Exercise helps men avoid impotence
Showing that what's good for your heart is good for your sex life, researchers have found that regular, moderate exercise may prevent impotence.

Middle-age men who burn at least 200 calories a day exercising - the equivalent of walking two miles briskly - greatly reduce their chances of impotence.

The researchers focused on lifestyle factors believed to contribute to impotence--smoking, heavy drinking, inactivity, and obesity. They found that men who had been active to begin with and those who took up exercise during the study were at lower risk for impotence.

Why exercise against impotence
Exercise appears to ward off impotence for the same reasons it can prevent heart attacks, according to Goldstein. Both conditions involve poor blood flow to the organ, and exercise helps keep blood vessels clear. In fact, impotence can be an early warning sign of heart artery disease since the penis is more sensitive to slow-downs in blood flow than the heart is, Goldstein noted.

Impotence affects about one quarter of American men by the age of 65. It can be treated, but preventing it in the first place should be the goal, Goldstein said. If men exercise they'll have a lower chance of ever (becoming impotent)'.

However: Avoid biking, since it may increase impotence risk.