, educational, or occupational areas of functioning.

We know that addiction creates changes in the brain. An ongoing surge of dopamine actually alters the prefrontal regions of the brain. In fact, this dopamine “high” starts to decrease sensitivity. The more you activate this part of your brain, the less it works. This impacts reward, motivation, memory, and cognitive control.

Thus, a progressive “high” can actually make it harder to feel that same sort of pleasure over time. This is why addicts tend to progress deeper into their addiction; addicted individuals seek that same pleasure but their brains become desensitized to it.

Science has proven that this dopamine desensitization alters the structure of the brain. Does that mean addiction could alter DNA and genetic structure as well?

Is porn addiction or any addiction linked to epigenetics?

Addiction is a disease just like any other, like cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Epigenetics impacts these types of diseases.

So does addiction.

A number of studies have looked at the relationship between genes and addiction.

It’s widely accepted that addiction is a “hereditary” disease. Recent studies have found a panel of 11 genes linked to a genetic predisposition for addiction, especially alcoholism. Of these, there are 66 associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP variations) that are correlated with addiction.

Studies have shown that a child has an 8x greater risk of developing an addiction if one parent has a drug or alcohol addiction. This insinuates that there is some sort of genetic predisposition to addiction and can also play a role in porn addiction, and this doesn’t mean one type of porn, this can range to every sexual aspect from real taboo kinks, to simply viewing sites.

In fact, studies show that 50-60% of addiction can be contributed to genetics. (The other half comes from poor coping skills when dealing with stress or emotions.)


So, for decades, children of addicts have been taught to avoid drugs and alcohol completely to prevent the development of their own addiction.

Genes themselves are irreversible. The genes you’re given are the genes you keep for life.

But what if there was a way to “deactivate” or turn off those inherited genes of addiction?

Can we treat addiction with epigenetics?

Epigenetics looks at the expression of genes as opposed to the genetic sequence itself. We can’t change our DNA sequence. But we can change which of our genes are expressed and activated—even those genes of addiction.

Research has found that certain factors can alter this genetic expression of addiction. There are a number of ways addiction can change your epigenetics, but the two most prevalent are DNA methylation and dopamine reception.

DNA methylation

Just like with other epigenetic marks, DNA methylation can activate or deactivate the genes that carry addiction-related risks.

A study at McGill University and Bar Ilan University found that the genes in the brain—especially those in the NAc reward center—can be reprogrammed during drug withdrawal.

They found that you may be able to prevent a relapse of cocaine use by adjusting epigenetic marks during the withdrawal period. This means that an individual going through rehabilitation would be less likely to return to drugs with an epigenetic treatment.

They especially looked at RG108 as a potential rehabilitative treatment. RG108 is a DNA methylation inhibitor. This means it stops the genetic switch that turns a gene on or off. In the study, researchers found that cocaine-addicted rats stopped seeking out the drug once they were injected with the RG108.

This, in essence, could turn off the genes of addiction to stop an individual from experiencing the need or desire to return to the use of the drug or activity.

Researchers also found that this RG108 inhibition was most successful during withdrawal as opposed to while still exposed to the drug. During withdrawal, the genes are already undergoing changes because they don’t have access to the chemicals in the drug. Inhibiting DNA methylation in the brain during a period of withdrawal enhances this change to avoid addiction relapse.

Dopamine receptors

Other research has found a link between dopamine release and genetic changes. A study at Columbia University Medical Center discovered that individuals with greater dopamine release and higher concentrations of D2 (dopamine receptor) were less likely to relapse into addiction.

They found that the brain regions that handle self-control are linked to the genetics of addiction.

This tells us that even self-control is genetic—and it can be altered appropriately.

The scientists found that targeted therapy could increase the odds of extinguishing addiction. These therapies focus on changing certain behaviors to improve the activity in the prefrontal cortex and dopamine receptors.

Another study found a similar finding with sex specifically. The gene, which is also linked to dopamine, influences sexual drive and arousal. Researchers found that individuals with a particular variation of this D4 gene were more likely to develop sexual addiction than those with a typical D4. This proves that sexual activity, including porn addiction, could be a treatable disease based on genetic makeup.

Can knowing your genes prevent porn addiction?

The above examples both look at preventing a relapse of addiction by deactivating certain epigenetic markers. But can you prevent addiction even before it happens?

One group of researchers has been providing a number of studies about epigenetics and addiction. One of their greatest findings was the potential of early-onset prevention of addiction through epigenetics. Meaning if you are genetically predisposed to porn addiction, there may be a way of preventing it from ever taking hold.

They first researched HDAC5 as the suppressor of addiction-risk genes. They found that this inhibitor didn’t prevent addiction-like behaviors from forming, but it did prevent relapse. However, they then looked at all of the genes that HDAC5 inhibits.

They found that HDAC5 also suppresses the gene NPAS4. This gene is the early-onset gene of addiction. Rodents with less NPAS4 still developed addiction behaviors—but it took them a lot longer than their counterparts that had more NPAS4. Researchers found that HDAC5 lessened the effect of NPAS4, which lengthened the onset time of addiction.

Basically, HDAC5 may be able to both prevent relapse and help prevent initiation of addiction behaviors altogether.

Further research still required in order to learn how to prevent addiction… but many researchers think that deactivating certain genes is possible.

What does this mean for YOU?

If you have an increased risk of addiction due to a parent, you don’t have to be scared of your genes. If you’re suffering from addiction now, you can get help and prevent it from coming back.

Epigenetics tells us that there are ways to deactivate the genes of addiction so you can live your life without worry, and potentially be free of your porn addiction.

So how do you “turn off” these genes?

The solution isn’t necessarily to avoid complete avoid porn, sex, drugs, and rock and roll at all costs. (I do not advise taking part in any sort of abuse.)

Nevertheless, avoiding porn doesn’t necessarily mean you’re cured of your porn addiction. It just means you’re abstaining as best you can. If you stop abstaining at some point, though, you could still be at risk for serious addiction.

But you can control your genes and change the way addiction genes are expressed to evade porn addiction altogether.

How?

Lifestyle changes.

Studies have suggested that environmental factors drastically impact the activation or deactivation of the addiction genes.

One study found that addiction was highly related to social environment. Interestingly, some research has shown that genes play a role in how an individual responds to the environment around them.

This means that two individuals in the same cultural environment with the same gene for addiction could have different experiences. If one has an activated gene and another has a deactivated one, the first could have addiction problems while the other doesn’t.

This means you need to surround yourself with healthy habits and healthy people. But this isn’t always easy, especially when stress and other emotional stimuli step in.

Stress can actually activate the addiction gene. One study found repressive histone methylation with repeated stress. Basically, stress caused methylation, which caused the “addiction” genes to turn on.

Stress can activate some of the unhealthiest genes in your body, including the gene for addiction. If you want to reduce your risk and intensity of addiction, you need to first and foremost reduce your acute and chronic stressors.
The doctor’s orders:

  • This week, keep a stress journal with you. Every moment you feel slightly stressed or anxious, write down the time, place, and trigger that caused that feeling. Write down the exact emotions and tenseness you feel.
  • At the end of the week, review your journal for patterns of stressful behaviors. Is there a certain activity or time of day that creates your stress?
  • Find ways to remove these stressors from your life.
  • Next week, do one activity that de-stresses you daily.
  • Do a different activity each day. Switch between meditation, yoga, physical exercise, hobbies, family time, deep breathing, and sex (yes, sex!). Try a variety of activities to see which best relieve your stress.

Create an ongoing stress journal that records when you feel most stressed and relaxed. This will help you find a calming balance to reduce the daily and ongoing stresses in your life. If you have a serious, long-term stressor, talk to a professional for strong coping methods.

Read 5 Healthy, Productive Habits You Can Start This Week

Bottom line

Epigenetics influences a variety of diseases, disorders, and addictions, including porn addiction. Environmental and lifestyle factors like sex abuse can alter brain genes to create serious and long-lasting concerns.

But epigenetics adds something new to our understanding of addiction: we can deactivate the risk of addiction inherited by our parents. We can even activate those genes that handle self-control and reward response. Effectively relieving addictions of all kinds, including porn addictions.

This is promising for the future treatment of addiction and rehabilitation. This is especially useful for the understanding and treatment of sexual and porn addiction.

Although there are some current limitations, epigenetics will play a much larger role in recovery and relapse-prevention moving forward.

You don’t need to fear your genes.

You need to control them—before they control you!

If you’re ready to take control of your health and wellness, there’s no better time than right now.

Sign up for the G1 Performance Health Consult to own your genes, your vigor, and your life!

How To Last Longer In Bed Right Now


If you want to learn how to last longer in bed or extend your stamina in the bedroom, you’re not alone. Almost every guy wants to last just a bit longer. Stamina can help you please your partner, grow your relationship, boost your self-confidence, burn more calories, and have a more satisfying sex life overall.

But at least 35% of men have problems with premature ejaculation. In fact, The New Naked: The Ultimate Sex Education for Grown-Ups reported that 45% of men—even those not diagnosed with PE—orgasm in under two minutes. This can cause psychological and relationship concerns for a number of men, and it may even signal an underlying health concern.

But even those with great endurance want more stamina.

So what can you do to improve your stamina in a healthy (and even sexy) way?

What causes premature ejaculation?

The average duration of orgasm for men is anywhere from 3 to 13 minutes. “Short” sex sessions aren’t a cause for concern. However, premature ejaculation, whether diagnosed or not, can damage your self-esteem and relationship quality.

PE can stem from a variety of physical, emotional, and psychological causes that can be hard to pinpoint. Physical causes of PE include low testosterone and erectile dysfunction. Low T levels can create low libido and reduced energy, which can drastically minimize sexual stamina. Erectile dysfunction has its own branch of causes and concerns, often stemming from psychological stressors or worries.


PE can also often stem from psychological concerns, including performance anxiety. If a man feels he isn’t able to please his partner in bed or feels ashamed for some reason, he will usually tense up and get anxious. This can actually cause him to orgasm faster as the body’s way of relieving this uncomfortable tension.

Thankfully, though, there are ways to overcome these physical and psychological concerns to improve your stamina in bed.

  1. Reduce your anxiety.

Anxiety is one of the major causes of PE, so reducing anxiety is the first step to overcoming fast ejaculation times. It’s common for men to get too “in their heads” during sex. You basically get so nervous about finishing too quickly that it actually sneaks up on you—and you don’t even get to enjoy it as much.

Anxiety disconnects the mind and body so you don’t even realize what you’re physically feeling.

Thus, it’s important to try to relax your mind and body before and during sex.

Yoga

Relaxation in the bedroom starts outside the bedroom. You want to minimize your life stressors while partaking in relaxing hobbies like meditation and yoga. This can help put your mind in a more peaceful and calm state, which allows your body to be more receptive to sex.

Plus, studies have shown that a mind-body connection through yoga can actually lead to more intense orgasms.

Yoga can also help improve lower back pain and flexibility, which both play a role in sexual endurance and stamina.

Find some of my favorite yoga for ED here.

Breathing

One of the best ways to relax your body in both the short- and long-term is through breathing exercises. Deep breathing can help put you in a meditative state to lower cortisol and stress. Cortisol can actually reduce testosterone, which could lead to ED and lowered libido.

Breathing not only helps reduce stress, but it also helps transport oxygen to your muscles. This influx of oxygen helps the muscles relax—including the muscles in the penis. This relaxation can help prevent you from tensing up and having an orgasm too quickly.

Below are three breathing exercises specifically designed to boost your sexual stamina while reducing stress, boosting energy, and minimizing performance anxiety.

  1. Simple breath

Lie on your back. Bend your knees up and rest them comfortably together. Feet should be hip-width apart and flat. Put one hand on your stomach and the other on your heart. Close your eyes. Inhale and feel the way your belly and heart rise. Exhale, and feel them lower. Hold for 10 seconds and release for 10 seconds. Do at least 25 breaths.

This will help you find the rhythm of your breath. You can then call on this belly-breathing technique during sex if you find yourself tense and anxious. Doing these sorts of meditative breathing exercises not only helps improve your relaxation and endurance—but it can actually make you more connected with your partner as well.

  1. Rocking breath

Sit on a block or folded blanket so you’re slightly raised from the floor. Your legs should be folded comfortably underneath you. Place your hands at your hips, as if in a superhero power pose.

Breathe as you did in the first exercise while rocking your pelvis back and forth gently. Move forward on the inhale and backward on the exhale. Increase your speed slightly after each inhale-exhale cycle.

This can help push energy to your pelvis to improve blood flow and muscular strength.

