The penis truly is a remarkable organ. It is the only organ that we depend on to alter its shape, size, and constitution in a matter of nanoseconds.

We ask a lot of the penis, but we rarely spend any time caring for its wellbeing. We just assume that it will continue to perform for us. Unfortunately, the penis’ ability to do its job is impacted by many health factors and - without health care - becomes less effective with each passing decade.

How to Keep Your Penis Health in Top Condition

The good news is that you can maintain a healthy functioning penis throughout your entire life. With a little work, you can even improve your sexual health and performance.

Here are the top ten ways to keep your penis working well:

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Obesity literally steals your manhood and reduces testosterone levels in the body. Abdominal fat converts your male hormone testosterone to the female hormone estrogen. You are also more likely to have fatty plaque deposits, which clog up your blood vessels, including the artery to the penis, making it harder to obtain and maintain a good-quality erection.

2. Eat Smart

Wholesome and natural foods prevent the build-up of harmful plaque deposits within your blood vessels that compromises blood flow to the penis. Poor dietary choices with meals that are calorie-laden and nutritionally-empty create clogged arteries and greatly impact sexual function.

3. Minimize Stress

Stress causes the release of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline narrows blood vessels, which negatively impacts erections. If you ever have experienced “performance anxiety” it was because of adrenaline release in response to nervousness. Excessive cortisol secretion, which helps drives your appetite, causes the accumulation of the bad belly fat.

4. Eliminate Tobacco

In addition to causing cancer, tobacco narrows your blood vessels, impairs blood flow, decreases the supply of oxygen, and also promotes inflammation, compromising every organ in your body.

5. Consume Alcohol in Moderation

In small amounts, alcohol can alleviate anxiety and act as a vasodilator (increasing blood flow) and can actually improve erectile function, but in large amounts it can be a major risk factor for erectile dysfunction.

6. Sleep Well

Sleeping has a vitally important restorative function as your brain and body require this important down time. Sleep deprivation causes a disruption in endocrine, metabolic, and immune functions, resulting in decreased levels of leptin (your appetite suppressant,) increased ghrelin levels (your appetite stimulant,) increased cortisol, and increased glucose levels (higher amounts of sugar in the bloodstream.) If you are exhausted, your penis is going to be weary as well.

7. Exercise Regularly

Exercise has a remarkable effect on sexual function. It reduces stress, improves mood, prevents fatigue, and increases energy. Long term it reduces your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, some cancers, osteoporosis, chronic medical problems, and physical disability. Exercise makes your heart a better and stronger pump, your blood vessels more elastic, and your muscles better able at using oxygen. Exercises that work out the muscles involved in sex—the core muscles, the external rotators of the hip, and the all-important pelvic floor muscles—will improve your performance.

8. Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

The pelvic floor muscles play a vital role with respect to both erections and ejaculation. When you are sexually stimulated, the pelvic floor muscles activate and engage to maintain penile rigidity and a skyward angling erection. These muscles are not only responsible for getting the stimulated penis from a tumescent state (plump with blood) to a state of bone-like rigidity, but also for maintaining that rigid state and for being the “motor” of ejaculation. Numerous scientific studies have documented the benefits of pelvic exercises, known as “Kegels,” in the management of erectile dysfunction.

9. Stay Sexually Active

Use your penis. You can help keep it in good shape by using it regularly. Scientific studies have clearly demonstrated that men who are more sexually active tend to have fewer problems with erectile dysfunction as they age.

10. Maintain A Healthy Relationship

It takes two to tango, so relationship harmony factors strongly into good sexual functioning just as discord and interpersonal issues can profoundly contribute to ED. The mind-body connection is of immense importance to sexual function.

Andrew Siegel, M.D., Urologist, Cofounder of The Private Gym, and author of the highly acclaimed book, Male Pelvic Fitness, Optimizing Your Sexual and Urinary Health.