11 Tips to Improve Sexual Performance for Men

Whether you’re on Reddit or talking to a buddy, you’re bound to come across some new “hack” to level up your sexual performance. Supplements, boosters, power-ups, sex toys — it can be overwhelming figuring out what to try and how much to spend.

Maybe the goal is to last longer or get harder — or maybe you’re not sure what you want, except for sex to be better.

Here’s the thing: There are no shortcuts to good health. If you want to know how to improve sexual performance, you have to focus on building a healthy lifestyle.

Below, we’ll go over 11 key behaviors that, according to medical advice, can teach you how to perform better in bed. Let’s get started.

First, let’s get something straight about the concept of sexual performance. 

Sexual performance isn’t a medical term. It’s a sum of things, like your levels of sexual desire, proper sexual function, and the frequency of sexual activity.

Medically speaking, you’re in fine performing shape if your erectile function runs smoothly. That means:

• The blood vessels in your genitals are getting adequate blood flow

• You’re able to get and stay hard more or less whenever you want to

• Your sexual response to things like foreplay is normal and active

It might also involve your sexual stamina — aka how long you last. Sexual performance could even include factors affecting your sex drive, like testosterone levels.

How Sexual Dysfunction Affects Sexual Performance in Men

When any of these things are out of whack, you may have sexual dysfunction (and maybe high blood pressure).

A person might also have sexual performance issues if their lack of sexual experience makes them anxious or causes performance anxiety — men’s health in bed is about more than just the plumbing, fellas.

When it comes to your sex life, there’s no such thing as “normal.” We all have different needs and expectations. And these needs and expectations can change throughout life.

What’s more important than living up to someone else’s definition of normal sexual performance is asking yourself the following questions:

• Am I satisfied with my sex life?

• Is my partner satisfied with the sex we’re having?

If you want to know how you measure up to others, find out how often other couples have sex and what age some men see their sex lives decline.

But remember, you don’t have to copy someone else’s sex routine. If you’re happy with your sex life, you have nothing to worry about.

If you’re not happy with your sex life, keep reading for tips and guidance on what to do if you’re struggling with sexual problems.

From erectile dysfunction (ED) to premature ejaculation (PE), many things can undermine your game. Luckily, an even greater list of performance-enhancing lifestyle changes can improve your overall health and get you back to business.

The best ways to improve sexual performance:

• Exercise to improve sexual stamina

• Lower cholesterol to boost sexual function

• Eat healthy fats to have better erections

• Reduce stress to supercharge your libido

• Improve confidence to improve your sexual relationship

• Try something new to spice things up

• Drink less to elevate your sex drive

• Sleep more to improve sexual function

• Give up cigarettes to tackle ED

• Cut back on sugar to raise your testosterone

• Be cautious with sexual supplements

Incorporating just one of these behaviors could boost your sexual performance, so imagine what doing all 11 could do.

1. Exercise to Improve Sexual Stamina

Cardiovascular health is closely related to sexual performance — so physical activity is good for pumping more than just your heart.

Being out of shape can be bad for sexual stamina, but working out can be an effective antidote.

Just 30 minutes a day of sweat-breaking exercise can improve your cardiovascular fitness and your sexual health. Targeted ED exercises and pelvic floor exercises like Kegels might help you perform better too.

2. Lower Cholesterol to Boost Erectile Function

Heart health is closely linked to sexual health, and high cholesterol is one of the most common risk factors for heart disease. So eating well is crucial to your sexual performance in the long term.

Some evidence shows that cutting down on cholesterol may also improve erectile function. In a small study of men with ED and high cholesterol, lowering cholesterol boosted erectile function and the ability to have penetrative sex.

One of the best ways to reduce cholesterol is to eat more high-fiber foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. If you’re interested in foods to last longer and foods that may help ED, our guides can tell you how to stock your pantry.

3. Eat Healthy Fats to Have Better Erections

Upping your intake of omega-3 fatty acids may boost your cardiovascular health and improve blood flow, consequently improving your sexual performance and erectile function.

Fatty fish like salmon, halibut, sardines, and herring are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as are avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. There may be even more avocado benefits sexually to discover, which we talked about in our guide to the superfood.

4. Reduce Stress to Supercharge Your Libido

How you handle stress can have an impact on your sexual performance. Chronic stress leads to elevated cortisol levels, which suppresses the libido (sex drive) and undermines male virility.

By taking time every day to do something you enjoy, you can cut down on anxiety, which is strongly correlated with sexual dysfunction.

5. Improve Confidence to Improve Your Sexual Relationship

Stress isn’t the only mental concern for sexual performance. Sexual confidence can be a determining factor for psychological ED.

Depression, anxiety, and several other mental health conditions can make it hard to focus, feel, enjoy, or be present in the bedroom.

So if you’re struggling, talk to someone about sexual performance anxiety and other concerns.