  1. Circular breath

In the same position and breathing in the same rhythm, move your hips in a circular motion. Move your ribcage over your pelvis as you inhale and exhale. Don’t move your lower body; focus on the movement of your ribcage. This circular motion can help open up your pelvis for improved energy and blood flow.

  1. Strengthen your body.

Sex takes a bit of athletic performance. Endurance in the bedroom starts by building your athletic endurance.

You want to especially focus on strengthening your lower back and abdominals. Most sex positions require the use of the lower back muscles, so pain in this area can lead to poor performance and shorter duration in the bedroom. You also need a strong abdominal core for continuous thrusts. Building your core can also help improve stamina, endurance, and stability.


Exercises for your lower back:

  • Superman
  • Child’s pose
  • Kneeling hip flexor stretch
  • Glute bridge
  • Front fold
  • Trunk twist

Exercises for abdominals:

  • Plank and side plank
  • Exercise ball crunches
  • V-ups
  • Reverse crunch
  • Flutter kicks
  • Bicycle kicks

Along with strengthening your muscles, you also want to build your energy levels. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) uses bursts of cardio and strength training to help blast fat and improve endurance. Because you’re working in intervals, your body uses a short recovery time to build up stamina to get ready for the next interval. Often, sex works in a similar way with intervals and periods of faster thrusting and slower movement.

Plus, HIIT has also been shown to increase testosterone levels. Raising your T through exercise is a great way to improve your libido and energy in the long-term.

Recommended Read: 9 Exercises To Beat ED And Have Better Sex

Pelvic Floor Exercises

Developing your pelvic floor muscles can help support harder and longer erections as well as a healthy prostate and bladder and bowel functions. One study found that a 12-week course of pelvic floor exercises increased the average ejaculation time from 31.7 seconds to 146.2 seconds—an increase by nearly four times! A second study found that keel exercises restored normal erectile function to 40% of men suffering from erectile dysfunction.

Pelvic floor exercises help you control the muscles in your pelvic region, so you have greater regulation of your orgasms and sensations.

How to do pelvic floor exercises:

  • Find your pelvic floor muscles. When you’re urinating, stop midstream. This can help you become aware of the feeling of the pelvic muscles. (Don’t do this too often or you could hurt your bladder.)
  • At rest, tighten these muscles for five seconds. Then release for five seconds. Repeat ten times. As you practice, you can hold and release for longer intervals.
  • You should alternate longer intervals with pulsing intervals. Quickly contract and release these muscles for 10 repetitions with a 10-second rest. This variation will help grow the muscle faster.

I recommend doing these exercises three times daily. You can do them anywhere at any time—so you can improve your sex life on the go! Try doing the exercises in different positions for different resistance.

  1. Boost your body with diet.

Studies have shown that a healthy diet can actually help improve stamina and sexual function. Processed food, refined sugar, and dairy have been linked to low energy as well as changes in testosterone and hormone production.

Fruit provides a sustainable source of energy, so you don’t get the same sort of sugar crashes like you would from processed sugar. Bananas are high in potassium, which plays a key role in energy and hormone production.


One study found that vegetarians have twice the stamina as meat eaters. They found that athletes on a vegetarian diet could withstand greater physical feats for longer periods of time than their meat-eating counterparts.

Recommended Video: 3 Prostate Healthy Foods

Recommended Read: 13 Natural, Edible Vasodilators To Treat Your ED

  1. Improve stamina during sex.

Now it’s game time. You’re in the bedroom. How can you improve your stamina right now?

Foreplay

Foreplay is an absolute must. It preps your mind and body for an “extended stay” with sex. The slower you ease into sex, the longer you’ll be able to last. A slow start means a slower finish.

Focus on meditative, deep breathing during foreplay. This will help your penis adapt to the excitement and connect your mind and body before penetration.

Partner-first


Focus on your partner’s orgasm before your own. You may want to start with oral sex as opposed to penetrative sex. Helping your partner orgasm first helps you build up excitement and connection with your partner.

It also makes you less anxious, because you know your partner has already had some level of sexual satisfaction. It eliminates the stress and pressure so you can enjoy your own orgasm better. This works especially well for men suffering from performance anxiety.  

Start/stop method

When you’re close to orgasm, try the start/stop method. Often called “edging” in a casual context, this is when you stop thrusting when you’re close to orgasm. This trains your brain to better control your orgasm response in response to different physical sensations.

When you feel close to orgasm, slow down or stop thrusting. Take a few deep breaths. You may want to use this recovery period to focus on your partner’s pleasure. Then, after the sensation has died down, you can continue.

Slowing down in this way helps relieve tension while concentrating on the sensation. It also helps your body recalibrate to continue with greater endurance.

Sex positions

Certain sex positions can actually reduce your sensation to help delay orgasm. These positions usually reduce penetration depth or change the area of pressure. Full penetration stimulates the underside of the penis, especially the frenulum, which what causes men to ejaculate quickly.

Positions that can help you last longer:

  • Woman on top
  • Spooning (laying on side)
  • Modified doggy (partner on stomach, not knees)
  • Perpendicular

Condoms

Condoms help reduce the sensation, which can delay orgasm and help you last longer. (Plus they help guard against STDs and unwanted pregnancy.) Some condoms are made thicker to actually help extend your stamina by reducing stimulation, like Trojan’s “extended pleasure” or Durex’s “performax.”

Masturbate

Some men find it helpful to masturbate several hours before engaging in planned sex. Masturbation can help boost testosterone levels, so you’ll have a stronger libido and sex drive when you move into the bedroom with your partner. It also removes pent up sexual tension so your muscles feel more relaxed when it’s time for sex.

Masturbation can also help release your first orgasm. After ejaculation, your body needs time to recover. This is called the “refractory period.” This recovery period can actually lengthen your next ejaculation time. (This works in a similar way as HIIT.)

If you don’t want to masturbate or the sex is spontaneous, communicate with your partner that the first round may be fast –but the second round you’ll focus on their pleasure. This communication can help you feel less anxious so you can focus on your connection and sensation during sex.

Recommended Read: 8 Fun Ways To Naturally Increase Your Libido

  1. Don’t use pills or sprays.

Viagra and other pills can make you last awhile… but they’ll hurt you in the long run. These pills mask the symptoms of ED without getting to the root of the problem. Your body actually starts to get dependent upon these meds, and you’ll find that you ejaculate faster or can’t get an erection at all the more you use the little blue pill.

You also want to avoid de-sensitizing sprays. These are local anesthetics that help desensitize your penis to reduce sensation and help you last longer. However, these can have a number of concerns and side effects. If these sprays aren’t applied properly, they can transfer to your partner for an unpleasant experience. You may also find they desensitize you so much that you can’t stay erect long enough for sex.

Never use drugs or alcohol to last longer. Although your lowered inhibitions may help your penis relax and reduce your endurance, this is not a sustainable approach to healthy sex.

Conclusion

If premature ejaculation is interfering with your sexual satisfaction and relationship, it’s time to do something.

You don’t have to go it alone.

With The G1 Performance Health Program, you’ll get in-depth tricks to boost your sexual and overall wellness in weeks!

Sign up today!

Erectile Dysfunction and Early Death – What’s The Link?


ED typically stands for erectile dysfunction…

But it could also mean “early death.”

There is a proven and serious link between these two variations of ED—erectile dysfunction and early death.

In fact, erectile dysfunction may be one of the first and most prominent indicators of increased risk for early death. A study at the University of Mississippi—which researched 1,790 men over the course of seven years—found that risk of death was 70% higher in men with erectile dysfunction than without.

Moreover, they found that ED wasn’t just a predictor of increased risk of death in later years with older men. Erectile dysfunction in young men also shows this same increased death rate. And with nearly 25% of men under age 40 suffering from ED, these associated risks of early death at a young age are alarming.

But how could this be? Isn’t erectile dysfunction just a “down there” problem? What does your penis have to do with your lifespan?

 

The Cause of ED

Let’s first start this discussion by talking about the causes of erectile dysfunction.

ED is the inability to get or maintain an erection.

In order for you to get an erection, your penis has to fill up with blood. When your body starts to feel sexy, it releases hormones like testosterone and nitric oxide (NO). These signal your body and penis that it’s time to start preparing for sex. Nitric oxide relaxes the penile muscles and opens up the blood vessels. This loosens the blood vessels so they can push blood to the penis in order to get an erection.

This means that you need both a healthy hormonal system, neurological system, and vascular or blood system working in tandem to get an erection. (Did you know that much was going on in your body when you’re trying to get it on?)


If one of these systems isn’t functioning properly, you can’t get an erection. For example, if you have unbalanced hormones, your body may be overloaded with cortisol and can’t produce the necessary NO to get an erection. Or if you have anxiety, your brain may not have the capacity to send necessary signals to your endocrine system. Even a porn addiction can cause erectile dysfunction.

ED has a variety of causes, but the primary reason for erectile dysfunction is vascular dysfunction.

“Vascular” refers to your blood vessels. A vascular dysfunction can come from constricted blood vessels, injury to the blood vessels, or plaque buildup in the vessels.

Basically, you need clean and clear blood vessels to push blood flow to the penis in order to get an erection.

If you don’t have clear blood vessels, erectile dysfunction ensues.

Plaque Buildup

“Plaque” is the gunk that clogs the arteries or blood vessels. This is what we refer to as the “hardening” of the arteries, medically referred to as “atherosclerosis.” Basically, cholesterol starts to cling on to the sides of your blood vessels. This clogs up your arteries so blood flow is restricted.

Think of it like a hairball in your shower (I know, it’s your partner’s fault). The hairball latches on to the side of the pipe. A small clump of hair still lets water flow down. But as the hairball grows, it starts letting less and less water flow. Water begins to backup into your shower or bath because the water can’t flow as easily with the growing hairball stuck in the way.

Plaque buildup creates this same sort of narrowing of the blood vessels. It begins to clog up the vascular system so blood can’t flow as easily.

Your body needs blood in order to function properly. Without adequate blood flow, your body can shut down within minutes.

In the brain, clogged arteries cause memory loss, dementia, and stroke.

In the heart, clogged arteries cause angina (chest pain), heart attacks, heart disease, and cardiovascular conditions.

This obstruction of blood flow is what causes heart disease, heart attack, and other fatal diseases.

Erectile Dysfunction and Plaque Buildup

Plaque buildup happens everywhere throughout the body, not just your heart. It’s not restricted to the heart, as we often belief. The heart is often place we care most about, because clogged heart arteries lead to heart disease and heart attacks.

But, in reality, all the blood vessels in your body start to develop the same buildup of cholesterol at the same time.

This means that the vessels in your penis are narrowing at the same rate as the vessels in your heart.

But the vessels in your penis are smaller than those in other places in your body. In fact, the penile arteries are about half the size of coronary ones. This means they can close up twice as fast.


Think of it this way. Is it easier to clog a small sink drain or a large shower drain? What if you used the same sized hairball in both? A large hairball will clog up a narrower sink drain faster than a thicker shower drain.

Plaque buildup first shows sign in the narrower penile blood vessels than the thicker arteries in other parts of the body.

If you are experiencing erectile dysfunction, it could be because your penis isn’t getting adequate blood flow and there’s likely some sort of vascular clog in the way—like plaque and cholesterol buildup.

If there’s buildup in your penile arteries, there’s buildup in all the arteries in your body, which means that the arteries in your heart are also hardening and clogging.

Erectile dysfunction is the first warning sign of plaque buildup and hardening arteries.

In fact, these two are so linked that ED is often called “penile angina.”

Thus, erectile dysfunction is the first symptom and sign of heart disease, heart attack, dementia, and stroke.

ED = Warning Sign

 

Let’s reiterate.

Heart disease is the result of plaque buildup in the arteries near the heart.

Stroke is the result of plaque buildup in the arteries in the brain.

Erectile dysfunction is often the result of plaque buildup in the arteries in the penis.

Plaque buildup throughout the body happens all at the same time.

So if you’re showing signs of plaque buildup in one area (like the penis), it means your entire body’s blood vessels have that same buildup.

So erectile dysfunction does not cause heart disease or stroke.

But it may be your first clue that something serious is going on in your body.

So stop ignoring your erectile dysfunction!

In fact, one study found that nearly 70% of patients rushed to the ER for chest pain—whether angina or heart attack—had erectile dysfunction symptoms leading up to hospitalization.

You read that right.

7 in 10 men with heart concerns first showed erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction is your body’s red flag.

Another study found that doctors can predict the hardening of the coronary arteries and related cardiac stress with an accuracy of 80% after measuring blood flow in the penis.

