Everyday Health Habits for Men: Heart, Exercise, Sleep, Nutrition, Alcohol and Mental Wellbeing

Why habits come first

The same few habits protect the heart and blood vessels, which also matter for erections and urination, and they are the ones with the clearest evidence for men's concerns. NIDDK lists quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, being active, keeping a healthy weight and eating well among lifestyle steps for ED. [1] A 2026 meta-analysis of 16 randomized trials (1,477 men) found that diet and/or exercise programs gave a modest but significant improvement in erectile function, with moderate-certainty evidence. [2]

This page uses the evidence labels established recommendation, promising but limited, mixed and insufficient evidence.

Heart health

Cardiovascular disease is a group of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. It is more likely in men than in women, and smoking, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight and not being active make it more likely. [3] Men with ED had a higher risk of cardiovascular events in a meta-analysis of cohort studies, so persistent ED is a reason for a heart-risk check. [4] See Erectile dysfunction.

Exercise and strength

UK guidance for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus strengthening activities for all major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week. It also suggests breaking up long periods of sitting. [5] NIDDK cites the same 150 minutes in the US Physical Activity Guidelines. [1] Speak to a doctor first if you have not exercised for some time or have medical conditions. [5] Muscle loss with age is covered in Sarcopenia and muscle loss and Activity, strength and keeping muscle.

Sleep

In a study of ten healthy young men, a week of 5-hour bedtimes lowered daytime testosterone by 10% to 15% compared with 10-hour bedtimes, and vigor scores fell. This was a small convenience sample, and the authors say more investigation is needed. [6] That is limited evidence about a short experiment, not proof that ordinary sleep loss causes low testosterone disease. See the Sleep goal and Sleep apnea. The Endocrine Society also lists untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea as a reason not to start testosterone therapy. [7]

Food and nutrition

• A 2025 meta-analysis of 14 studies (27,389 participants) found plant-based diets, low-fat diets, and diets rich in fruits, vegetables and nuts were associated with lower ED risk. The authors suggested low-fat or Mediterranean-style diets rich in produce and nuts could help. [8] Most of these studies are observational, so this is an association. Promising but limited.
• NIDDK suggests a dietitian can build an eating plan for your needs. [1]
• Daily multivitamin: in the Physicians' Health Study II, a randomized trial of 14,641 male US physicians aged 50 or older, a daily multivitamin was linked to a small reduction in total cancer (hazard ratio 0.92) but had no significant effect on prostate cancer (HR 0.98). [9] I did not find a source on which multivitamin is "best", and this site does not rank products. See Supplements.

Alcohol

UK advice is not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, spread over 3 or more days. [10] Alcohol can make you pass more urine and worsen BPH symptoms, [11] and is on NIDDK's list of lifestyle behaviors that may contribute to ED. [12] For fertility, the NHS says drinking too much alcohol can affect sperm quality. [13]

Alcohol and testosterone: proper evidence not found in the sources I read for this page, so no claim is made. See Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and sleep.

Smoking

NIDDK says quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for ED and overall health, because smoking is linked to heart and blood vessel disease. [1] The NHS says smoking can reduce semen quality. [13]

Mental wellbeing

NIMH says men are less likely than women to have received mental health treatment in the past year, and that earlier treatment tends to be more effective. Signs can include irritability or anger, changes in mood, energy or appetite, trouble sleeping, misuse of alcohol or drugs, and unexplained aches. [14] Stress and mood also affect sexual function: anxiety, depression and stress are listed as causes of ED. [12] See Stress and relaxation and Stress safety.