The exercises were found to help men with erectile dysfunction as much as taking in Viagra.

The researchers say the findings mean men have an erectile dysfunction herbal medication to drug therapy.

For around 50 years, women have been advised to perform pelvic floor exercises to strengthen their muscles for childbirth.

The pelvic floor is a “hammock” of muscles which support the bowel and bladder.

Pelvic floor, or Kegel, exercises involve clenching the muscles you would use to prevent yourself urinating.

This latest research indicates it is also important for men to maintain the muscle tone and function of their pelvic floor muscles with the exercises.

Home exercises

The team from the University of the West of England in Bristol studied 55 men with an average age of 59 who had experienced erectile dysfunction for at least six months.

The men, all patients at the Somerset Nuffield Hospital, Taunton, Somerset, were given five weekly sessions of pelvic floor exercises and assessed at three and six months, and asked to practise the exercises daily at home.

It was found 40% of the men regained normal erectile function - some of who had severe erectile dysfunction, and another 35% showed some improvement.

Two thirds of the men had said they also had problems with urination. These improved significantly after they began the exercises.

Dr Grace Dorey, a specialist continence physiotherapist who carried out the research, told BBC News Online: “The exercises were found to be equally as effective as taking Viagra.

“Pelvic floor exercises improve function in a physical way, in a more natural way.

“Men should be doing preventative exercise. It really is use it or lose it.”

She said men should be exercising their pelvic floor exercises from puberty onwards.

Strength

A viagra drug store for the Impotence Association said: “The value and effectiveness of pelvic floor exercises should not be underestimated when impotence in male the management of sexual problems such as impotence and premature ejaculation.

“The exercises are thought to strengthen the muscles that surround the penis and improve the blood supply in the pelvis, which is an important factor in relation to erectile dysfunction.”

The Impotence Association helpline number is 0208 767 7791.

See related site about Erectile Dysfunction Drugs
.

Well, there definitely are options — some more effective than
others. Here’s a capsule version of the latest findings:

Heart Disease and Stroke

A powerful class of drugs called statins reduce the
amount of cholesterol in the blood — especially LDL, the so-called
“bad” cholesterol. Statins have also been found to reduce stroke, may
reduce osteoporosis, could be an adjunct treatment for cancer.

Risk of heart-related deaths in 20,000 men and women (ages
40-80) was reduced by 18% among those who received statins. People who took
statins were also 25% less likely to suffer a nonfatal heart attack or stroke
or require bypass surgery. That study appeared in the July 6 issue of
TheLancet.

Statin use was linked with 22% reduction of all strokes and 25%
reduction in nonfatal strokes in another study published in the Jan. 23 issue
of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Studies of soy protein show varying results in reducing
blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in postmenopausal women. Though at least one
small study found reductions when patients ate natural soy, other studies did
not show improvements from soy extracts. Researchers conclude that different
proteins found in natural soy appear to interact with phytoestrogens — plant
estrogens — to increase their cholesterol-lowering activity. Those studies
were discussed at last year’s Endocrinology Society meeting.

Limiting salt in the diet — and walking 30 minutes a
day — can also lower blood pressure in postmenopausal women by a surprising
amount, according to a study published in the August 2001 Journal of the
American College of Cardiology. In the study, those who ate only a teaspoon
of salt a day plus walked lowered their blood pressure by 16 points. To lower
sodium in diet, cook with less salt, use herbs and lemon juice to flavor foods,
check packed food labels for sodium, and limit salty snack foods.

Osteoporosis

Fosamax and similar bisphosphonate medications are
designed to prevent or treat osteoporosis; they slow bone thinning and increase
thickness of the bones of the spine and hip. This reduces the risk of broken
bones. The drugs are so successful that researchers are now looking at
administering the drug through annual intravenous infusions — so women don’t
have to take pills every day.

Evista, which belongs in a separate class of drugs, also
is prescribed to prevent and treat osteoporosis. Evista has another plus — it
has a favorable effect on cholesterol but does not increase the risk of breast
or uterine cancer.

Calcium and vitamin D
supplements — to the tune
of 1,500 mg a day — are recommended for older women and men. Dietary sources
of calcium include fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Also, eating more protein could help the body to more
effectively absorb calcium/vitamin D supplements, according to one recent study
at Tufts University in Boston. Elderly people who took 500 mg supplements in
addition to dietary calcium — and ate about 80 grams of protein a day — had
better bone mass than those in the control group.

And remember, 30 minutes of weight-bearing and
strength-trainingexercise — even for women in their 70s, 80s, 90s,
and older — can build bone.

However, the nutritional supplement ipriflavone — a synthetic
isoflavone derivative — does not have an effect on bone density, according to
a study in the March 21, 2001, issue of TheJournal of the American
Medical Association. Isoflavones are found in soy products.

Originaly from: Alternatives to HRT