Yup, doctors use a PCDU (penile color Doppler ultrasound) to measure the blood in a flaccid penis, and they can tell how severe your heart disease is with 80% accuracy.


So why aren’t more men getting their penile blood vessels checked out?

Because they don’t know that erectile dysfunction is the first sign of serious diseases.

They don’t know that ED is linked to overall mortality and cardiovascular mortality rates.

They don’t know that having erectile dysfunction makes you 70% more likely to die an early death.

But now you know.

So what can you do about it?

Reducing Your ED2 Risk

  1. Don’t just think about your penis.

When most men get erectile dysfunction, they think first and foremost about the consequences in the bedroom.

Of course you want to solve your ED so you can have a healthy sex life again.

But, as we’ve come to find, ED is more than just a “down there” problem. ED can be a symptom of a serious underlying disease.

That’s why taking pills like Viagra can be so dangerous. You’re masking the symptoms and pretending everything is okay, rather than seeing ED as the serious symptom it is.

So focus on addressing the root cause of your erectile dysfunction: the blood vessels.

If you can clear out your blood vessels, you’ll likely stop having erectile dysfunction and you’ll have a healthier heart and brain.

The Rancho Bernardo Study found that risk factors for heart disease are also the risk factors for erectile dysfunction. Improving these risk factors in mid-life can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction.

So focusing on heart health will ensure erectile health and vice versa.


Keep in mind that not all men will suffer erectile dysfunction due to a vascular dysfunction like plaque buildup. ED can also be a hormonal or psychological concern.

Nevertheless, ED doesn’t happen “just because.” It often signals some other underlying concern, like diabetes or chronic stress.

Both diabetes and chronic stress can increase your risk of early death. (Chronic stress has even been shown to cause atherosclerosis.)

See how ED can be your best friend in alerting you to other problems in your body?

Talk to a doctor to discover the cause of your ED—and how to attack the problem at its core.

  1. Reduce your body’s inflammation.

Atherosclerosis is a systemic inflammatory condition. This means that those with chronic inflammation are at a greater risk of plaque buildup.

Chronic inflammation may be linked to almost all deadly diseases, including cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. It’s also been linked to—you guessed it— erectile dysfunction.

Click here to learn more about this silent killer and how to overcome chronic inflammation fast.

  1. Eat a Mediterranean diet.

The Mediterranean diet has been shown to have positive results on both your heart and penis. This diet cleans out your arteries, reducing gunk from clogging up your vessels. 

The Mediterranean diet consists of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and legumes. Olive oil especially has been linked to a decrease in cardiovascular disease and early mortality rates. This article by EatingWell makes the Mediterranean diet easy to understand. 

 

Want to get exact recipes and foods you should be eating for heart and sexual health? 

The Mediterranean diet also improves metabolic syndrome, endothelial function, and inflammatory markers. Metabolic syndrome increases your risk of early death due to its conditions of pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. Learn more about overcoming metabolic syndrome for optimal health here.

Moreover, you should avoid any inflammatory or vessel-clogging foods. This includes packaged and processed foods, animal meats (in high quantities), soy, flaxseed, dairy, fried foods, salt, and alcohol. Learn more about the 7 foods causing your erectile dysfunction and clogging your arteries.

You should also focus on keeping your vitamin D levels high. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to erectile dysfunction and other health concerns, including cancer, diabetes, bone loss, and heart disease.

Also check out: 13 Natural Vasodilators To Treat Your ED

  1. Workout.


When you get the blood pumping with physical activity, you’re forcing blood to flow through the veins. This can actually help unclog your veins and get rid of plaque buildup.

Cardio gets the blood moving and the heart pumping, which helps clear out any gunk and keep your vessels clear.

Let’s go back to that shower clog. You may pour a heavy-duty clog solution like Plumr or Power Plumber down the drain (rather than snaking the drain, which we all hate to do). These solutions work in a similar way as a surge of blood from working out. It helps push out the clogs because the pressure is so powerful.

Working out is one of the healthiest ways to keep your blood free of serious buildup.

Check out these 9 exercises to beat ED and keep your heart healthy.

  1. Stop thinking you’re immune.

If you’re under 40 and you have erectile dysfunction, you’re at the same risks of early death as men over 40.

You’re also not alone. Nearly 25% of men under 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction at some point.

If you have erectile dysfunction under 40, you should be even more aware of your vascular and heart health. It’s critical that you talk to your doctor about lifestyle and eating habits to reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, and risk factors.

No matter who you are or what age you are, if you have erectile dysfunction, it’s time to visit the doc.

Erectile dysfunction is not something to be ashamed of.

Think of ED as your body’s way of saying, “Hey, guy! Wake up!”

I know you want to have vibrant, passionate sex once again.

I know you want to have a healthy heart, brain, and blood flow.

And I know you want to live a long and energetic life.

So stop waiting to take your health into your hands.

11 Ways To Conquer Performance Anxiety TODAY

Performance anxiety is one of the biggest opponents against a healthy and happy sex life. It can become a physical and emotional obstacle that can drastically impact your quality of life—both inside and outside the bedroom.

What is performance anxiety and how can you overcome it to achieve an exciting sex life once again?

What is performance anxiety?

Performance anxiety is literally anxiety about being able to perform sexually.

It can manifest in a number of ways:

  • Premature ejaculation (PE): ejaculating before or immediately after penetration
  • Delayed ejaculation (DE): a prolonged period and/or overstimulation is necessary in order to ejaculate
  • Erectile dysfunction (ED): inability to get or maintain an erection long enough for intercourse
  • Psychological stress in and out of the bathroom
  • Low libido or lack of interest in sex
  • Obsessive negative thoughts

Performance Anxiety | Gapin Institute
Even cheating on a partner or having multiple partners can be a sign of performance anxiety. In some cases, men may seek sexual satisfaction elsewhere if they find they are having performance anxiety with their partner. This is generally the cause of some sort of previous negative sexual experience with that particular partner, often exacerbated by a lack of communication.

Note: Experiencing one of the above instances once or twice doesn’t necessarily mean you have performance anxiety. However, as we’ll discuss below, even one instance of the above can actually make you talk yourself into having performance anxiety in the long-term!  

What happens to your body with performance anxiety?

Performance anxiety isn’t all in your head—although it usually stems from the head. Anxiety is not only an emotional or psychological problem but also a physical concern with serious associated health implications. Anxiety is part of the body’s natural fight or flight response. It’s actually a warning sign meant to help protect us from danger.

Performance anxiety can actually make you feel like you’re in a hostile situation when you’re about to sex. That’s not very sexy.

When you feel anxious or stressed, your body releases cortisol. Cortisol, the “stress hormone,” actually stops the production of testosterone. You need a high level of testosterone in order to feel sexy. Testosterone is the libido-boosting hormone in both men and women. Lowered testosterone can cause a decreased sex drive, depressed mood, weight gain, and erectile dysfunction—all of which worsen or cause performance anxiety.

Learn more about how to naturally raise your testosterone levels and reduce cortisol levels.

Moreover, anxiety can actually cause your blood pressure to rise. This can lead to hypertension and cardiovascular concerns, which inhibit blood flow throughout the body. This means that blood can’t flow to the penis for an erection. In fact, anxiety is often a major contributor and cause of erectile dysfunction because the penis literally isn’t getting the blood it needs to get hard.

These physical manifestations of stress can worsen your ability to perform sexually, causing a negative feedback cycle of performance anxiety.

Where does performance anxiety come from?

Sexual Performance Anxiety | Gapin Institute
Performance anxiety often starts small and grows. It’s generally psychological, where you start to overthink your sexual experiences.

Did I last long enough?

Did I make my partner happy?

What did my partner think about that one thing that I did?

Was I good?

The more you ask yourself these questions, the more anxiety you’ll get. These constant thoughts can affect your ability to have enjoyable sex in the future. You’re too busy thinking about what could go wrong or your partner’s “judgment” than focusing on the fun and pleasure of the moment.

But these thoughts are coming from somewhere… so what can spur these anxieties?

Society’s views of sex

Consider the term “performance anxiety.” Even the wording of that is stressful!

Socially, we’ve started to think of sex as a “performance.” This puts a lot of pressure on the act. It reminds us of public speaking or playing in the Super Bowl; we feel like we’re expected to have grand performances in the bedroom.

Moreover, masculinity standards can put a lot of pressure on sex. When boys start entering “adulthood,” they’re quickly taught that having sex makes them cool. We continue to watch movies and TV where the “cool” guys get the girls and have amazing sex. This starts to condition the brain that sex equates to masculinity.

As a society, we’ve transformed sex from something intimate and pleasurable to something competitive and goal-oriented. Thus, if something “goes wrong,” we can start to feel emasculated or anxious about ourselves.

Porn

Porn adds another layer to this idea of “performance.” Pornstars are literally putting on a sexual performance. Everything has to look perfect in porn. That can make us normal folks—without special lighting and editing equipment—feel a little anxious.

Watching a lot of porn can actually even cause erectile dysfunction due to insufficient real-life sexual arousal, issues of low self-esteem and confidence, and less visual and auditory stimulation. Learn more about porn-induced erectile dysfunction here.

Past negative experience

Negative Experience Performance Anxiety
Like any sort of “trauma,” our minds can build negative associations. If something happened in a previous sexual experience, you might consciously or subconsciously take this event with you into your other experiences.

For example, you had one instance of premature ejaculation with your partner for some reason. Or you had a week where you couldn’t seem to get an erection. You might be embarrassed by your “inability to perform.” You can then start convincing yourself that you have a “problem” and that you’ll never be able to please your partner again.

This is especially exacerbated if a negative experience happens and the partners don’t communicate about it. This can cause men to start overthinking the experience, often undermining their own masculinity and confidence in tandem.

Confidence or self-esteem issues

Specific sexual instances can cause men to lose confidence in the bedroom. Other confidence or self-esteem issues can make a man feel anxious to get naked or please his partner. For example, a man may have body issues because he’s slightly overweight or he’s insecure because he has a large mole near his penis.

Again, these confidence concerns often stem from a lack of communication with the partner. More often than not, these are perceived self-esteem issues not based in reality.

Medical concerns

While performance anxiety is often psychological, these psych concerns can stem from physical problems as well. There are some unrelated medical problems that inhibit your ability to have sex. For example, a man may have diabetes, which shows a secondary symptom of erectile dysfunction.

When a man has these physical concerns, he might start thinking something is “wrong” with him—rather than thinking of his ED as a medical concern. This can then lead to negative self-talk and confidence concerns, ultimately lending itself to performance anxiety.

Desire to please

Sometimes performance anxiety can come from a positive place but have a negative impact. You might worry about pleasing your partner so much that it actually becomes debilitating. You start overthinking about how to “perform” in a way that will excite them, and you end up not having any fun or pleasure yourself. If you don’t feel that excitement yourself, your brain won’t signal your body to physically prepare to have sex. If you aren’t feeling sexy, your body won’t be able to have sex.

Negative feedback loop

All of these physical and psychological concerns can mix to create a negative feedback loop, potentially causing a man to spiral down into severe performance anxiety.

The cycle looks something like this:

  1. Something happens that causes you to feel you didn’t perform “at your peak” during a sexual experience.
  2. You start thinking about that sexual experience and wondering what happened.
  3. This overthinking begins to cause you to wonder if you have some sort of “problem.” This can make you feel emasculated and unconfident.
  4. Thinking about this “problem” causes the problem to manifest itself. You can literally talk yourself into not being able to perform.
  5. This causes further problematic sexual encounters.
  6. This causes even more anxiety, which can push your body into a physically unhealthy state of high stress, low testosterone, and high blood pressure.
  7. In turn, these concerns create a physical performance issue.
  8. So you can’t perform again because of a physical problem.
  9. And then the negative self-talk starts again.

It causes a vicious cycle of psychological and physical concerns.

This cycle can be hard to break when you’re in it.

But you can break it…

And you can start breaking it right now!

 

How do you overcome performance anxiety?

Stop thinking of sex as goal-oriented

Sex performance anxiety
Sex is not about putting on a performance. Sex is not even about having an orgasm. It’s about pleasure and intimacy. It’s about connecting with your partner in an intimate—and very enjoyable—way.

Try having sex without worrying about an orgasm. Tell your partner that you want to focus solely on foreplay. This can relieve some of the pressure and give you time to better explore one another. This can help overcome some mental hurdles moving forward.

Stop judging yourself.

Masculinity does not mean you are perfect at sex. Sex is an important part of life—but it’s not an important part of your identity.

