One of the most important challenges for a man is keeping sexually fit. Interestingly, as imperative as penile health is, most men are not fully aware of the makeup nor the maintenance needs of the penis.

Just as the rest of your anatomy requires more than just exercise, your penis thrives on more than just the pump and thrust of regular sexual encounters. You understand that your bones need calcium, your muscles need protein and so on, but do you know what makes for a hearty penile package?

The penis is not unlike many of your other guy toys in terms of maintaining optimum performance. Just as ignoring the upkeep of your car can land you on the freeway shoulder, snubbing the needs of your penis can put a real damper on your sex life. Unfortunately, enduring a breakdown in the bedroom can hurt one’s ego in ways a dead car battery can’t.

In order to dodge any erectile anguish, it first helps to understand the inner workings of your favorite tool. The interior of the penis consists of two large sponge-like chambers called the corpora cavernosa. When the brain sends a message of sexual stimuli to the penis, these tubular compartments open up, absorbing blood. The phallus then begins to rise, and with the help of a strong attachment extending from the copora cavernosa, an erection is formed. A thick layer of skin protects the working parts during the ensuing lengthy bout of pleasurable pummeling.

This is the condensed version of penile anatomy. Now it’s time to take a look at what can throw a wrench into the mechanics of your sex machine.

First, you know that your boner is actually boneless. Unfortunately, this makes the penis more susceptible to long-term injury. If your partner zigs when you zag during the heat of passion, you could end up with ruptured phallic tissue. In serious cases, surgery is required and there is the possibility of permanent damage.

Another risk to your member is systemic and much more subtle and slow to occur. Since the phallus must fill to capacity to become fully hard, blood flow is critical. Sadly, there are a number of passions other than sex that can seriously dam up the plasma floodgates.

High on this list is smoking. Medical science has long shown a significant connection between smoking and erectile dysfunction.

What you stack on your dinner plate can also suck the timber out of your wood. If you have a penchant for deep-fried fare and delectable desserts, you could be losing more than just the battle of the bulge. Many overweight and obese men know all too well the erectile woes that come with weight gain.