9 Ways to Improve Sexual Performance

Improve Male Sexual Performance

If you’re looking to go all night in bed, you’re not alone. Men are always looking to enhance their sexual performance, whether to improve existing problems or to search for new ways to keep their partner happy.
While there are plenty of male enhancement pills on the market, there are simple ways to stay firmer and last longer without having to visit the pharmacy.

Heart Health & Sexual Performance
Your penis works on blood pressure. The brain sends signals to your penis, which causes vessels to become engorged with blood. Your heart pumps that blood. When problems arise during this process, the penis can go prematurely limp because the vessels cannot sustain the pressure for as long as you’d like (AHA, 2012). Further complications can include inability of the penis to reach a full erection. You want to make sure your circulatory system is working at top shape.
Basically, what’s good for your heart is good for your sexual health.
Stay Active
One of the best ways to improve your health is cardiovascular exercise. While sex might get your heart rate up, regular exercise can help your sexual performance by keeping your heart in shape (AHA, 2012). Thirty minutes a day of sweat-breaking exercise—running, swimming, etc.—can do wonders to boost your libido and prepare you for the bedroom.
Bonus: Any extra pounds you shed while working out probably won’t go unnoticed.
Food & Erections - Part 1
To go along with your exercise, there are some foods that have shown to increase blood flow to the penis. Some of them include:

Onions & Garlic: While not great for your breath, these two foods help your circulation.

Bananas: This potassium-rich fruit can help lower your blood pressure, which can benefit your important sexual parts and boost sexual performance.

Chilies & Peppers: All-natural spicy foods help your blood flow by reducing hypertension and inflammation.
Food & Erections - Part 2
Here are some more foods that can help you achieve stronger erections:

Omega-3 acids: Found in fish like salmon and tuna, as well as avocados and olive oil, this type of fat increases blood flow.

Vitamin B1: This vitamin helps signals in your nervous system move quicker, including signals from your brain to your penis. It’s found in pork, peanuts, and kidney beans.

Eggs: High in other B vitamins, eggs help balance hormone levels, which can decrease stress that often inhibits an erection.
Reduce Stress
Stress can wreak havoc on all areas of your health, including your libido. Stress increases your heart rate (in the bad way) and increases blood pressure, both damaging to sexual desire and performance. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and improve your health. Talking to your partner about your stress can also calm you down, while strengthening your relationship.
Stress can also trigger bad habits, such as smoking or alcohol consumption, which can harm your sexual performance.

Kick Bad Habits
What you rely on to unwind—smoking and consuming alcohol—could also be the reason your penis remains too relaxed (womenshealth.gov, 2011). While studies suggest that a little red wine can improve circulation, too much alcohol can have adverse effects.
Smoking or drug use? Well, there’s no good reason to do either. Stimulants narrow blood vessels and have been linked to impotence. Replacing bad habits with healthy ones, like exercise and eating well, can help boost sexual health.

Get Some Sun
There seems to be something about summer that revs the sexual engine. Sunlight inhibits the body’s natural production of melatonin, a hormone that helps us sleep but also quiets our sexual urges. Less melatonin means the potential for more sexual desire (UMMC, 2012).
Getting outside and letting the sun hit your skin can help wake up your sex drive, especially during the winter months when the body produces more melatonin.

Masturbation & Longevity
If you’re not lasting as long as you’d like in bed, you might need some practice. While sex is the best way to practice for sex, masturbation can also help you improve your longevity.
However, how you masturbate could have detrimental effects. If you rush through it, you could inadvertently decrease the time you last with your partner. The secret is making it last, just like you want to when you’re not alone.

Pay Attention to Your Partner
Sex isn’t a one-way street. Paying special attention to your partner’s desires not only makes sex pleasurable for them, but it can also help turn you on or slow you down. Talking about this beforehand can help ease any awkwardness if you need to slow down during a heated moment.
Alternating pace or focusing on your partner while you take a break can make for a more enjoyable experience for both of you.

Getting More Help
For some people with serious sexual dilemmas like erectile dysfunction or Peyronie’s disease, pharmaceutical treatments may be needed. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor about how you can improve your sexual performance.
Still, it’s never a bad decision to exercise, eat right, and enjoy your sex life to the fullest extent. For more information about the health benefits of sex, visit Healthline’s Guide to Healthy Sex.