If something happens, don’t start telling yourself you have a “problem.” Realize the event for what it is. Maybe you’d had too much to drink. Perhaps you were stressed from work. Maybe you have an underlying medical concern to chat with your doctor about. Stop overthinking or misplacing meaning to a sexual event.

Remind yourself how awesome you are.

Stay positive performance anxiety
There is power in positive thinking. Stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself you’re amazing in bed. Tell yourself that you’re a sex god. Whatever phrases work to get you excited, happy, and goofy. Just like you can talk yourself into having performance anxiety, you can talk yourself into having sexy confidence!

Moreover, think of all the sensual moments in your life. These moments can be during sexual or romantic. They should remind you of your sexual prowess and the amazing feelings you had during those exciting moments. This reminder can instantly renew your sexuality and help remind you of your abilities.

Eliminate external stressors.

Performance anxiety can stem from other anxieties and stresses as well. If you’re feeling stressed, your cortisol levels will rise, which increases blood pressure and inhibits testosterone production. You may not even feel stressed, but it could manifest itself in the bedroom and impact your sexual health.

Consider what stresses you have in your life. Find ways to manage the anxiety and environment around you. Take proactive steps to reduce stressful triggers around you.

Take time to relax.

relax performance anxiety | Gapin Institute
Sometimes you can’t avoid stress. But you can mitigate or reduce it. Take time to calm your overall body, and your sexual health will calm in tandem. Try yoga and meditation. Try mindfulness techniques. Do breathing exercises, which help regulate heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and decrease muscle tension—which all put your body in a better state for sex.

Working out is a great way to relax and release nervous energy. It also increases your testosterone levels and lowers your cortisol, which can help overcome erectile dysfunction. Exercise can also make you happier and healthier overall, so you’re less likely to fall into stressful situations like sex-related anxiety.

Check out: 9 Exercises To Beat ED And Have Better Sex

Communicate with your partner.

Communication is key to overcoming performance anxiety. No matter the cause of your anxiety, talking about it with your partner can release some of the tension. Often, your partner can help reduce some of your concerns by telling you how they view the situation. Honesty allows you to work together to manage and overcome the situation.

Plus, opening the lines of communication can allow you to try new things with your partner. For example, you might want to tell your partner that you’re feeling anxious about performing, so you want to try having sex without orgasm. There will be no expectations for you to finish because you talked about it ahead of time.

Get a little kinky.

Get Kinky, Performance Anxiety | Gapin Institute
Now that you’ve opened the lines of communication, try new things. If you don’t have erectile dysfunction and can still ejaculate in other situations, it likely means you’re in some sort of anxiety-ridden “rut” with your partner. Share your fantasies or try out new moves.

Breaking a routine with new experiences can help overcome anxiety. You’re not “repeating patterns” so there is less pressure.

And remember- if you tried something new and it didn’t work, that’s okay! At least you tried it. You’ll have less stress moving forward with other experiences.

I recommend trying tantric sex. Tantric sex focuses on breathing and mindfulness rather than on the actual physical act of sex. In fact, it’s not uncommon for men and women to orgasm without penetration! This is a great way to get intimate with your partner without worrying about the “performance” aspect.

P.S. Practice makes perfect. The more you have sex, the more confident you’ll be in your abilities.

Avoid drugs and alcohol.

Drugs and alcohol can actually worsen anxiety and lower sexual desire and arousal. Moreover, drugs and alcohol actually unbalance your hormones, which can lower libido and make it harder to obtain an erection.

Reduce your porn watching.

Porn sets unrealistic expectations about sex, which can lead to severe anxiety and performance concerns. It can even cause erectile dysfunction in high doses.

Remember: Porn is edited. You can’t compare yourself to the special effects used in porn filmmaking.

Seek professional help.

Talking to a sex therapist is a discreet and effective way to help you understand where your performance anxiety stems from. They will look at your relationship and sexual history to get at the root of your sexual stressors.

It is not embarrassing to seek professional help. You deserve to have an exciting and vivacious sex life, and a professional will help get you to that point.

You can find quality sex therapists through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.

Change your lifestyle.


Performance anxiety and general anxiety often stems from lifestyle. Diet, exercise, supplements, and health choices all impact your stress levels inside and outside the bedroom.

If you want to overcome anxiety, you need to change your lifestyle.

You can kiss performance anxiety goodbye…

And say hello to the best sex of your life!

Are Low Vitamin D Levels Linked To ED?


Studies have concluded that vitamin D deficiency and erectile dysfunction are strongly correlated. In fact, a study published in Dermato-endocrinology found that men with a vitamin D deficiency have a 30% greater prevalence of ED and an 80% greater prevalence of severe ED compared to men with optimal levels of vitamin D.

But why is this? What’s the link between vitamin D and the ability to have an erection?

More importantly, what can you do to ensure that a vitamin D deficiency isn’t killing your sex life?

What Is ED?

Erectile dysfunction, also called “impotence,” is when a man has difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection long enough to have satisfactory sexual intercourse. This could mean that the erection quickly fades or that he can’t have an erection at all.

Erectile dysfunction has a lot of moving parts. The causes of ED can be varied, which can make it difficult to treat in the long-term. ED can be neurological (brain), vascular (blood vessels), muscular, hormonal, and even psychological. Oftentimes, ED is a vascular problem caused by endothelial damage or inhibition of vasodilation. Basically, this means that the blood vessels are damaged and can’t properly transport blood to the penis (which is what gets the penis hard).  

ED is often a symptom of another underlying disease or concern, like cardiovascular disease or diabetes. In fact, erectile dysfunction is often one of the first and primary indicators of heart disease.

What Is A Vitamin D Deficiency (VDD)?


A “deficiency” of a vitamin means that your body doesn’t have the amount of that nutrient in the body for proper function. A vitamin D deficiency is usually classified as anything below 20 or 30 ng/mL. The Vitamin D Council recommends optimal vitamin D levels between 40 and 80 ng/mL.

Nearly three-quarters of all U.S. teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D. Often called the “sunshine vitamin,” scientists are realizing more and more just how important vitamin D is to overall health. In fact, research has shown that a deficit in vitamin D can be linked to a number of health concerns, from cancer to diabetes to bone loss to heart disease… to erectile dysfunction.

Vitamin D plays a role in the health of:

  • Bone
  • Immune system
  • Muscle function
  • Cardiovascular system
  • Respiratory system
  • Brain development

Did you know: Vitamin D is the only vitamin that your body produces. Your body can’t make other vitamins; it receives those vitamins from foods. But your body can make vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight.

Because of this unique aspect of vitamin D, it’s not always the easiest vitamin to give to our bodies. Eating more of a food won’t necessarily increase our vitamin D levels that much. The process of making vitamin D is a little more complex than other nutrients.

And that’s one reason why so many Americans are deficient in vitamin D.

Most people don’t show signs of vitamin D deficiency… though most people have it. Interestingly, a 2015 study found that 67% of 160 physicians studied had vitamin D deficiencies. Even doctors—who should be the best at watching their health—are deficient in vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) has become an epidemic.

How Are ED And VDD Linked?

A number of recent studies have proven that vitamin D deficiency and erectile dysfunction have some sort of correlation, independent of other risk factors. Researchers have concluded that “a significant proportion of ED patients have a vitamin D deficiency.” Ultimately, as researchers Sorenson and Grant wrote in their 2012 study: “We conclude that VDD contributes to ED.”

This study also found that low levels of vitamin D promoted endothelial dysfunction. Vitamin D has been shown to help improve endothelial function, while a deficiency in vitamin D contributes to endothelial dysfunction.

But what is endothelial dysfunction?

The endothelium is the inner lining of the blood vessels. This basically keeps your blood flowing smoothly and healthily. If there is endothelial dysfunction, there is an imbalance in the vessels, which restricts blood flow. This dysfunction can come from high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, plaque build-up, smoking, or other environmental factors.

In order for you to have an erection, your penis needs to fill up with blood to get “hard.” If your blood vessels aren’t working properly, blood can’t get down to your penis to fill it up. This can cause a vascular-related erectile dysfunction.

Vitamin D has been shown to promote endothelial function. In the opposite way, vitamin D deficiency can actually damage our endothelial system and injure our blood vessels. If your blood vessels are injured, they can’t do their job and get blood flowing to your penis to have an erection.

Moreover, damaged blood vessels can also lead to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, which we’ll discuss below.


Vitamin D also plays a role in nitric oxide synthesis. Nitric oxide is needed to relax the smooth muscles of the penis and open up the blood vessels to allow blood to flow into the penis. NO functions as a natural vasodilator that’s essential to gaining an erection.

Some studies suggest that vitamin D may regulate the synthase or production of nitric oxide. This means that vitamin D could play an integral role in boosting blood flow to the penis. In reverse, a deficiency in vitamin D could mean an inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis. Without NO, there’s no erection. If VDD prevents NO, then an erection is impossible.

How Are VDD And CVD Linked?

Moreover, as discussed, erectile dysfunction is often a symptom of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Risk factors that are associated with CVD are also associated with a high ED risk, like smoking and being overweight. If vitamin D deficiency contributes to erectile dysfunction, scientists have concluded that VDD may also be linked to cardiovascular disease.

Ultimately, vitamin D deficiency is closely associated to both erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

And you don’t want either of those health issues.

So it’s time to get rid of your vitamin D deficiency (because, like most people, you’re probably not getting the vitamin D you need).

How Do You Get The Vitamin D You Need?

As discussed earlier, vitamin D is a unique nutrient. Your body chemically creates vitamin D when it receives sunlight. (Yes, you’re like a plant going through photosynthesis!) In this way, obtaining a healthy amount of vitamin D means committing to lifestyle changes for the long haul.

But these changes are fun, if you ask me!

  1. Sunlight

The best way to increase your vitamin D is to get more sunlight. Exposing your skin to the sun is the fastest and most efficient method of vitamin D consumption.

This doesn’t mean you need to tan or burn in order to be healthy. In fact, you shouldn’t be tanning or burning, which can end up chemically altering your cells and causing long-term problems (like wrinkles and cancer). Rather, you only need a few minutes of unprotected sunlight in order to get your full daily dose of vitamin D. You should then apply sunscreen liberally to ensure you don’t do any long-term damage with the UV rays.


Yes, the doctor is telling you to get out and go surfing, go for a bike ride, or take a walk around the park in the middle of the workday!

A few variables will affect the amount of vitamin D you get from the sunlight:

  • Time of day: your skin can produce more vitamin D if you get sunlight exposure during the middle of the day
  • Location: the closer you are to the equator, the more UV rays you’ll receive, and the easier it will be for your body to produce vitamin D
  • Altitude: the closer you are to the sun, the more vitamin D you’ll make (sun is more intense on a mountain than on a beach, even if the temperature disagrees)
  • Exposure: the amount of skin you expose to the sun affects the amount of vitamin D you’ll produce
  • Skin color: pale skin can make vitamin D quicker than darker skin tones
  • Age: your body’s production of vitamin D naturally slows down as you age
  • Sunscreen: wearing sunscreen can block the UV rays that are transformed into vitamin D
  • Pollution: polluted or cloudy air will soak up more UV rays than non-polluted air, stealing some of your vitamin D potential
  • Glass: glass blocks UVB rays, which are the rays needed for vitamin D production

Generally, I don’t recommend tanning beds to get the vitamin D you need. Often, you need only a few minutes of exposure to get your daily dose of vitamin D. Most indoor tanning bed sessions can cause severe burns and tans with long-lasting consequences.

  1. Supplements

The second best way to get vitamin D is through supplementation. If you don’t live in a sunny area or you don’t want to expose yourself to UV rays, vitamin D supplements are usually a good option.

Different organizations and doctors have different ideas about the correct dosage of vitamin D supplements. The Vitamin D Council recommends about 5,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily; the Endocrine Society recommends about 1,500-2,000 IU per day; and the Food and Nutrition Board recommends 600 IU per day and 800 for seniors. The Food and Nutrition Board is the official recommendation by the U.S. government.

Ultimately, there isn’t a “right” answer just yet on how much you should be taking. But you should definitely not be taking more than 10,000 IU per day. The Food and Nutrition Board even says the maximum dosage should be 4,000 IU per day.


Generally, you should take vitamin D3 as opposed to vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 is not vegetarian, so talk to your doctor if you do not want to take an animal-based product.

You can also take cod liver oil, which contains vitamin D. However, cod liver oil has higher amounts of vitamin A than D. Taking too much vitamin A can be dangerous, so it’s important to maintain a healthy balance when supplementing with cod liver oil.

