Did you know that you can learn a lot about your body and how well it works just by paying attention to your penis?
Is true. Often, the penis is treated as if it were a completely independent part of the body, doing its own thing. But once you understand how erections connect to the rest of your body, you can make different choices to improve them.
Because the truth is that your penis reflects what’s going on above. Any problems you’re having with your erection don’t start with the penis itself, they start with your heart and hormones.
How to measure your erection
Not with a ruler! No, when you measure your erectile health with a smart penis ring, you can get a pretty good sense of what’s going on elsewhere in your body. From there, you can take steps to improve In total health, which will also improve your erections.
I like FirmTech’s TechRing for this purpose, since you wear it at night and it monitors nocturnal erections thanks to the built-in sensors. It connects to an app that gives you information about how many erections you’ve had, how long they’ve lasted, and whether medications or diet or lifestyle changes are affecting your erectile health.
Improve your heart, improve your erections
When the penis is erect, it fills with blood. But how strong is your blood pumping? This is a matter of cardiovascular health.
One of the easiest ways to deal with erectile dysfunction is to step up (or start) your fitness program. The goal here is to acclimate your body to increased blood flow, which also stimulates your arteries and veins. This because Damn it An erection first requires blood to flow to your penis. staying The erection requires your veins to compress and trap blood inside. Here’s a breakdown of how erections work.
Diet, lifestyle and medications affect your erections
Your penile performance is also an indicator of other aspects of health – not just fitness levels.
Smoking, for example, blocks circulation to all parts of the body (including the penis). So, even if you work out, it will be more difficult for you to hold on and stay upright if you have a smoking habit.
Some medications also affect your blood circulation (blood pressure medications, diuretics, etc.) while antidepressants – especially SSRIs – change your body’s balance of hormones and neurotransmitters. This makes it harder to get aroused and have an erection at all.
Finally, your diet plays a big role in your erections. Get red meat, which has a lot of saturated fat. This causes fat to build up in your blood vessels, making it harder for blood to flow to the penis. Increase in fiber it helps your erections, and there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that a plant-based diet helps sexual response, arousal and erectile health.
How hormone levels affect your erections
Many hormones work together to orchestrate an erection. These include testosterone, which declines with age, and is the main hormone you probably think of when considering erectile health.
But there are other hormones that can be thrown out of balance, and when that happens, your erection pays the price. Prolactin and thyroid hormone are two of the biggest culprits. And because your body is an interconnected system, did you know that alcohol can suppress the production of hormones – including testosterone?
The best way to get a complete picture of your hormone levels is to have a blood test done at the doctor’s office. If erectile problems are a concern, let your doctor know ahead of time so they can look at the specific hormones involved.
Have healthier, smarter sex
Understanding your body and prioritizing your health is one of the pillars of sexual intelligence. Sex IQ isn’t an estimate of how much you know about sex, but it’s a way of understanding where you are sexually at any given moment and taking into account how that changes over time. I dive deep into all five pillars: embodiment, health, collaboration, self-awareness, and self-acceptance in my book, Smart Sex: How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Get Your Pleasure. Because everyone deserves an amazing sex life and it’s my mission to show you how to get it your sexual pleasure: unapologetically and authentically.
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