Yes, it does exist!
Also known as the “festival of the steel phallus” is held in Japan every year. It is a festival to celebrate fertility, long marriages and healthy births and dates back to the 17th century.
In the 21st century, it is now based on sex positive messages and a celebration of the penis!
Remember guys you only get one penis so take good care of it, taking care of your penis means taking care of yourself!
Good health is really important when it comes to keeping the penis in tip top condition, a healthy diet, regular exercise and alcohol in moderation are of the upmost importance.
The most common sexual problems for men are;
-Erection difficulties
All of which are easily treated either by medication, psychosexual therapy or a combination of the 2.
Premature ejaculation can occur at any age but is most common in younger men, most cases are caused simply by an inability to control the ejaculatory response.
Studies vary widely but the common view is that it affects 1 in 5 men.
Erectile dysfunction is very common; half of men between the ages 40 and 70 years will have ED to some degree and the numbers increase with age.
Testosterone deficiency tends to be found in older men and is particularly common in men with diabetes. Testosterone deficiency can significantly reduce the quality of life for men. The most common symptoms are ED, reduced libido, fatigue and low mood, often mistaken for depression. It can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and result in early death.
However, the good news is that sexual problems are preventable by keeping fit and healthy.
EXERCISE
Exercising regularly, this doesn’t have to mean being at the gym for hours every day but 2 20 minute brisk walks that gets your heart rate up will definitely help keep the penis up too!
HEALTHY WEIGHT
Maintaining a healthy weight is very important as being overweight is also a common cause of testosterone reduction; abdominal fat converts a man’s healthy testosterone to the female hormone estrogen. Clogging up the arteries will definitely cause erection problems, the arteries in the penis are smaller than the coronary arteries so are therefore affected sooner and erectile dysfunction is often an indicator of a cardiovascular risk.
STRESS
Keep stress to a minimum, when we feel stressed, we release adrenaline and cortisol, adrenaline narrows the blood vessels which negatively affects the erection. That’s why men with performance anxiety will get erection problems as they release adrenaline with the nervous anxiety.
Practicing relaxation techniques, meditation and mindfulness will help to keep stress at bay.
Try to get a good work/life balance and aim for a healthy sleep pattern. If you feel exhausted so will your penis!
SMOKING
Smoking is a definite NO NO!
It is believed that men who smoke are twice as likely to develop erection problems than men who do not smoke. We all know that tobacco causes cancer but it also causes erection problems too, it narrows the blood vessels and impairs the blood flow. The good news is, it is never too late to quit! In men under the age of 40 smoking is the biggest cause of ED.
ALCOHOL
Whilst alcohol can help you relax and ease anxiety which can help with erections, too much can be a disaster! Too much alcohol decreases the blood flow to the penis and because alcohol is a depressant it can reduce desire to be sexual. Chronic heavy use of alcohol can cause long term erection problems, studies show that men who are alcohol dependent have a 60 to 70 percent chance of suffering with sexual problems.
PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES
(Kegel exercises) women are always encouraged to do their pelvic floor exercises, particularly after childbirth but it is now widely recognised the importance of pelvic floor exercises for men in maintaining good sexual function. The pelvic floor muscles play a vital role in facilitating good erections and ejaculation, this also helps improve the feelings on orgasm as the ejaculation is more powerful when the pelvic floor muscle is strong. (See the NHS website for further instructions)
RELATIONSHIPS
Healthy relationships also play a vital role in maintaining good sexual function, if we aren’t getting on in the living room, we are probably not getting on in the bedroom either!
There are 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week, yet we often find it difficult to just get an hour together a couple of times a week of true quality time!
Arrange “date nights” if you didn’t live together you would make plans for when you would see each other next and what you might do with that time, don’t change that just because you live together.
Carry on dating! Couples that play together, stay together!
NB: A HEALTHY PENIS IS A HEALTHY MAN