Vitamin D is fat-soluble. If you take too much, your body can’t easily get rid of it. You don’t want to be swimming in vitamin D, as high doses may cause diseases like MS or prostate cancer. Learn more about the link between vitamin D and prostate cancer here.

Talk to your doctor before adding any supplements to your regimen.

  1. Diet

Although our bodies produce most of our vitamin D, you can still get small amounts of vitamin D with your diet. However, most scientists believe that eating vitamin D won’t provide enough of the vitamin to stay healthy.

Nevertheless, adding vitamin D foods to your diet can help supplement your anti-VDD efforts.

  • Salmon
  • Mackerel
  • Tuna
  • Sardines
  • Herring
  • Raw milk
  • Caviar
  • Oysters
  • Shrimp
  • Eggs
  • Mushrooms
  • Fortified cereal and oatmeal
  • Nutrient-Additive milk (cow and soy)
  • Fortified orange juice

  1. Workout

Working out won’t necessarily give you more vitamin D, but it can help you absorb more of the vitamin D you do get. Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells. This means that the more fat you have on your body, the more vitamin D will be pulled out of use. Thus, people with a high body mass index (over 30) often have lower blood levels of vitamin D.

If you are carrying some extra pounds, you could be sabotaging any vitamin D regimen you try to implement. Moreover, being overweight is also strongly linked to erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

If you want to lower your vitamin D deficiency and minimize your risk of ED and other serious diseases, it’s time to lose some of the weight.

Struggling to lose weight and feeling overwhelmed by health concerns? Learn about metabolic syndrome here.

The Bottom Line

Vitamin D deficiency is a common concern throughout the U.S. This deficiency can cause a number of serious health concerns, including erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

But thankfully, a deficiency is easily solvable—by adding more of that vitamin into your body! By getting more sunlight, adding vitamin D supplements, and changing your diet and exercise, you can lower your risk of vascular problems and ED in no time.

Are you ready to finally balance your health?

Are you ready to get back to that energetic vigor of your youth?

Of course, you are!

Sign up for the Male 90X program right now!

This genetic-based report and private consultation will get you started on the steps of total body transformation to realign every aspect of your health and wellness.

What are you waiting for? Get Male 90X now to start living the life you deserve!

9 Exercises To Beat ED And Have Better Sex


It’s time to get physical! If you want better “physical fun” in the bedroom, you need to improve your daily physical activity outside the bedroom as well.

Are you one of the 30 million men suffering from ED? If so, you may be feeling trapped or suffocated in your sex life. You can’t get or maintain an erection like you used to, which can hurt your confidence, your intimacy, and even your relationships. You might be feeling unfulfilled or unsatisfied. There may be a loss of intimacy between you and your partner. You may be falling into anxiety or depression, or you may have trouble getting your partner pregnant.

Many men think popping a blue pill will do the trick. In reality, these only mask the symptoms without getting to the root causes of your ED or related complications. Plus, they often have more side effects than benefits!

But thankfully, you can overcome ED in a natural and effective way… with exercise!

Why exercise for ED?

Exercise can help treat almost all causes of ED. This makes it the ideal addition to any ED treatment. I like to call this solution: “sexercise.”

ED has 8 main causes. Physical activity actually addresses each cause in some way or another.

1. Stress and anxiety

Stress and psychological problems is one of the most common causes of ED. Working out has been shown to lower stress, reduce cortisol levels, improve mood, and increase endorphins (the “happy” chemical in your brain). According to the American Psychological Association, exercise betters our body’s communication system between all of our organ processes and functions. The more sedentary we are, the less efficient our bodies are at communicating and responding to stress. In this way, exercise is crucial to both the body’s physical and mental reaction to stress.

2. Obesity

Obesity is a significant risk factor for erectile dysfunction. The only treatment that works to overcome obesity-related ED is weight loss. Exercise is crucial to any diet and weight loss plan. You need to stay active to burn calories, shed fat, build muscle, and maintain a normal body weight.

3. Cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol

Exercise improves heart health and improves oxygenated blood flow throughout the body. Benefits of regular exercise on cardiovascular risk factors include: increase in insulin sensitivity, increase in good cholesterol, reduction in bad cholesterol, reduction in blood pressure, and reduction in body weight. Exercising regularly is the best way to take care of your heart and blood.

4. Relationship concerns

Communication problems in your relationship can cause erectile dysfunction. But research suggests that working out together can actually improve your overall relationship by increasing your happiness, boosting romantic attraction, enhancing support, and increasing emotional bond. Exercise also helps better overall health, which makes for a healthy relationship in tandem.

5. Confidence concerns

Men suffering from ED due to “performance anxiety” often have low self-confidence or a negative view of their body. Studies have shown that exercise can enhance attractiveness and increase energy levels, where participants rate themselves as higher on positive perception of self. Those men who were working out consistently considered themselves more desirable and were thus able to perform better sexually.

6.  Sleep deprivation

A lack of sleep—with regards to both quantity and quality— has been linked to erectile dysfunction. In fact, a 2016 survey found that 65% of men who came in with sleep apnea (a sleep disorder) also had symptoms of erectile dysfunction. Working out regularly can improve your quality of sleep and help you fall asleep faster. In fact, exercise is the most effective natural cure for insomnia.

7. Hormonal imbalance

There is a link between low testosterone and erectile dysfunction, though it still calls for further exploration. Nevertheless, we know that a severe imbalance of hormones—like too much cortisol and estrogen with low testosterone—can negatively impact sexual performance. Exercise has been shown to help balance out hormone production, raise testosterone, and lower cortisol and estrogen. Basically, exercise can help put your hormones in a sex-friendly state.

 

8. Nitric oxide

It’s also important to note the link between nitric oxide and exercise. Nitric oxide (NO) is the chemical that opens up the blood vessels (vasodilation) in the penis and relaxes the muscles in the pelvis. After an erection, your nitric oxide levels will naturally decrease to signal to your body that it’s time to stop having an erection. NO basically controls your erections; you need an appropriate amount of nitric oxide in order to have and maintain an erection for any period of time.

Almost every type of exercise is proven to increase the production of nitric oxide. This is because exercise forces the blood to pump harder, so the blood vessels must dilate to handle the pumping blood; this exercised-induced vasodilation then helps produce more nitric oxide. The reverse is true as well; nitric oxide can help improve physical endurance and performance. This helps create a positive cycle to quell erectile dysfunction symptoms.

Overall, exercise increases energy, tones muscle, and burns fat. This improvement in overall health can help combat the typical causes of erectile dysfunction. Study after study has proved that physical activity is linked to sexual vigor. Not only does it improve your erectile dysfunction, but it can also improve your flexibility, endurance, and performance in the bedroom…

So what are you waiting for?

Below you’ll find the 9 easiest exercises that will improve your ED symptoms and sexual health—and you can do them today! No equipment and no experience needed.

1. Kegels

Kegels aren’t just for women. These exercises are actually one of the best ways to regain your overall sexual health since they target the pelvic muscles. The pelvic muscles contract around the testes and base of the penis during sex, contributing to the “hardness” of the erection. Kegel exercises can strengthen two key muscles: the pubococcygeus (PC), which is the muscle that stops the flow of urine, and the perineal muscles, which is the muscle that supports erectile rigidity and ejaculation. Overall, the strength of these muscles impacts erections, sexual experience, ejaculation, and bladder.

Like all of our muscles—these pelvic muscles tend to get weaker with age. This weakness means the muscles can’t contract enough to help the penis “stand up” and have an erection, thus contributing to erectile dysfunction.

But all muscles strengthen when you use them. Think of lifting: the more often you curl a dumbbell, the more your bicep grows. The same is true of the pelvic muscles. The more you use them, the stronger they’ll bebe. Kegel exercises are like lifting but for your penis. The stronger your sex muscles, the better you can control your erections and sexual endurance.

Note: This also means that the more you have sex, the stronger your pelvic muscles; the stronger your pelvic muscles, the better your erections and sexual health. So, if you have just mild ED and can still have sex, this doctor says to do it… and do it often.

So how do you use Kegels to strengthen the pelvic muscles and get back in the game?

  1. You shouldn’t stop the flow of urine while peeing. This can cause infection and bladder problems. But stopping mid-flow onvr can help you get used to the feel of these muscles.
  2. You want to try to squeeze and tighten these pelvic muscles.
  3. Try not to tighten the surrounding muscles. Focus on the PC muscles. Be aware not to tighten your abs, butt, or thigh.
  4. Start with 5-second squeezes. Squeeze for five seconds, then relax.
  5. Do 10 to 20 reps of 5-second squeezes.
  6. As you get more comfortable, increase the length of the squeezing and number of reps.
  7. Be sure to breathe as normal. Don’t hold your breath.
  8. Do a set of reps two to three times per day.

The best part about Kegels is that you can do them anywhere at any time. You can do them while on the floor, in bed, during a commercial break, or even sitting at your desk at work.

Try it right now as you read the rest of this article!

2. Aerobic Exercise

A number of studies and reviews have concluded that aerobic exercise can help improve ED by boosting blood flow. When working out, your heart is pumping faster. This “clears out” your veins from buildup and blockages caused by obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease (which all contribute to by ED).


Furthermore, research presented in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that aerobic exercise of moderate intensity for 5 to 7 sessions per week for 12 weeks increased nitric oxide levels by 32%. Remember that nitric oxide is what pushes blood flow into the penis for an erection and relaxes the penile muscles to allow for stiffness.

A 1990 study reported that aerobic exercise overall:

  • Increases levels of sexual intimacy
  • Improves sexual function
  • Creates more satisfying orgasms
  • Boosts energy levels
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Improves muscle tone
  • Reduces body fat
  • Improves self-image
  • Betters sleep

What kind of aerobic exercise should you be doing? Anything that gets your heart rate up! This could be running, using the elliptical, rowing, swimming, or dancing. Even good, old-fashioned walking has significant health benefits. In fact, a Harvard study found that brisk walking 30 minutes per day had a 41% reduction in the risk for erectile dysfunction. I usually recommend avoiding biking, as that can bring with it other concerns for male sexual health.

Whatever aerobic exercise you choose—get sweaty and get your heart rate up!

3. Lifting & Squats

Aerobic exercise can help burn fat and improve ED symptoms, but you shouldn’t neglect your weight training as well. If you are also suffering from symptoms of low testosterone levels, I always recommend men with low T stick to high-intensity interval training. This is because HIIT weight lifting can drastically spike your testosterone levels in the short- and long-term. This, in turn, improves workout performance, burns fat, builds muscle, and heightens the libido.


Although low testosterone and erectile dysfunction are not the same, data suggests they are linked in some way. If you have low testosterone, you won’t have interest in sex; and not having sex means your penis goes unused, which can eventually weaken the pelvic muscles and cause ED. Furthermore, low libido can often cause psychological or relationship concerns that can exacerbate erectile dysfunction. ED is just one part of the equation of men’s sexual health.

Thus, it’s time to get lifting! Not only will it boost your testosterone, but HIIT weight training will also get your heart pumping (like aerobic exercise). Lifting can regulate your hormones, boost your metabolism, and improve weight loss efforts—all of which are vital to erectile function.

My favorite move is the squat. Squats are one of the best exercises because they work a number of large muscle groups at once. The more you’re working, the more benefits you’re getting. Squats are resistance exercises, performed in intervals, with high intensity—the perfect combo for boosting testosterone levels. Plus, squats improve blood flow to the pelvic region. The more blood flow near the penis, the easier it is to gain an erection.

 

4. Yoga

Yoga is one of my favorite cures for ED and sexual health. A study of a 12-week yoga program found “significant improvement” in sexual scores for men with an average age of 40. They had improvement in: erections, desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, ejaculatory control, partner synchronization, and orgasm.

Countless studies prove yoga has benefits relating back to a number underlying causes of ED. Overall, yoga can increase quality of life by enhancing muscular strength, improving cardiovascular function, improving sleep patterns, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, and more. Relaxation is the key here; the intense relaxation that comes from yoga actually helps improve blood flow and oxygen circulation in the blood, which in turn improves organ function (like the sex organs and muscles).


Moreover, certain yoga poses boost blood flow to the penis and work those pelvic muscles. I like to think of these yoga poses as a “wake up call” to your penis, by stimulating the vessels and muscles around it.

Below you’ll find my favorite yoga poses for improved sexual health.

5. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)

The “seated forward bend” is easy and comfortable, relaxing the pelvic muscles and promoting blood flow to the hips and penis. It’s also great for reducing stress in a pinch.


