There is no question that bike riding is good for your heart, but you need to use your head to protect your penis.
Almost every type of exercise is good for your health-running, swimming, tennis, skiing. And generally what is good for your health translate into good circulation to the most important parts of your body-your brain, your heart and your penis. Some things are out of our control, like being diagnosed with arthritis or high blood pressure. But many things are under our control if we try to take care of our bodies in the best possible way.
As physicians, we can teach our patients to watch their weight, be careful with cholesterol and to exercise regularly. But some sports can be more punishing on our bodies than others. It turns out that bicycle riding is great for our muscles and our circulation and we can enjoy the thrill of a great ride in beautiful terrain. But the problem with cycling is that the weight of the entire body comes down on a very narrow bike seat. And the part of the body that is directly on the seat is exactly the area that carries all the blood vessels and nerves that belong to the penis. When you sit on a bike seat those areas get squashed, and if it’s for a long ride, there can be some significant temporary or rarely permanent damage.
That translates into potential numbness in your penis for days to weeks and even difficulty with erections if the damage is severe. It turns out that the potential for injury has to do with the shape and padding of the bike seat. Try to avoid the seats with long “noses” and use the ones that are as wide as possible. You want to be sitting on the “cheeks” of your bottom and not resting on the middle. There are many brands available now to choose from that are more “friendly” to this fragile and important area of our body.
Try to spend some time standing while you are pedaling to relieve some of the pressure on your buttocks. Buy or rent seats that are padded to add additional cushioning for that delicate area of your body. You can also purchase cycling shorts that have padding built in to help protect these important areas.
Go out and have a great ride, but use your head to take the necessary precautions to protect your manhood.