Erectile dysfunction can put a real damper on your love life. In fact, just one episode of ED can create so much stress that you're forced to endure repeat episodes until you seek treatment for the problem. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to overcome erectile dysfunction and bring the passion back into your life. Here are four steps you can start with.

Start Walking

If you've got a little extra weight around the middle, it could be putting undue pressure on your penis. The extra weight interferes with proper blood flow, which makes it difficult for you to get, and maintain, a meaningful erection. You can help prevent problems with your erection, and get control of your impotence, by walking at least one mile each day. If weather is making it difficult to get your walks in, join a gym where you can walk on a treadmill or on an indoor track. The exercise will help you shed some pounds from around your midsection and help you build up your endurance so you can last longer once you have restored full erectile function.

Add Some Kegels

If you know any women who've gone through pregnancy, you're probably familiar with kegels. That's the exercise that women use to combat urinary incontinence and retain strong muscle tone in their pelvic and vaginal area. If you suffer from erectile dysfunction, you can benefit from kegels as well. Doing kegels each day will strengthen the bulbocavernosus muscle, which is responsible the blood flow that encourages penis engorgement during an erection, and which pumps semen through your penis when you ejaculate. If you're not sure how to perform kegels, simple squeeze your muscles tight, like you're trying to stop the flow of urine through your penis. Squeeze tight for about 15 seconds and release. Repeat the exercise at least 10 times, several times a day.

Say Yes to Acupuncture

If you haven't tried acupuncture yet, you should. Acupuncture, which has been used for centuries in other countries, is now being used to treat erectile dysfunction. In fact, some studies show that acupuncture can help reverse erectile dysfunction and improve the strength and duration of erections.

Schedule a Full Physical

If erectile dysfunction is interfering with your life, and at-home treatments aren't helping you, it's time to schedule a full physical. You could have an underlying medical condition that is causing the dysfunction. Your doctor will be able to develop a treatment plan and give you erectile dysfunction medicine that will get you on your way to recovery.