How to do:

  • Sit on a yoga mat or blanket with your legs in front of you.
  • Keep your upper body long and straight.
  • Lean forward from the hips, moving your chest towards your knees.
  • Lengthen your tailbone as you reach down towards your feet.
  • Reach as far as you can. Extend and grab your feet if possible. If not, go as far as you can for a comfortable stretch. You can also use a yoga strap around your feet for a deeper stretch.
  • Hold the post for 1 to 3 minutes and then release.

6. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

The “standing forward bend” or “intense forward-bending pose” helps with anxiety and stress, while also stimulating organs in the abdomen (including the sex organs). Tradition even says that this pose is so beneficial for sexual health that it can actually help with male and female infertility.


How to do:

  • Stand with your hands on your hips.
  • As you exhale, bend forward from the hips.
  • Keep your back straight as you bend forward. Lengthen the torso as you bend.
  • Keep your knees straight. A soft bend is okay for newbies.
  • Bring your fingers down towards the floor.
  • If you can’t reach your feet with your hands, cross your forearms and hold your elbows. You can swing gently.
  • Relax into the pose for 1 to 3 minutes.
  • As you inhale, focus on lengthening and straightening your spine. As you exhale, relax deeper and fuller into the stretch, letting gravity pull you down.
  • Avoid straining your neck or back. You should be able to nod your head yes and no while in the pose.

7. Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose)

The “butterfly pose” or “bound angle pose” stretches the inner thighs and groin. It opens up the hips and pelvis in a way that stimulates the prostate gland, bladder, kidneys, and abdomen.


How to do:

  • Sit upright with your legs extended in front of you.
  • Bend one knee at a time while you exhale, pulling your heel inward towards your pelvis.
  • Drop both knees to either side. Press the bottoms of your feet together.
  • Use your first and second fingers to grab your big toes. You can also grab your ankles with your hands.
  • As you breathe, focus on straightening your torso. Imagine someone is pulling up a string that’s attached to your spine.
  • Stay in the pose for 1 to 5 minutes.

8. Janu Sirsana (Head-To-Knee Pose)

The head-to-knee pose helps with flexibility in the lower body while also relieving stress and improving blood flow in the groin.


How to do:

  • Sit on your mat or blanket with legs extended in front of you.
  • Bend in one knee, bringing the heel towards your pelvis.
  • Rest the sole of that foot against your other thigh.
  • Release your knee towards the floor. Support with a blanket if you need to.
  • As you inhale, raise both of your hands towards the sky.
  • As you exhale, hinge from the hips and bend towards your extended foot.
  • Try to bring your chin to your knee. If you can, clasp your hand around your foot. If you can’t, bend as far as you can and hold on to your shins.
  • Stay in this position for 1 to 3 minutes.
  • Inhale and raise your arms overhead to return to sitting.
  • Repeat with the other leg folded in for balance.

9. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)

The “bow pose” stretches your muscles in the groin and thighs while energizing the reproductive areas. Plus, it’ll boost your flexibility—and may make an interesting sex position in the bedroom.


How to do:

  • Lay face down on your mat on your stomach. Your feet should be hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
  • Bend your knees in towards your back, grabbing the front of your feet with your hands.
  • Raise your upper body and pull up on your legs at the same time. Your chest and knees should both be lifted off the floor, while your pelvis stays grounded.
  • Stay in the pose for 20 to 30 seconds. While posing, take a few deep breaths. The deeper the breath, the more it will stimulate your pelvis.
  • Exhale as you release from the pose.
  • Repeat two or three more times.

Bonus: Work out with your partner.

Getting your heart rate up together can help bring you closer to one another. Partners that work out together find that they have an improved sex life in the bedroom as well. This is likely due to improved self-confidence, regulated hormones, endorphin release, and all those great benefits from working out. But, more than that, couples that work out together connect on a physical level outside of the bedroom. This connection translates back into the bedroom nicely. This is especially true for yoga. One study found that “partner yoga may help couples who are struggling with sexual dysfunction.”

Bottom line

You can naturally overcome your erectile dysfunction and improve your sexual health… and it costs you nothing but your time and willingness! The above 9 exercises and poses will put you on a track of sexual health that will make you looking, feeling, and being the most vigorous you in years. Say goodbye to ED (and hello to exercise). 

5 Benefits Of Pomegranate For Your Sexual Health

Is pomegranate the ultimate solution to all of your “sex-drive” needs? What are the benefits of pomegranate?

What if I told you pomegranate could help all of your sexual health problems, from low testosterone and diminished libido to erectile dysfunction to even prostate cancer? This superfood is filled with antioxidants that have proven results to help both men and women have better sex lives. This fruit can increase testosterone levels, improve sperm quality, and increase sex drive and mood.

Pomegranate has three times more antioxidants than even red wine and green tea. Antioxidants are what improve blood circulation, decrease inflammation, reduce the risk of heart disease, and fight harmful free radicals that cause aging, illness, and cancer. Pomegranate antioxidants have even been known to help fight breast cancer.

If you’re looking to improve your sexual health, you need to add pomegranate to your daily lineup. From juice to seeds to supplement extracts, it’s easy to enhance your life with the wonders of pomegranate.

Let’s take a deep dive into the 5 benefits of pomegranates for your sexual and overall health.

1. Boosts testosterone

Testosterone is the “manly” hormone that controls your facial hair, deep voice, muscle growth, and even your sex drive. Low levels of testosterone can become a serious health problem leading to lowered energy, depression, diminished libido, weight gain, muscle loss, brain fog, and more. Women also need testosterone for their sex drive and regulation of estrogen levels.

By the way, low T means low libido… and low libido means a low desire for sex. If you have been losing your interest in sex recently, you may be suffering from low testosterone levels.

I always recommend increasing testosterone levels the natural way before resorting to costly (and often ineffective) testosterone replacement therapies. A daily intake of pomegranate is one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to improve your testosterone.

Firstly, pomegranate is shown to block estrogen production. The Beckman Research Institute in California reported that pomegranate is rich in ellagittanins (ET). ETs convert into compounds that are used to stop your androgens from turning into estrogens. Basically, ET helps lower the production of estrogen.

This is critical to testosterone levels. Too much estrogen can interfere with libido, hurt erectile health, and damage bone strength. Plus, estrogen actually blocks testosterone production. High levels of estrogen actually further diminish T levels to create an unhealthy imbalance of hormones that are destructive to male sexual health.

A study at the Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland found that participants who were given one glass of pomegranate juice per day for two weeks had a 24% increase in testosterone on average. They also saw further results linked to improved testosterone, balanced hormones, and regulated mood:

  • Decreased blood pressure
  • Decline of stress levels
  • Increase in positive emotions, especially self-confidence
  • Heightened mood
  • Lowered feelings of shyness, fear, and sadness

2. Treats erectile dysfunction

It’s important to note that the Queen Margaret study found not only an increase in testosterone levels, but also an increase in positive emotions as well. Stress, anxiety, low self-confidence, and fear are all major causes of erectile dysfunction. This study demonstrated that pomegranate might be able to improve psychological concerns that could cause erectile dysfunction.

Furthermore, pomegranates help address three major causes of erectile dysfunction: restricted blood flow/high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity.

Blood flow

You need proper blood flow in order for your penis to fill with blood and get “hard.” If you have high blood pressure, damaged arteries, or vascular problems, blood flow to the penis can be restricted, thus causing erectile dysfunction. Some studies show that pomegranate juice can reduce systolic blood pressure with “promising acute hypotensive properties.” This lowered blood pressure can help promote blood flow to the penis when it’s time for an erection.

Furthermore, a 2007 study found that drinking 100% pomegranate juice (POM Wonderful brand) actually helped manage erectile dysfunction. 50% of participants who drank the juice saw an improvement in their erections. They concluded that this was due to the high antioxidant content of pomegranates, which can stop free radicals from inhibiting blood flow to the penis.

Additionally, pomegranate is high in vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a crucial role in the production of nitric oxide (NO) by converting nitrites to nitric oxide (NO). Nitric oxide is the chemical that relaxes blood vessels and flexes muscles near and in the penis. This NO process prepares your penis for an erection. A 2005 Italian study found an increase in levels of nitric oxide and a decrease in oxidant damage in all blood vessels after consumption of pomegranate juice.

Heart disease

In a similar “vein,” heart-healthy pomegranates (filled with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals) can open up your blood vessels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Heart disease is another cause of erectile dysfunction and lowered libido. Pomegranates can help lower cholesterol, remove arterial deposits (bad cholesterol), limit inflammation, and encourage blood flow—all lowering the risk of heart disease.

One study found that daily pomegranate seed oil for four weeks improved participants’ ratio of triglycerides to HDL, basically lowering bad deposits and raising good cholesterol. Researchers discovered that half a glass of pomegranate juice and three dates had enough antioxidants to help protect against heart attacks and strokes. A second study also showed that pomegranate juice could reduce bad cholesterol in those with type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.

Obesity

Being overweight can cause erectile dysfunction, lowered testosterone, imbalanced hormones, heart disease, diabetes, and more. Pomegranates also have been shown to help fight obesity by curbing hunger pains and improving satiation levels.

A 2016 study at Queen Margaret found that those participants who took a daily supplement of pomegranate had less desire to eat, were less hungry, and felt more satiated while eating than the placebo group. Researchers hypothesized that this was because of the fruit’s polyphenols (a specific type of antioxidant), which can act as an appetite suppressant.

Plus, pomegranates can help improve exercise performance, helping you lose weight and gain muscle at a faster rate. Pomegranate has a high amount of nitrates, which enhance blood flow throughout the body. This improved blood flow to the muscles can improve exercise performance, efficiency, and endurance. The better you workout, the more your body can burn off that extra flab. Regulated, healthy weight can reduce ED symptoms—and make you more energetic, happy, and productive!

3. Lowers risk of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer affects 11.6% of men at some point in their lives. What seems to be an inevitable disease is actually preventable—and maybe even with a delicious fruit like pomegranate! Recent research suggests, “pomegranate is likely to be valuable for treatment of some forms of human prostate cell life.”

One study looked at the reason why pomegranates may have this effect on prostate cancer. Data suggests that pomegranate extract down-regulates HR which sensitizes cells to DSBs, growth inhibition, and apoptosis.” Basically, pomegranate polyphenols help your cells kill themselves. “Apoptosis” is your body’s natural process where unhealthy cells self-destruct before spreading their “disease” to other cells. When damaged cells don’t self-destruct, they begin to breed and grow into tumors and cancers. Pomegranate extract helps keep this natural process of apoptosis functioning, so cancerous and damaged cells will continue to die off at an appropriate rate.

4. Improves sperm quality

A Turkish study found that rats that drank pomegranate juice had significant increases in healthy sperm. Generally, “healthy” sperm refers to the quantity, movement, structure, and fertility of the sperm. Healthy sperm is more likely to fertilize an egg and create a healthy embryo. If you and your partner are trying to get pregnant, it’s time to start glugging the pomegranate juice.

Turkish researchers also found an increased amount of natural antioxidants in sperm and blood, further demonstrating that pomegranate extract helps to send nutrients directly into the bloodstream to fight against damaging oxidation.

5. Other benefits of pomegranate

Pomegranate also has a number of health benefits that will make your overall wellness significantly better. For example, pomegranate’s ability to fight oxidative stress and minimize inflammation has been shown to fight rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, and swelling. It has also been shown to aid brain health, improve memory, and fight off signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

As we age, our body’s natural processes start to slow down. If you want to stay functioning with optimal health, you need to take care of your sexual, physical, emotional, and mental wellness in tandem. Pomegranates have proven benefits in all of these wellness facets.

How to consume

There are a number of ways to get your daily dose of pomegranate. Pomegranate juice and pomegranate supplements are a popular way to get a shot of healthy goodness.

But be careful. Steer clear of most store-bought pomegranate juice, which tends to be filled with sugar—and sugar can actually make your sexual health worse. If you’re going to buy store-bought, stick to all-natural 100% juice like POM Wonderful.

I like making pomegranate juice right at home, so I can control the taste and consistency myself. Here’s how:

  • Cut open a fresh, organic pomegranate.
  • Scoop out the seeds and place in a bowl filled with water.
  • The seeds will sink to the bottom, and their white goopy membrane will float to the top.
  • Strain the water, which will clean the seeds and remove the membrane.
  • Place the seeds in a blender and blend to a pulp.
  • Strain the seed mixture into a pulp.
  • Add water and agave sweetener to taste.
  • Eat the rest of the pomegranate or use in your cooking!

