Ten-hut! The Grindr Guide on How to Get Hard

Remember the very first time you got a boner? If not, it’s understandable — for many, it’s during infancy. But we’d bet you probably recall the first time you went soft in the middle of sex. 

For a lot of people with penises, when we become consciously aware of our hard-ons once we’re out of diapers, they’re like a new best friend. They're always around, even when you don't want them to be. They pop up unexpectedly here, there, and everywhere: in the middle of Spanish class, at a family dinner, and whenever your first crush looks in your general direction. 

So it's no wonder that as we age, experiencing problems with what was once an extremely reliable piece of equipment can cause frustration and embarrassment. 

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is much more common than most people would imagine, and poor diet, a new medication, or stress at work are just a few potential culprits for keeping your dangler dangling. The good news? ED is curable. The better news? Grindr has all the tips on how to get hard. 

How do we get boners anyway?

Getting hard sounds like a simple equation. Think about sex, and voilà! But boners are a complex, biological process.

Stiffies always begin in the brain. Arousal occurs when sexual stimulation hits your senses, like spotting a caked-up cutie doing hip thrusts or feeling your partner's hands graze your body. Your brain thinks, "Sex!" and sends chemical messages to your penis, which has erection chambers — corpora cavernosa — filled with spongy erectile tissue made mostly of muscle. These muscles and arteries relax, allowing blood to fill your cock. The veins that drain blood from your penis shrink, creating pressure that prevents blood from leaving. And just like that, you’ve checked into chubbytown. 

When sexual stimulation and arousal stop, blood stops flowing to the penis, your veins open back up, and your penis goes soft again. 

ED and struggling to stay hard

Losing an erection isn’t something to be embarrassed about. Your body is an extremely complicated temple. Going soft during sex or struggling to get hard happens to virtually everyone with a penis at least once in their lives. 

However, if you experience the following, you should consult with a medical professional: 

• You get an erection sometimes, but not every time you want to have sex or masturbate.
• You can achieve a hard erection before sex but can't stay hard during sexual stimulation, including topping, oral sex, and other non-penetrative sexual activities.
• You’re totally unable to get hard, no matter what.
• You need a lot of sexual stimulation to maintain a strong erection.

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Getting and keeping an erection requires various bodily systems (vascular, nervous, and endocrine) to function properly. When you experience ED, it doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem with your penis. It's a symptom of a broader diagnosis impacting your overall health. While having stronger erections and more satisfying sex are good reasons to check in with your doctor, it’s also an opportunity to improve your lifestyle and enhance your overall health. 

How to get stronger erections

Penile problems might feel sudden, but they’re often the result of long-term habits and health factors. While there’s no simple trick to cure ED, there are plenty of lifestyle changes you can make to help bring your pecker back to full attention. 

Here’s how to increase blood flow to the penis naturally. 

1. Eat a balanced diet

High cholesterol and high blood pressure put you at risk of several health problems, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. Plus, unlike you, they love limp dick. 

A balanced, nutrient-rich diet maintains healthy blood pressure and blood vessels, which make it easier for blood to flow straight to your junk. Fill your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and lean meats to help keep you and your cock in tip-top shape. Some foods, like dark chocolate, watermelon, and almonds, are natural aphrodisiacs. A double win for your wiener. Plus, cut out nutrient-deficient processed foods and other high-fat or high-sugar meals. 

In other words, stop focusing on how to get better erections and dedicate yourself to getting healthier instead.

2. Hit the gym

A Harvard study of people experiencing ED found that those who exercised 30–60 minutes 3–5 times weekly saw significantly more improvement in their erections than their sedentary counterparts. Plus, they found that the worse a person’s erectile problems, the more exercise helped. Prognosis: You can treat ED and build a juicy booty at the same time by combining aerobics (jogging, swimming, cycling) and weight lifting to improve your cardiovascular health. In nonscientific terms, if you want to train your dick for frequent fuckathons, this is how to get started.

3. Add Kegels to your gym rotation

Although it’s premature to draw definitive conclusions, some studies suggest daily Kegel exercises might help keep the softies at bay. Plus, Kegels can help you last longer in bed, which can help keep your mind focused on actually enjoying the sex rather than not losing your boner. 

4. Reduce stress levels

When you’re stressed out, your body releases hormones that can constrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow to your unit. In other words, too much stress can wreak havoc on your sexy bits. 

To keep calm and let your boners carry on, try incorporating relaxing activities into your daily routine. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga help relax your mind and improve your overall well-being. Likewise, a therapist can help identify and address the cause of your stress and experiment with techniques to bring you deeper peace of mind.

5. Quit smoking

Chemicals found in cigarettes, like nicotine and carbon monoxide, can damage the endothelium, which is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, including your dick. Some studies suggest that smokers experience changes in the stiffness of their boners just a day after quitting tobacco.

6. Cut alcohol consumption

A drink or two might help set the mood, but excessive alcohol can turn off the lights on your erection. Alcohol is a depressant that interferes with your brain’s ability to send blood flowing to your penis. And it’s not just whiskey dick during a hookup to worry about. Long-term, chronic consumption can cause damage to your nerve function, leading to problems hoisting the flag even when you’re sober. 

7. Sleep more

Does obsessing over whether you're experiencing ED have you tossing and turning at night? Or is it a lack of sleep that’s keeping your dick dormant? There still aren’t enough studies to pinpoint the relationship between sleep and ED. However, short sleep cycles and disrupted circadian rhythms have been detected in people with weak erections. 

Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night to give your penis the recharge it deserves. Establishing a bedtime routine, avoiding screens before bed, and creating a comfortable sleep environment will all help improve your sleep quality. 

8. Check your testosterone levels

Erections depend on your testosterone levels, but the relationship isn’t so direct. Some people have low testosterone and big, bad erections. But low testosterone is linked to other issues that can impact your sexual health, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. A simple blood test can determine if your testosterone levels are within the normal range.

9. Reduce porn consumption

Everything in moderation, including your go-to PornHub vids. Excessively consuming porn can desensitize you to sexual stimulation, making it harder to become aroused. Additionally, porn can create unrealistic expectations about sex. Feasting your eyes on a schlong that grows and grows and grows is one thing. But measuring yourself up against it might lead to performance anxiety and ED.

Try limiting your viewing time and focusing on quality intimacy with your partner. Likewise, masturbating without porn, which can help you become more intimate with your body and sexuality. 

10. Be open with your partner

Losing your hard-on can be a big blow to both your and your partner's confidence. But erectile issues don't mean anything is wrong with your relationship. Instead, it's an opportunity to check in with each other and strengthen your physical and emotional intimacy. Open up communication to make sure everyone feels OK and understands it's a normal bodily response (or lack thereof). 

Talking openly about sex encourages vulnerability, which will strengthen your bond in and out of the bedroom. Plus, you can take the opportunity to discuss different ways to make sex more exciting together. 

11. Talk to your physician

The best way to treat ED, impotence, and problems with your libido is to uncover the root cause by talking to your physician. Your sexual health is a reflection of your overall well-being. Together, you can discuss different options like stress reduction techniques and ideas on how to improve your sleep and diet or enlist the help of Viagra, Cialis, or other ED medications.