By Wendy Haaf
Researchers have found that exercise works as well as Viagra when it comes to improving erectile dysfunction (ED). While many experts had suspected as much, there’s been scant research to support this belief until now.
In a 2023 study, researchers analyzed the results of 11 randomized controlled clinical trials. Of the 1,100 participants, 600 were assigned to an exercise group (typically 30- to 60-minute sessions, three to five times weekly), while the remainder went about their lives as usual. All enrollees rated their erectile function on a scale of six to 30 on entering a trial and again at the end—the smaller the number, the worse the problem. Not only did exercisers see their scores improve but those with the most severe ED reaped the greatest benefit—a five-point improvement, on average.
That’s in line with the four to eight points that would be expected from oral medications like Viagra and Cialis.
Source: The Journal of Sexual Medicine