And don’t neglect pomegranate seeds! They burst in your mouth for a hydrating and sweet snack. If you have a midnight sweet tooth like me, pomegranate seeds are a deliciously healthy way to curb those cravings.

Bottom line

Get back to the sex life you want with boosted T, high libido, diminished erectile dysfunction, lowered risk of prostate cancer, improved sperm quality, higher energy, regulated weight, improved memory, fewer aches and pains, and so much more… all with pomegranates!

Adding pomegranates to your morning routine or midnight snack is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to boost your sexual health and wellness. In fact, you’ll start seeing most of the benefits of pomegranates in as little as four weeks.

What else can you do to upgrade your health? 

Well, you can flip the page on your calendar.

And you can renew your vitality and vigor with a Male 2.0 Consult! Sign up to start living your best life in now!

 

Tracy Gapin, MD FACS is a board-certified Urologist, Men’s Health Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.drtracygapin.com

BPH and Erectile Dysfunction: Are They Related?


Approximately 70% of men with BPH (enlarged prostate) have co-existing erectile dysfunction (ED), according to research presented in The World Journal Of Men’s Health. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that ED causes BPH or that BPH causes ED. It also doesn’t mean that if you have one problem, you must have the other as well. This statistic simply means there’s some sort of connection between the two. But what is the relationship? And what does this link mean for your wellness?

If you’re suffering from BPH and/or ED, you’re likely wondering how this will influence your sexual and urinary health. Wonder no more—the answers are here!

(Well, not all the answers. Still waiting on more research and science for some explanations. But a lot of the answers!)

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when a man can’t get or keep an erection. ED affects nearly 52% of all men at some point in their lives. It can stem from psychological concerns like: anxiety, depression, stress, poor sleep, relationship concerns, or lowered confidence. It also has physical causes like: vascular problems (high blood pressure or poor blood flow), imbalanced hormones, lowered nitric oxide, damage to pelvic area, clogged arteries, and diabetes.

Basically, your brain, blood vessels, hormones, nerves, psyche, and muscles all need to work together to create an erection. If one part of the process isn’t functioning properly, an erection simply won’t happen.

But none of these have to do with the prostate. The prostate isn’t part of the erection process  (it’s part of the sperm-making process)… so why are BPH (enlarged prostate) and erectile dysfunction linked?

What is BPH?

The prostate is the walnut-shaped gland at the base of the bladder that surrounds the urethra. Its primary function is the production of fluid for the semen. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is the noncancerous growth of cells in the prostate, creating an enlarged prostate gland.


Although the prostate function is sexual in nature, the enlargement of the prostate actually upsets the urinary tract due to the proximity to the urethra and bladder. When the prostate enlarges with a benign tumor, it tends to block off the urethra—aka the tube from which you urinate and ejaculate.

This is the first link between BPH and sexual dysfunction. Even though BPH primarily influences the urinary tract, this is the same tract that semen comes out of. This indicates there is also some sort of concern with sexual health and ejaculation as well. But read on for a deeper understanding of this connection…

What are the symptoms of BPH?

The symptoms of BPH tend to be urinary in nature. If you are struggling going “number one” in the bathroom, you may want to get checked for BPH. You’ll often see BPH referred to as LUTS, which stands for “lower urinary tract symptoms.”

Symptoms can include:

  • Feeling the urge to urinate frequently or urgently
  • Trouble starting or stopping urination
  • Weak stream of urine
  • Straining during urination
  • Incomplete emptying of bladder
  • Needing to go excessively at night

It’s interesting to note that there may be a correlation between the severity of BPH symptoms and the risk of other sexual dysfunctions. For example, men with severe trouble going to the bathroom often also find they have reduced sex drive, inability to keep an erection, and lowered sexual satisfaction. One review found that most men who sought treatment for either BPH or ED were actually diagnosed with both conditions.

What causes BPH?

BPH is a common concern for a number of men. In fact, autopsy studies around the world have found prevalence among all men regardless of race or location. The one link is age: 10% of men in their 30s, 20% in their 40s, 50-60% in their 60s, and 80-90% over age 70. The cause of BPH is poorly understood. Because of its prevalence worldwide, it’s concluded that the major cause of BPH is simply age. However, some research has suggested that genetics, insomnia, anxiety, heart disease, and diabetes also play a role in prostate enlargement.

The “causes” of BPH are also causes of ED. This is where the second link comes in. Age, anxiety, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and poor sleep are all proven causes of erectile dysfunction—as they are with prostate enlargement. In this way, the two may not be interdependent—but their root causes are the same.

What are the treatments for BPH?

Typical treatments for BPH include hormone blockers and surgeries. This is where the third link, and possibly the most potent connection, plays a role. The treatments for BPH are proven to impact and potentially cause erectile dysfunction.

Medications

Common medications that are often prescribed for the treatment of BPH are alpha blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. Alpha blockers, such as Flomax, relax the urine channel that runs through the middle of the prostate to ease urination. The 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, such as Proscar and Avodart, influence your endocrine system (hormones) to slowly promote shrinkage of the prostate.

Although 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may improve symptoms BPH and reduce the likelihood of problems related to BPH, they have some potential serious side effects. A study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that the most common side effect for 5-alpha reductase inhibitors was erectile dysfunction. They attributed this to a decrease in nitric oxide activity; nitric oxide is necessary for the blood flow to the penis that happens during an erection.


Another study in Hormones Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigations found that Avodart could worsen erectile dysfunction in men already experiencing some sexual dysfunction problems. Moreover, the study found that Avodart put men at an increased risk for diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Researchers at George Washington University found that finasteride (Proscar) caused a number of sexual side effects including ED, changes in genital sensation, and quality of ejaculate. These side effects could even persist for up to 14 months after discontinuation of use. Proscar has been linked to ED in 3.7% of men who use it, and 3.3% of men report a diminished libido.

Surgeries

One of the most common surgeries for BPH is TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate). The incidence of erectile dysfunction post-TURP surgery is approximately 14%, as reported in the World Journal of Urology.

Overall, it’s widely accepted that surgery on or around the pelvis/prostate can cause erectile dysfunction.

Research has shown that less invasive surgeries for BPH may have reduced risk of ED. For example, TUNA (transurethral needle ablation) has been shown to less likely to cause sexual dysfunction. TUIP (transurethral incision of the prostate) and TUMT (transurethral microwave thermotherapy) also have lower incidence of ED. Nevertheless, any prostate surgery has the chance to potentially cause ED.

What is the link between BPH and ED?


So what does all this mean? Let’s recap.

Enlarged prostate does not cause ED. ED does not cause BPH.

But they do often appear simultaneously. The Survey of the Aging Male found that 60% of men who had urinary symptoms also presented ED symptoms.

There are three major links between these two independent concerns:

  1. Enlarged prostate blocks the urinary tract, which is also where semen is released. This may thus influence the ability to maintain an erection and ejaculate quality semen. Though this is not related to erection quality, it demonstrates a sexual health concern as well.
  2. The accepted causes of BPH are also common causes of ED, such as age, poor sleep, stress, heart disease, and diabetes.
  3. Common treatments for BPH, including hormone blockers and invasive prostate surgeries, often hold erectile dysfunction as the most prevalent side effect.

So what can you do about this? How can you overcome your symptoms of BPH and ED easily, quickly, safely, and effectively?

Do ED medications work for BPH?

Some research has shown—though not definitively—that ED meds may also help BPH. It seems against logic, since ED meds tend to affect the vascular system and BPH is not a vascular problem. Despite logic, ED meds might work for BPH.

For example, tadalfil (Cialis), when taken daily, has been shown to improve erectile function, ejaculatory function, and sexual satisfaction in men showing both BPH and ED. Another study found that ED and BPH symptoms share common pathophysiological pathways that can be treated by tadalafil. This is likely because tadalfil increases cGMP, which is the chemical that both enhances blood flow to the penis and relaxes the muscles in the prostate and bladder. Nevertheless, tadalfil is not an approved treatment for BPH.

 

Image Source: www.healthdirect.gov.au/cialis

However, despite the research, there is still hesitancy to start prescribing tadalfil for all men with ED and BPH. ED pills don’t get to the root of the problem, instead just masking the symptoms indefinitely. This means you will be on pills the rest of your life in order to stay healthy. Moreover, medications often host a number of mild and serious side effects that aren’t worth the trouble, including blood pressure and heart concerns.

You want to get to the root of the problem of your BPH and erectile dysfunction. As we know, the causes of erectile dysfunction are also the shared causes of BPH. In this way, fixing the root cause can solve both problems in the long-term.

This means taking a look at your risk factors and making lifestyle changes accordingly. Common causes of BPH and ED that you should consider with your doctor include:

  • Weight (being overweight/obese)
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Medications

Treating symptoms of BPH and erectile dysfunction

If you’re dealing with BPH and ED, you might feel overwhelmed running to the bathroom and unable to enjoy the sexual pleasures of life. And lifestyle changes take time. Below are a few tips to reduce your suffering in the meantime, while you attack the root causes of your ED and BPH problems.

  • Reduce your intake of fluids, especially after dinner. This will help reduce the urge to urinate throughout the night.
  • Limit alcohol and caffeine. These are diuretics that increase urine flow.
  • Talk to your doctor about anticholinergic medications like antihistamines and antidepressants. These weaken bladder contractions, so it can be a challenge to control your symptoms.
  • Talk to your doctor about blood pressure or heart medications, which are usually diuretics.
  • Avoid medications that stimulate your muscles, like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and other decongestants.
  • Clear the path from your bed to the bathroom so you don’t hurt yourself in the middle of the night.
  • Always use the bathroom when you feel the urge.
  • Eat an ED-fighting diet.
  • Exercise! Sweating can help reduce the urge to go to the bathroom. It can also help maintain a healthy body weight, reduce stress, and lower anxiety—all of which may be causing your BPH and ED.
  • Get more vitamin D, which is linked to prostate health.

Bottom line

Enlarged prostate and erectile dysfunction are linked, often presenting signs at the same time. If you’re suffering from urinary and sexual symptoms, it’s time to talk to your doctor. Be sure to discuss how your treatment for BPH will influence your ED and vice versa.

You don’t need to run to the bathroom. You don’t need to shy away from sex. It’s time to take control of your health.

Take power over your health and vitality right now by checking our Male 90X program. With this genetic-based report and private consultation, your sexual and overall health will be completely renewed and revolutionized. 

8 Fun Ways To Naturally Increase Your Libido


Wouldn’t it be nice if it were fun to naturally increase your libido? Guess what? It can be!

Having a low sex drive and libido can be incredibly frustrating. No matter how much you want to have sex, your body still doesn’t want to have sex. A low libido can make you feel tired, anxious, stressed, and even emasculated. You need sex for a happy and healthy life.

But you don’t have to deal with a low libido. There are a number of ways to naturally increase your libido that will have you as horny as a teenager once again! (Well, maybe not that much.)

In this article, I’m focusing specifically on the easiest and most fun lifestyle changes that will help increase your libido. The conventional method of testosterone replacement therapy can work… but it’s not the ideal first solution for most men. There are other ways to start regaining your sexual vigor without costly, time-consuming, cumbersome therapies.

But first—what’s libido?

Libido 101

“Libido” is a fancy (medical) word for sex drive. Your libido is simply your desire to have sex. If your libido is high, you’re incredibly interested in sex. If it’s low, sex isn’t a priority or it may seem like a nuisance. Libido generally relates to a consistent pattern of sexual desire. Not wanting to have sex for one week does not mean you necessarily have a low libido; not wanting sex for two months may signal a concern.

If you’ve never suffered from low libido, you might be thinking, “There are people who don’t want to have sex?” But anyone who has experienced low libido will tell you just how frustrating and challenging it is. Men with low libido still usually want to have sex in theory, but their body doesn’t have the energy or physical desire for the act.

Despite the fact that libido is linked with the mental idea of “desire,” libido is actually not solely psychological. It’s also highly physiological, biological, emotional, and even social. And it’s important to note—for yourself and your partner—that libido often isn’t even linked to sexual arousal. You can be highly aroused by your partner and still not have the physical desire to have sex. This is because libido can be caused by stress, illness, anxiety, relationship concerns, low testosterone, and other unrelated concerns.

Low libido and ED

Before we discuss the causes of low libido, let’s get one thing straight: low libido is not the same as impotence or ED. You can have low sexual desire and still be able to get an erection, and you can have high libido and not be able to get an erection. Although research has shown there is a correlation between low testosterone and erectile dysfunction, the two do not seem to be causal. You can have one without the other.

