Exercise & Erectile Dysfunction Prevention

Q: What type of exercise helps prevent or improve erectile dysfunction?

Moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise is recommended: running, fast walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming. Weight training alone does not improve ED and must be combined with aerobics. Pelvic floor exercises have not been shown to improve erectile dysfunction.

Q: How much exercise is needed and how long before I see improvement?

The optimal regimen is 40 minutes of aerobic exercise, 4 times per week (160 minutes weekly). Increasing to 200-300 minutes weekly produces greater improvement. Noticeable change may occur within 2 months, with significant improvement typically at 6 months. Combining exercise with ED treatment produces better outcomes.

Q: Is exercise beneficial for all men with erectile dysfunction?

Exercise benefits almost all men with ED. The exception is men with a history of invasively treated ischemic heart disease, who may have medication constraints and limited exercise tolerance. For all other men, regular aerobic activity safely prevents and improves erectile dysfunction.

Last updated: May 18, 2026

Soarawee Weerasopone, Urologist

Bangkok hospital Headquarter, Bangkok

Samitivej Sriracha hospital, Chonburi

LINE Contact

No one would like to suffer ED

Erectile dysfunction issue is classified as one among the top-ranking topics in my Urology office. While this embarrassing problem severely upset for one whom experienced in this condition, as they always try their best to revive this vital organ from the illness. The most common and easiest recommendation from the physicians are just simple sentence “Please do exercise regularly”. Lots of questions got into patients’ minds that the physicians sometimes inabilities to clarify all answers due to the limited time. This topic will disclose with the evidence-based on medicine.

Urology center Bangkok hospital Thailand Booking online 02-310-3009 bhquro@bdms.co.th
Samitivej Sriracha hospital Chonburi 088-022-1445

Have you ever curious what is the real definition of “Regular exercise”?

Erectile dysfunction preventive strategy Q&A

Question : Who will get benefits from the exercise?

Answer : Everyone will, except the one who had a history of invasively treated ischemic heart disease.

Because a severe ischemic heart disease patient must use drugs regimens that can worsen the erectile dysfunction.
Exertion tolerance problem which cannot be reached the optimum intensity

Patient with history of invasively treated ischemic heart disease is not suitable to do exercise.

Question : What kind of exercise is been recommended?

Answer : Moderate to vigorous intensity exercise

Aerobic exercise – Running, fast walking, jogging, cycling, swimming

Bicycling is one of the recommended physical activities.

Question : Can weight-resistant training also improve erectile dysfunction?

Answer : Weight-resistant training cannot improve erectile dysfunction as mono-modality. It must be combined with aerobic modality which have mentioned above

Swimming is one kind of recommended physical activity.

Question : How about pelvic floor muscle exercise?

Answer : The literatures were firmly said that “NO” any erectile dysfunction improvement from pelvic floor exercise.

Question : How many minutes per exercise session should be?

Answer : The optimal session should be

40 minutes per session, 4 times a week (160 minutes weekly)
***If you can increase exercise sessions to 200 – 300 minutes weekly, it will improve greater than 160 minutes weekly.

Question : How long should I expect erectile dysfunction improvement from the optimal exercise?

Answer : 6 months after regular optimal exercise session

Since the shortest training period which show significant ED improvement was 2 months, then you can prospect to notice something change within 2 months.

Question : Do I need to continue any ED specific treatment while doing exercise?

Answer : The papers showed that when the combination with ED specific treatment, you can prospect the outcome more than exercise sessions alone.

These all the recommended summarized sentences which I always tell my patients.

Regular moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise
40 minutes per session
4 times per week
At least 6 months long

I hope my article can get help you to clarify your doubt in mind, what does the doctors mean? A “Regular exercise”? Any questions, you can talk to your trusted andrologist or it would be my pleasure if you text me.

You can visit my official website here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Exercise and Erectile Dysfunction

What type of exercise helps prevent or improve erectile dysfunction?

Moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise is the evidence-based recommendation for improving erectile dysfunction. This includes running, fast walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming. Weight training alone does not improve ED and must be combined with aerobic exercise to be effective. Pelvic floor exercises have not been shown to improve erectile dysfunction in the medical literature.

How much exercise is needed and how long before I see improvement?

The optimal regimen is 40 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise, 4 times per week (160 minutes weekly). Increasing to 200–300 minutes per week produces even greater improvement. Most men can expect to notice some change within 2 months, with significant improvement typically seen at 6 months of regular exercise. Combining exercise with ED-specific medical treatment produces better outcomes than either approach alone.

Is exercise beneficial for all men with erectile dysfunction?

Exercise benefits almost all men with ED, with one important exception: men who have a history of invasively treated ischemic heart disease. These patients may require medications that worsen erectile dysfunction and may have limited exercise tolerance. For all other men, regular aerobic activity is a safe and effective strategy to both prevent and improve erectile dysfunction.

If you are experiencing erectile dysfunction and would like a personalized evaluation and treatment plan, Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone offers specialist consultations at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters. Book a Consultation.

Disclaimer: This content is written and reviewed by Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone, a board-certified urologist at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters. It is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any medical treatment.

Medically written & reviewed by: Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone (Dr. Pom) — Board-Certified Urologist, Bangkok Hospital Headquarters. International Fellow: Baylor College of Medicine (USA) · Juntendo University (Japan) · Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taiwan).

Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone

Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone (Dr. Pom) is a board-certified urologist at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters, specializing in Men’s Health, Robotic Surgery (Da Vinci System), and Kidney Stone treatment. He has completed international fellowships at Baylor College of Medicine (USA), Juntendo University Hospital (Japan), and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taiwan). All medical content on this site is written and reviewed by Dr. Soarawee based on his clinical experience and international training.