The Sneaky Erection-Killers Hiding in Plain Sight
7:00 A.M. Wake up exhausted
If you’re too busy to snooze, it’s your erection you’ll lose. It’s a terrible rhyme, but the science is airtight. Even in younger men, less than five hours of shut-eye per night could slash daytime testosterone levels by up to 15 percent.
9:00 A.M. Ride your bike to the office
Bicycle seats can kill boners, especially narrow saddles. The pressure on the perineum-the real estate between the anus and genitals-can damage erectile tissue, argues Irwin Goldstein, M.D., director of San Diego Sexual Medicine.
10:00 A.M. Pop pills for a nagging knee
Multiple studies have found that the consistent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like Advil and Motrin) is related to decreased testosterone levels, ED, and loss of desire. See a doc or physical therapist, already.
3:00 P.M. Skip the gym
Activity is an erection preserver, says Helle Gerbild of Aalborg University’s Center for Sexology Research in Denmark. It’s also a reviver: 40 minutes of at least moderate exercise four times a week for six months may improve erectile problems.
10:00 P.M.“Forget” to brush your teeth
If you don’t brush and floss for your smile,
do it for your penis. Periodontal disease can make you more likely to suffer from ED.
10:15 P.M. Watch TV in bed
“Use it or lose it” is true, but it doesn’t take much to see improvement. A 2007 Finnish study found that men who had sex just once a week-compared with, well, men with any amount less than that-were 50 percent less likely to have ED. Three-times-
a-week guys were 80 percent less likely to have it. The blood flow that a boner brings prevents scar tissue that can cause ED.
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