This is important to keep in mind when treating your concerns. If you have low libido, erectile dysfunction medications like Viagra won’t help raise your libido. They won’t make you want to have sex more, and they won’t influence your testosterone levels. Even worse, these ED meds can actually have unpleasant side effects that might harm your sexual and psychological health, which can potentially reduce your libido further.

The reverse is also true. If you have erectile dysfunction, boosting your libido won’t necessarily solve those concerns. You could do all of the fun activities on this list, but you still won’t be able to attain an erection with ED. In that case, you’ll want to look for natural ways to address your ED.

Causes of low libido

Where does low libido come from? You should understand the basic causes to help treat your low libido appropriately.

1. Low testosterone

If your testosterone levels are below 350 ng/dL, you are likely feeling the symptoms of “low testosterone.” Testosterone is the key hormonal driver of libido. Testosterone is that “manly” hormone that makes you want to work out, have sex, eat hamburgers, and watch football. Well, that’s not true, but testosterone is the number one driver of sexual interest. In fact, even women need an appropriate amount of manly testosterone in order to be turned on for sex. That’s actually one of the reasons men and women kiss—the male’s saliva actually transfers testosterone to the female to get her ready for sex!

If your testosterone is low, you won’t feel that natural hormonal horniness. Instead, you’ll feel lethargic, anxious, depressed, and stressed. You may notice weight gain, brain fog, and a loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy. Low testosterone can influence your entire wellbeing—including your sexual prowess. Learn more about how to naturally increase your testosterone here

2. Psychological concerns

Anxiety and depression are key contributors to low libido. Depression causes you to lose interest in all of your normal activities, including the sex you once enjoyed. Moreover, medications for anxiety and depression often have side effects that can lower testosterone and libido levels.

Stress is also a key contributor in sexual desire. Stress creates cortisol, which kills testosterone levels. Cortisol both blocks the production of testosterone and binds to free-floating T, creating significantly reduced testosterone levels. This increase in cortisol and decrease in testosterone has been shown to directly influence sexual vigor, desire, and ability.

3. Weight 

If you’re holding extra weight, you’re also holding extra estrogen and cortisol. Excess estrogen stores fat and stops the production of testosterone. This leads to lowered testosterone levels, which, in turn, leads to more weight gain. This creates a vicious cycle of low T, low libido, and overweight unhappiness. If you’ve been racking on the pounds recently, you’ve likely also been met with a lowered sex drive.

4. Age

Testosterone levels naturally decrease as you age. Hormonal imbalances become more common as the number of candles on the birthday cake increases. Although low T levels are (sort of) a natural part of life, it doesn’t mean it’s not conquerable with the right lifestyle changes.

5.  Medications

Certain medications have side effects that can lower libido and testosterone. These include:

  •      Anti-depressants (SSRIs)
  •      Antipsychotics
  •      Beta-blockers
  •      Opioids
  •      Blood pressure medications
  •      Heart disease medications
  •      Diabetic treatments (insulin)

6. Prostate cancer treatments

Prostate cancer itself often doesn’t cause low libido, but its associated treatments and concerns can. Chemo and radiation for prostate cancer infiltrate the pelvis, which can often upset T levels. Surgery for prostate cancer can damage nearby nerves, which may have an influence on libido and impotence. Moreover, prostate cancer can create anxiety and depression in many patients, which can further lead to reduced sex drive and low libido.

7. Sleep problems

Studies have shown that sleep and testosterone are directly linked. One study found that sleep deficiencies influence low libido, and another found that sleep apnea may be a cause of lowered testosterone.

8. Unhealthy living

Other causes of low libido include:

  •      Smoking
  •      Alcohol abuse
  •      Drug abuse
  •      Inactivity or sedentary lifestyle

Now that you can better pinpoint where your low libido may be coming from, let’s get into my 8 favorite ways to boost libido in just a few days!

Naturally increase your libido

1. Have sex.

If you have a low libido but still have some desire to have sex, this is the best solution to bringing back your sex drive. Sex works wonders to address all of the causes of low libido and work to naturally increase your libido:

  •      Increases testosterone levels
  •      Boosts self-confidence
  •      Lowers stress
  •      Burns calories (sheds pounds)
  •      Helps you sleep
  •      Increases endorphins and dopamine
  •      Makes you feel 10 years younger

Sex is especially proven at boosting testosterone levels. A 1992 study found that both men and women had higher testosterone levels on nights of sexual activity than on nights of no sexual activity. Another study found that older men who have sex have higher testosterone and better health overall than those who don’t have sex.

Try having sex first thing in the morning. Testosterone levels and male libido are usually highest just after waking up. If you’re suffering from low libido, you may still be interested in having sex after waking up from a restful night’s sleep. Having sex in the morning will also put you on a good path for the rest of the day. You’ll have increased testosterone levels and lower stress that will boost your libido for the remainder of the day. Plus, you’ll walk into work with a glowing smile plastered across your face!

P.S. Don’t forget the foreplay. Foreplay before sex (or throughout the day) can help increase your (and your partner’s) libido. The more you talk about and think about having sex together, the higher your testosterone levels will rise. One study found that even the anticipation of sexual activity boosts testosterone production.

2. Sleep more.

Sex makes you sleepy, and it’s okay to revel in that rest! You need to sleep in order for your body to balance your hormones and produce testosterone. During sleep, your body also replenishes its energy, which contributes to a strong and lively libido. 


Studies have found that sleep deficiencies lead to low testosterone and diminished sex drive. Another study found that men who slept for at least 8 hours had T levels around 500-800 ng/dL, while those who slept only 4 had 200-300 ng/dL of testosterone. There is a direct correlation between hours slept and testosterone levels (and raising those testosterone levels works to naturally increase your libido).

So sleep more. How should you increase your sleep quantity and quality?

  •      Sleep in a cool, dark room.
  •      Turn off your phone and electronics 1 hour prior to sleep.
  •      Exercise and have sex. (Physical activity improves sleep quality.)
  •      Supplement with melatonin, the “sleep hormone.”
  •      Take power naps to increase your energy levels throughout the day.

3. Do something exciting with your partner.

Get your heart rate up with your partner outside of the bedroom as well. Studies show that people tend to feel more romantic and sexual after doing adrenaline-pumping experiences together. This is often deemed “misattribution of arousal,” but I like to call it “sexy fear.”

Basically, people tend to misplace the physiological response to fear as physiological sexual arousal. The two are very similar: shortness of breath, boost in blood pressure, inexplicable energy, high levels of adrenaline, etc.

This has been proven in a number of studies, like the suspension bridge study by Dutton and Aron. This study found that men who walked across a suspension bridge and were met with an attractive female researcher on the other side were more likely to call the woman after the study than those men who did not walk across the suspension bridge. Basically, the male participants attributed their fear from the suspension bridge as sexual arousal for the female on the safe side of the bridge.


Another study by Schachter and Singer found that if a person was physiologically aroused with epinephrine, they attributed that arousal to a recent memory. This demonstrates that people tend to misattribute their physiological feelings. That’s why so many heroes seem to fall in love at the end of an action-packed film, even though they know nothing about each other (well, and also because it’s Hollywood).

What does this mean for you? It simply means that if you and your partner do something exciting and heart-racing, it can help you two connect with a new form of arousal.

Get sweaty together outside of the bedroom to get your adrenaline and energy flowing—and you’ll start to redirect that energy back into the bedroom. You don’t have to jump out of a plane to see the same effects. Go for a walk, go to the gym, dance together, have a pillow fight, or watch a scary movie. If you’re short of breath and a little sweaty, you’re producing adrenaline that can raise your libido in tandem.

4. Do yoga.

Not sure what you should do together? Take a yoga class! Ancient tantric teachings used yoga as a way to heal sexual dysfunction and raise sexual energy. Yoga is a proven way to boost libido in a variety of ways. Firstly, yoga helps relieve stress. This lowers your cortisol levels—and we know that cortisol kills testosterone. This means that a stress-free yogi can have more free-floating testosterone and higher energy levels.

Yoga also helps increase self-esteem. It helps you overcome psychological and mental roadblocks that could be contributing to your low testosterone and libido. Plus, yoga can help burn calories and shed extra weight!

Yoga also increases flexibility and boosts circulation to the pelvis. Basically, yoga “enlivens” your pelvic area. It helps to align your pelvis and head along your spine, so your brain is better connected with your sexual organs. This helps wake up your penis and testes to produce more testosterone and have better blood flow. Some studies even suggest that yoga can treat premature ejaculation.

Oh, and by the way, yoga also helps enhance the female libido. Some women have even reported “orgasmic experiences” during yoga. So do yoga with your significant other as well! You’ll satisfy the #3 “do something exciting together” prescription while also boosting your sexual prowess.

5. Rub on some essential oils.


Massage each other with some libido-boosting essential oils. Sandalwood is often used in perfumes and colognes because it’s a natural aphrodisiac, known for attracting the sexual interest of anyone who smells it. It’s also used to balance and regulate hormone production. Cinnamon oil is another libido booster(use caution with this one – its a hot oil, so remember to dilute and don’t put it in sensitive areas), and it has also been considered a natural remedy for impotence because of its ability to open up the nitric oxide pathway that increases blood flow to the genitals. Other libido-happy essential oils include rose, jasmine, and ylang ylang.

Put a few drops of your favorite essential oil into your deodorant or lotion to improve your hormones and increase your libido throughout the day. You can also dilute these essences in your favorite massage oil for an added boost of sexiness. Even taking a whiff of the essential oil from the bottle can get you going!

6. Eat natural aphrodisiacs.

Diet plays an important role in your hormone levels; what you put in is what you get out. Aphrodisiacs are foods that boost sexual desire and horniness. These include figs, bananas, avocados, and oysters. You’ll also want to consume more vitamin C like oranges, red peppers, and guava; these help boost circulation and increase energy levels.

My favorite aphrodisiac is dark chocolate. There’s a good reason that chocolate is often considered a symbol of desire. Dark chocolate releases phenylethylamine and serotonin, which lift mood, regulate blood sugar, and boost libido. Plus, some studies show that even thinking dark chocolate is sexy can help increase sexual desire!


You should also try adding nutmeg and clove to your foods and drinks. (I love nutmeg in my coffee or tea.) Both have been proven to enhance sexual behavior and arousal in male animals. Just a bit of warming spices and you could be on your way to the bedroom!

And don’t forget to drink water. Dehydration can cause fatigue and lower energy, which dulls your sexual desire instantly. If your body isn’t getting the water it needs, it will start to shut off extraneous processes to focus on those organ functions that are most vital. The more water you drink, the better your sexual function.

7. Take supplements.

Taking supplements may not seem like a “fun” libido booster—but it’s an easy way to start having more fun in the bedroom ASAP. With just a few choice supplements, you can get your libido up and running in no time.

Ginkgo biloba helps improve blood flow to the genitals and can actually help overcome different sorts of sexual dysfunctions. In fact, ginkgo biloba has been shown to treat sexual dysfunction and low libido as caused by antidepressants especially. So, if your low libido or ED is a result of antidepressant medication side effects, a supplementation of ginkgo biloba may be able to get you back on the right track without changing your prescription lineup. Be sure to discuss with your doctor before beginning any new supplement treatment, though.

Furthermore, tribulus is a supplement used in traditional Chinese medicine as an aphrodisiac, and maca root has been shown to increase sexual desire in both the short-term and the long-term.

Talk to your doctor about adding a supplemental plan to your libido-boosting regimen!

  1. Send each other pictures.

Hey, they don’t have to be dirty pictures! A study by Helen Fisher found that when a person looks at a photo of their loved one for 30 seconds or longer, their brain begins to produce dopamine. That dopamine then boosts libido. That’s right, staring at a picture of your significant other can get you going—even if it’s a picture of them in a parka!

Take more time to look at your partner (both in person and in pictures) and you’ll be able to re-ignite new, fiery passion for one another.

Bottom Line

Low libido is a biological, psychological, and social concern. It’s not easily treated, even with conventional testosterone replacement therapies. But you can boost your libido and your energy with a few fun and easy lifestyle changes. By taking the time to focus on your health and your relationship with your partner, you can start living the life you want. You can go back to that “can’t take our hands off of each other” feeling from the start of the relationship. Your libido just needs a little push.

If you want to get your health and your libido back in shape, there’s no better time to start than NOW! Sign up for our G1 Performance Health program to get a comprehensive plan for bettering your sexual and overall wellbeing for a total body transformation.

If you’ve read this article, you want to increase your libido. Now is the time. Sign up for G1 Performance Health!