Cardio exercises have long been credited with improving blood flow to all parts of your body, including your genital area. And this is crucial when it comes to sexual arousal and preventing erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. “Anything that supports the cardiovascular system is going to support a man or woman’s sexual response,” shared sex therapist and educator Laura Berman with CNN. “The healthier your blood flow, the better your arousal.” 

A 2019 study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, which looked at self-reported levels of sexual function in 3,906 men and 2,264 women, found that engaging in higher levels of cardiovascular exercise was inversely related with ED in the male participants. Meanwhile, a 2023 study in Trends in Urology and Men’s Health found that physical exercise, including running and pelvic floor exercises, is as effective as pharmaceutical methods when it comes to treating premature ejaculation. Strength training is known to elevate the sex hormone testosterone for a short time post-exercise. 

However, according to a 2017 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Science, regular exercise in the forms of lots of chronically intense workouts or longer periods of endurance training is linked with decreased libido in men. According to study author Anthony Hackney, there’s an inverted U when it comes to exercise: while your sex drive will experience a boost up to a certain point because of how it affects your sympathetic nervous systems, beyond that point, you’re probably going to want to stop having sex (via Women’s Health).