Research shows that men can last longer in bed if they exercise surprisingly little every day
Men who struggle with bedroom problems may be tempted to use medications or mindfulness to improve their sex lives.
But just going to the gym can help you last longer, guys.
That’s according to a new study that shows that just seven minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) per day can reduce symptoms of premature ejaculation in less than two weeks.
This condition is one of the most common sexual dysfunctions in men and is characterized by the inability to delay ejaculation during sex. It often occurs after minimal sexual stimulation.
This problem can prevent their female partners from reaching orgasm, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction in the bedroom, as well as increased anxiety and depression.
A new study has found that just seven minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) per day can reduce symptoms of premature ejaculation in less than two weeks
Researchers from East China Normal University found that it can help men after just 12 days of exercise
Treatment may include using thick condoms or counseling sessions. Some turn to medications such as Viagra or antidepressants, but these can have side effects.
To find out if there was more help available, researchers from East China Normal University recruited 76 men between the ages of 18 and 34 for a study.
Each participant had to have a regular female partner with whom he/she had sex at least once a week.
They were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first practiced HIIT for seven minutes a day for two weeks, which consisted of alternating short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest.
The second group did slow breathing exercises for the same amount of time, while the third ‘control’ group did normal breathing exercises.
All participants completed multiple questionnaires during the study.
Analysis showed that symptoms of premature ejaculation decreased in the HIIT group and in the normal breathing group, but not in the slow breathing group.
However, from day 12 onwards, symptoms were reduced in the HIIT group compared to the normal breathing group.
The team wrote in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology: ‘Compared with the control group, the effectiveness of two weeks of HIIT exercise in reducing symptoms of premature ejaculation suggests it is a potential novel treatment.’
Further investigation showed that attention regulation scores improved in all three groups.
This suggests that, regardless of the intervention, simply focusing on the exercises or breathing may improve men’s ability to regulate their attention – a skill that also appears to be linked to better control over ejaculation.
The researchers cautioned that it is unclear whether these benefits last over a longer period of time and that their study group was limited to younger men.