Why Your Penis Wants You to Break a Sweat

Sure, your body will change when you break a sweat--but so will your penis. Men who consistently work out experience better erectile function than more sedentary guys, finds new research from the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

In the study, men who said they worked out at least 18 "MET" hours per week--that's the metabolic equivalent of task--reported having healthier penises than guys who said they were less active.

MET is a measure of activity that takes into account both the duration and intensity of your workout. Running for 1 hour at a 10-minute mile pace, for instance, would give you a MET score of 9.8. Doing that twice a week would put you over the 18 MET mark.

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It's possible that guys who exercise more may take better care of their bodies than those who don't move as much. So they might visit the doctor more, shun cigarettes, and eat better--all obvious habits that can contribute to overall health and a healthy erection, says study author Adriana Vidal, Ph.D.

But pumping iron may directly pump up your penis, too. Exercising helps your body create nitric oxide, a compound that aids erectile function, says Vidal.

Plus, a lazy lifestyle may cause inflammation and reduce blood flow, especially to your penis. And that, of course, can hamper your ability to get hard.

Related: 8 Simple Strategies for Stronger Erections.

Now, the average age of the men in this study was 63, so they really couldn't hit the exercise intensity levels that a younger guy could reach, says Vidal.

So it's unclear if younger guys doing more than 18 METs could bolster their sexual health even more than the study participants. But if you hit the gym hard several times a week, it certainly can't hurt your cause.

Just remember: While exercise can help your erectile function, you don't want to self-treat with sweat if your member is coming up limp.

Consult your doctor first, says Vidal--those penis problems might signal heart woes, so you don't want to stress a potentially-tanking ticker before you get it checked out.