It's not easy being a man. Especially when it comes to sex and performing in the bedroom. Not only are we expected to get erections on command, but we're also constantly shown images of "virulent" men in adult films, mainstream television, and the blockbuster films pounding away for hours, always satisfying women and their partners, and making love all night long. Unfortunately, this isn't typical. And worse, it creates unrealistic expectations, places harmful pressure on relationships, and sets men up for failure. Reality check. Much of our sexual performance is dramatically impacted by physical, psychological, and medical factors. But all is not lost. You can take control and safely and naturally improve your sexual performance and health. Let's use erectile dysfunction, also known as ED, as the example and explore the ways to combat this pernicious male sexual disorder that affects millions of men.

What is Erectile Dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is an exceedingly broad term. It’s most commonly defined as the inability to achieve and maintain an erection rigid enough for penetrable and satisfying sex. How do we begin unpacking this one? Satisfying sex? According to what standard?

The fact of the matter is ED is a medical term used to describe everything from a temporary loss of erectile function to the inability to obtain an erection at all. It’s also why nearly 50% of men experience some form of erectile dysfunction by age 40. More remarkably, nearly 26% of men under the age of 40 experience soft erections or total loss of hard-ons during sex. According to the Cleveland Clinic, most guys have trouble getting and maintaining an erection in up to 20% of sexual encounters. Moreover, erectile dysfunction increases as we age - up to 10% with each passing decade.

What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?

Unbelievably, the causes of ED are as broad as the definition itself. Erectile dysfunction can result from a combination of many factors, including poor blood flow to the penis, nerve damage from prostate cancer surgery, pelvic muscle weakness, anxiety, stress, side effects from medication, psychological conditions or disorders, and overall health trouble. Because there are so many underlying causes of ED, there is no easy solution to prevent or reverse it.

The Key Factors Needed to Create and Maintain a Firm Erection

To better understand why you may be having sexual performance issues, it’s important to first know what’s generally needed for your body to create and sustain a long-lasting erection.

1) Powerful Pelvic Muscles

Your pelvic muscles control your penis. They are responsible for forcing blood into the penis, holding it in, and maintaining a rock-hard erection. Unfortunately, the male pelvic muscles are weak, to begin with, and get weaker with age, resulting in loss of erections, reduced sexual performance, and weak ejaculations. When exercised and strengthened properly, the pelvic muscles create stronger, harder, and longer-lasting erections.

2) Good Blood Flow to the Penis

Harder and longer-lasting erections require more than strong pelvic muscles. The penis needs forceful blood flow and high nitric oxide levels to create rigid hard-ons. Much like the pelvic muscles, blood flow to the penis tends to decrease with age, causing loss of rigidity, erectile dysfunction, and poor sexual performance. Obesity, cardiovascular issues, smoking, and alcohol abuse clog up your blood vessels and make it harder to achieve good quality hards-ons. Eating healthy, exercising, and taking the proper men's sexual health supplements can improve your overall sexual health and blood flow to the penis.

3) Necessary Penile Nerve Sensitivity & Stimulation

Proper penile nerve sensitivity is critical for creating and maintaining strong and powerful hard-ons. The right lubrication before and during sex can be the difference between getting and losing an erection. Exceptional lubrication not only heightens sensitivity and reduces unpleasurable friction, but it also maximizes performance. Moreover, many prostate cancer patients suffer from erectile dysfunction caused by damage to the penile nerves. Vibratory stimulation therapy is effective in improving nerve sensitivity, blood flow to the penis, and treating erectile dysfunction.

What are the best and worst sex positions for men with erectile dysfunction?

Now that we understand what is needed to create harder and longer-lasting hard-ons, let’s explore the best and worst sex positions for men who experience some form of ED during sex.

Positioned for Success - The 5 Best Sex Positions For ED

1) Doggy Style

A classic sexual position. It’s been the subject of songs and jokes for decades, maybe even centuries. It also happens to be one of the best intercourse positions for guys experiencing ED. This position enables you to slow down or speed up the thrusting of your penis while squeezing and engaging your pelvic muscles, and making sure you are getting the proper physical arousal across the head and shaft of your penis. We love watching our penises move in and out, and visual arousal is critical to keeping a rigid hard-on during sex. Most importantly, this is one of the best sex positions to keep you relaxed and allows blood to easily flow to the penis.

WHAT THE DOCTOR HAS TO SAY: According to Dr. Andrew Siegel, Author of Male Pelvic Fitness; Optimizing Sexual and Urinary Health, and Co-Founder of The Private Gym, the best sex position for erectile dysfunction is Doggy Style. "It provides just the right amount of control, physical and visual arousal, and relaxation."

2) Reverse Cowgirl

Reverse cowgirl is visually and physically stimulating with a woman on top facing away from the man. This allows the body to stay relaxed in a prone position and supports strong blood flow to the penis. Not only is reverse cowgirl possibly the single best position to watch full penetration, but it also allows for tremendous friction and gives you the ability to grab, touch and rock your partner on top of your penis while squeezing and engaging your pelvic muscles.

3) Woman on Top

One of the best sex positions for guys experiencing ED is simply referred to as "woman on top." Unlike reverse cowgirl, with this sex position, the woman faces you. This gives you a full view of your partner, allows you to watch penetration, and provides tremendous visual arousal. You are able to see the base of your manhood, your hands are free to provide clitoral stimulation to the woman, and you can relax and enjoy watching the woman's breasts move up and down.

4) Spooning

With your woman or partner in front of you, and you behind, both laying down next to each other, the spoon position allows you to have a maximum body contact. This position allows you to stay relaxed, ensures good blood movement throughout the body and manhood, allows you to touch all parts of your partner’s body, keeps you in control, and provides strong physical and visual arousal. Not only can you watch yourself move in and out of tour partner, but you can also control your thrusting speed while remaining relaxed.

5) Oral Sex

While not typically considered a "sex position," performing oral sex on your partner can be beneficial for the man struggling with ED. Engaging in cunnilingus before intercourse can help you arouse yourself and relax your body. Also, if you begin to experience ED during intercourse, oral sex can allow you to take a break, attempt to arouse yourself, or just simply pleasure your partner. Also, don't forget to introduce high-quality sex toys into your lovemaking experience. They can help you make the most of your time in the bedroom.

The Worst Sex Position for Guys With ED

Now that we’ve explored the best sex positions for guys experiencing ED, let’s now talk about the worst one. Care to take a guess? Your doctor will agree as well. It happens to be the most popular sexual position. Drumroll…

Missionary Position

That’s right! The missionary position is one of the most strenuous and least visually and physically stimulating sexual positions. Missionary places you in an awkward position during intercourse that requires you to support the weight of your entire body, thereby drawing blood away from the penis. In addition to being physically demanding, it does not enable you to easily touch and caress your partner's body or comfortably watch penetration of your partner. Simply put, it is the worst sexual position for people who are concerned about staying hard during sex.

The Chance To Enhance - Prevent & Reverse Erectile Dysfunction Naturally

With the right sexual position, you are more likely to be able to create and maintain a rigid and longer-lasting hard-on. But, there are many things you can do to prevent erection problems and reverse ED naturally and improve sexual performance. Talk to your doctor. Ask for help. Examine and research all treatment options. Train for the bedroom by getting your body in shape. That means to live a healthy lifestyle and focus on your health, stop smoking, minimize alcohol consumption, and exercise all your muscle groups, especially your pelvic muscles. Use your equipment. Have intercourse often. Experiment with the best sexual techniques and positions that help reduce and prevent ED. Learn more about how to fight erectile dysfunction and improve your sexual health and performance.