Last Updated on 28th September 2023 by Charlie Walsh
If you’ve made it here, chances are you’re one of the millions of men around the world struggling to achieve your ideal erection. Unfortunately, erection problems can happen at any age. The good news is that there are ways to combat this regardless of the cause.
For some men, it’s old age that’s catching up with them. Health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension are common in older men and can wreak havoc on your erection potential.
Sporadic erectile dysfunction can be just as irritating and concerning as ED that slowly builds. Not knowing when the mood’s going to be killed can lead to anxiety that makes it harder to get going in the first place.
Before we dive into how to overcome weak erections, it’s important that you know what you’re working with to make the most out of it along the way.
What Exactly Is an Erection?
As we became men, we learned that an erection is when the penis gets hard through stimulus. This stimulus is a signal from the body to send blood into the penis in preparation of use. A non-erect penis is also known as a flaccid penis.
A soft penis swells up with blood similar to a muscle, but it’s actually the tissue called the corpus cavernosa that gets engorged. The muscles in your pelvic floor are responsible for controlling the flow in and out of the corpus cavernosa.
The stimulation that leads to an erection doesn’t always have to be sexual in nature. Men will average 3-5 erections during their sleep each night in response to brain activity. Physical touch, even just bumping into something, can be enough to trigger a full-blown response and erection with zero sexual intentions.
Once things settle down or orgasm is achieved, the muscles relax and allow the veins to drain the blood from the erectile tissue in the shaft. If you don’t finish, you’ll likely be able to get another erection within minutes. Otherwise it can take up to 45 minutes for some men to be ready to go again.
How Long Can the Average Man Stay Erect?
Erections last from a few minutes up to half an hour, with the average falling closer to the 7-to-13 minute range. Of course this is the average, meaning external factors can impact the duration. Annoying sounds outside, aches and pains, stress, and anxiety are just some of the sources of poor performance.
The focus should only be on how long your erection lasts if it’s impacting your satisfaction. There are many other ways to engage with someone sexually that don’t require an erect penis. Take time and explore what makes you and your partner respond in the right way.
So long as everyone involved leaves satisfied and taken care of, it should be considered mission accomplished. Learning how to stay hard and better control your erections will only further the potential duration, which may not even be necessary.
Let’s say your erections just aren’t cutting it though. The best approach to try and figure out why. If everything is as it should be, an erection should come naturally when aroused. The lack of rigidity and duration in an erection means something’s getting in the way.
Why Do I Keep Losing My Erection?
Problems with your erection can be physical, psychological, or a mix of the two. Physical conditions include:
- Excess weight
- Damaged muscles
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes.
- Heart, kidney and blood vessel disease
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Peyronie’s disease
The impact these have on erection quality will vary from person to person. That being said, always check with your doctor if you’re concerned your ED is the result of one of these conditions.
Psychological conditions that can come with ED as a symptom are best handled by a mental health professional and include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Poor relationships
- Chronic stress
- PTSD
- ADHD
Given the wide range of factors that impact your penile potential, it’s crucial to stay present of changes in your life. Have you stopped eating right? Has your job gotten more stressful? Are you unexpectedly processing old trauma? Just like physical issues, you should reach out to a licensed therapist or psychologist for help tackling mental health-related ED.
Why is my erection not as strong as it used to be?
Even if you’re able to reach old age without suffering from any of the above symptoms, there’s still natural aging you have to fight against. Men’s overall sexual health will decline with age, making ED more likely as we get on in years.
Make sure you’ve ruled out other potential causes for ED with your doctor, as there may be medication or other options available to offer immediate relief of your symptoms.
Another aspect that changes as we age is our tastes. Perhaps you’ve grown tired of the same old routine and need something new to generate the same arousal you felt before. And always make sure you’re in a relaxed environment that lets you forget about the daily stressors dragging your mind away from the matter at hand.
Natural Ways to stay hard longer
Seeking out treatment for conditions that are impacting your erections is vital, but there are other ways you can help regain your old prowess. Improving your sexual health takes time and dedication, just like your physical health. These changes are meant to be long-term adjustments.
Eating a balanced and healthy diet – For starters, eating processed and junk food is one of the easiest ways to start clogging your arteries and reducing your blood flow. Strong circulation is an integral part in achieving full erections that last. Your mood will also improve as you ditch the quick meals and start getting in the kitchen for yourself.
An easy way to start is by replacing your regular snacks with fruits and vegetables. Keep the dressings and dips to a minimum here. Use only as much as is required to get leafy greens from the plate to your stomach.
Getting and staying in shape – Regular exercise can seem impossible for some of us. If you can’t get the motivation, try being active by doing what you love. Even light walks through the woods can have amazing benefits.
Weight loss is also easier to achieve when you’re burning extra calories every day. Lower weight can also reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, both of which contribute to ED.
If you want to target your workout, try Kegel exercises. These exercise the muscles in your pelvic floor, decreasing response time when it’s time to start the flow.
Limit stress and consumption – When you’re unable to stop thinking about the 20 tasks you need to do at work tomorrow or how you’re going to find the money to fix the car, it’s impossible to give enough focus to maintain an erection.
Whether it’s meditation, exercise, or therapy that helps you unwind, make sure to lean into it as much as needed. As you do so, work towards reducing smoking and drinking as close to zero as possible. Consuming either can impact your erection capabilities significantly.
Get help when available – There’s no hiding ED when the time comes to get going but nothing’s happening. Don’t be ashamed. Open up to your partner about what you’re struggling with. This can help ease the tension and bring you closer with them in the moment.
One way you can try to prepare just before the show starts is by stretching and massaging your penis. Not masturbation though. The goal here is to loosen the skin and warm it up so it better receives blood when aroused.
Pump up your penis – As far as medical devices that you can use to maintain an erection go, hydro-vacuum penis pumps are the golden standard. These pumps improve upon the air pressure pumps that could leave penises with bruising and large tears.
Water-based pumps are able to create a consistent amount of pressure around the penis, drawing in blood to help you naturally achieve a full erection.
What is erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction, better known as ED, is a condition that makes achieving or maintaining an erection difficult or impossible. Erections in men who have ED don’t last long enough to achieve sexual gratification, causing a decline in sexual health.
ED is one of the most common health conditions men face, with a majority of men over 70 reporting the condition. Treatment for ED is important as decreased sexual activity can have a negative impact on all aspects of one’s life.
Men with untreated ED can also find that it adds strain to their relationships. While sex isn’t everything, it’s common for it to be one of the key factors in attraction to a partner. Don’t let poor erection quality keep you from living up to your full potential.
For medical concerns, reach out to your doctor to get started. It’s time to get healthy, start stretching or pumping, and get confident again in the bedroom.