6. Try Something New to Spice Things Up

Having sex more frequently is the best way to improve sexual performance and spice up your sex life. But if you don’t have a consistent sexual partner, masturbating on your own might help.

Try to mix up your habits, regardless.

Sex toys like vibrators can make sex and masturbation more fun, and finding new ways of doing it can increase sexual stamina. If you’re about to finish, slow down or stop and wait a few seconds before you resume. 

7. Less Liquor, More Libido

A glass of wine with dinner can help put you in the mood for sex, but overindulging in alcohol regularly might actually depress your libido.

One simple explanation of how you get ED from alcohol has to do with its effects on that pesky cardiovascular system.

Over the long term, heavy drinking is also associated with liver disease and various other health problems, so cut back on the booze.

8. Sleep More to Improve Sexual Function

Are you too tired to make love? You could be and not even know it. Most testosterone release happens when you’re sleeping.

If you constantly struggle with a lack of sleep, your body might not produce enough testosterone to support healthy erections. A restful night can make for a more satisfying morning, if you know what we mean.

9. Give Up Cigarettes to Tackle ED

Sorry, but cigarettes are just bad for sex. The connections between smoking and ED are pretty well-established at this point.

Smoking and passive smoking (second-hand) are both associated with significant increases in the risk of ED, not to mention a dozen other heart, lung, and general health problems. Also, your breath tends to smell bad.

10. Cut Back on Sugar to Raise Your Testosterone (and Libido)

When stressed, you may be tempted to drown your sorrows in a sugary soft drink or a bowl of ice cream. Don’t do it — at least, not all the time.

Too much sugar in your diet increases insulin production, which, over time, can make you lose muscle mass and store more fat around your abdomen. High levels of belly fat are correlated with low testosterone and increased estrogen levels — these factors combined could cause low libido or erectile dysfunction.

11. Be Cautious With Sex Supplements

We’re all about healthy eating and drinking habits, but you should be careful about what else you put in your body.

Supplements (like ginseng) marketed as aphrodisiac treatments to increase sexual performance don’t have the kind of scientific backing you’d want. And they can lead to health issues of their own. In other words, only use scientifically proven treatments for sexual dysfunction.

When in doubt, check with your healthcare provider before taking anything new.

The reality of sexual performance is that not every problem can be cured with an extra trip to the gym or some food substitutions — it may require proven medical techniques.

Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction can have many initial causes. So to treat ED, you may need to try several solutions (even beyond what we mentioned above).

We’ve covered tips to maintain an erection elsewhere, but for now, here’s the low-down on ED treatments:

• Hormonal treatment. ED is more common as men age, but its causes aren’t all aging-related. For instance, a healthcare provider may want to look at your hormones due to the low testosterone and ED connection.

• Talk therapy and healthy habits. Therapy and lifestyle changes are proven treatments for ED when there’s a physiological or psychological cause.

• Prescription medication. Medications like sildenafil (Viagra®) and tadalafil (Cialis®) are well-known examples of PDE5 inhibitors — prescription drugs that support better erectile function by improving blood flow. You might also want to try Stendra® (avanafil) or Hims chewable ED meds.

Treatment for Premature Ejaculation

What about PE? Several premature ejaculation treatments are worth considering:

• Talk therapy. Therapy can help premature ejaculation if it’s caused by performance anxiety, body image issues, or relationship conflict. A counselor or sex therapist can help you uncover the emotional issues contributing to your condition and strategize solutions.

• Practical techniques. Many men have success with the start-stop method and the squeeze technique. The former involves stopping during sex to avoid ejaculating, and then starting again when the urge passes. With the squeeze technique, you squeeze your penis where the head meets the shaft during a pause in sex.

• Antidepressant medication. Your provider may also prescribe antidepressants like sertraline (Zoloft®) or paroxetine (Paxil®). These SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are intended for depression, but one of their side effects is difficulty reaching orgasm, which can be useful if you have PE.

• Topical anesthetics. Benzocaine and lidocaine are topical anesthetics that help desensitize your penis. Some condoms, sprays, and wipes are made with these ingredients and applied before sex.

Everything you do impacts your health in some way. The food you eat, your stress levels, and how much you sleep can all affect your sex life.

If you’re serious about improving sexual performance, it may be time to tweak your habits. Remember:

• Aim for a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise, weight management, and other healthy changes to your lifestyle can trickle down to your sex life.

• Don’t neglect your mental health. Mental health can’t be ignored as a contributing factor to your sex life. If you’re feeling disconnected or stressed about intimacy, a sex therapist might be able to help.

• Treatments are available. Other treatments (like medication) are available for guys who aren’t seeing the results they want from healthy eating, stress management, and regular exercise.

Want more tips on how to improve your sex performance? Explore ways to get harder erections and find out how to become sexually confident.