Does regular exercise help older men maintain virility?
Exercise, as well as losing weight and kicking the nicotine habit, can make all the difference. Men of all ages tend to overlook the fact that erectile dysfunction (ED) can be an early warning of heart disease and other health issues. Problems with blood flow are the cause behind ED 80% to 90% of the time. In a study at the Harvard School of Public Health, more than 30,000 men, ages 53 to 90, were surveyed about their fitness habits. “Men who exercised regularly and controlled their weight experienced a delay of 10 years before developing erectile dysfunction,” says the study’s author, Eric Rimm. Those who engaged in regular aerobic workouts—such as three or more hours of running or five hours of playing singles tennis—reported a 30% lower risk of ED than men who did little or no exercise. Other markers of risk included heavy consumption of alcohol, being overweight, smoking and watching more than 20 hours of television a week.
