Erections are complicated. Erections aren’t maintained by force of will alone. ED, or erectile dysfunction, can happen for a variety of reasons: when blood flow in the penis is limited, stress or emotional reasons, through poor lifestyle choices, or as a warning sign for a serious illness such as high blood sugar from diabetes. As your body changes, so to do the functions of your body.

Two common factors in erectile dysfunction are being obesity, and lacking exercise. Since ED is frequently recognized as one of the possible warning signs of poor cardiovascular health, making healthy lifestyle choices such as exercise may give your sexual performance a boost, and provide stronger erections. The best type of exercise that has been shown to help with erectile dysfunction are aerobic exercises: walking, running, or swimming.

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Walking? Really! ‍

You’d be surprised how little goes a long way to helping change your life. A recent study out of Harvard showed that walking as little as 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk of ED by as much as 41%. For men who have recently had a heart attack, the stats are even more dramatic, showing daily exercise can reduce ED risk by 70%. ED is frequently caused by problems with blood flow to the penis. Adding aerobic exercises which get your blood pumping to your daily routine can improve your overall health and may lead to improvements in ED.

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Size Matters‍

When it comes to ED, size matters, but not the way you’d think. Your waist size matters. A man with a 42-inch waist is 50% more likely to suffer from effects of erectile dysfunction than a man with a 32-inch waist. While obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and vascular disease are some of the most common causes for ED, excess fat deposits also can affect your hormones such as lowering testosterone levels. Losing and maintaining a healthy weight are two of the best strategies you can employ to avoid, and fix ED, but are not guaranteed cures.

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All studies point to exercising helping with your fight against ED. You’ll look better, sleep better, and feel better. According to one study, your best shot at seeing an improvement in erectile dysfunction is 40 minutes of ‘moderate to intense’ aerobic exercise 4 times a week. You can always start slow, but hard things will always lead to harder things.