Prone Masturbation: How Does It Affect Your Health?

Every man has his own ways to unlock that solo thrill. But what’s the role of prone masturbation in self-pleasure?

Learn the full truth about prone masturbation

There are multiple (hands-free) ways for men to reach orgasm, and prone masturbation is just one of many. Maybe you’ve never even heard about it before, or maybe it’s your preferred way to self-pleasure. Learn how prone masturbation can affect your body, understand the health risks associated with it, and discover alternative ways of self-pleasuring for your sex life and well-being in the long-term.

What is prone masturbation?

Prone masturbation is a form of hands-free masturbation. It’s essentially the act of bringing yourself to orgasm by lying face down and rubbing your non-lubricated penis against a flat surface, such as a mattress, a pillow, or the floor. You may also cup your hands and thrust your penis into them.

Prone masturbation is rather uncommon–only 10% of all men practice it. It is mostly young boys and male teenagers who engage in prone masturbation, as they may not yet be aware of other ways to stimulate their bodies sexually.

While prone masturbation can feel great at the time, it can also make it harder for men to experience equally strong pleasure during intercourse.

There’s little research on the health effects of frequent prone masturbation, although some science suggests that it can lead to complications, such as an inability to orgasm or experience sexual pleasure in any other way.

Why do some men love prone masturbation?

Although only 10% of men enjoy this practice, this is still a relatively high number. What makes prone masturbation so appealing?

Well, it’s very intense. The face-down position of prone masturbation puts a lot of pressure on the penis and the highly sensitive nerve endings at the base of the penis. This type of pressure causes intense pleasure and orgasms that are hard to replicate during sexual intercourse or face-up masturbation.

How can prone masturbation impact your sex life?

When practiced without varying with other forms of self-pleasure, prone masturbation can lead to numbness in the penis, dulling the effects of other forms of stimulation. Frequent prone masturbation can cause certain forms of sexual dysfunction, such as the inability to get an erection or to stay hard during sex. Some men, who enjoy it regularly, might find that it takes them longer to reach orgasm during vaginal, oral, or anal sex. And others cannot climax in any other way.

If you’re affected by the side-effects of prone masturbation, rest assured. There are ways to reclaim your sexual health and freedom without having to abstain from masturbation altogether.

A little too attached? Here’s a way out

All that’s needed for you to get back your sensitivity and enjoy greater variety and pleasure during (solo) sex is to take a break from prone masturbation.

Take a break

Go cold turkey if you can. Stopping for a while (at least one week, but ideally three weeks), can help return a natural sensitivity to your body. A break like this might even help you make other forms of masturbation and sex more pleasurable.

Or do it a little less often

If you’re not willing to completely stop masturbating for a few weeks, reduce your overall frequency. Instead of doing it every day, train yourself to do it every other day. From there, aim for twice a week or less. Remember, you’re looking for quality over quantity.

Involve your partner

If you have a partner and you’re worried about the impact prone masturbation may have on your shared intimacy, dare to initiate an open dialogue. Be honest with them and communicate about your experience. Get them on board by asking for their understanding and support as you’re exploring new ways to enjoy your sexuality.

While you’re re-sensitizing your penis and its nerve endings by letting go of the prone masturbation habit, you can also experiment with adding in new, different styles and tools into your self-pleasure routine.

Try alternative masturbation techniques

Experimenting with different types of masturbation can expand your sexual horizon and help you find greater freedom in your sex-life. There are plenty of alternatives to prone masturbation to pep up your playtime. Here are a few tips.

1. Lube up. If you haven’t tried using a lubricant yet, now might be the time. It can be fun and creates softer sensations of pleasure.
2. Get up on your feet. Ever tried masturbating while standing up? Something as simple as changing your position can bring a brand-new dimension to your routine.
3. Upgrade your orgasm. Or, you can completely redesign how you self-pleasure. Today’s sex toys for men take hands-free masturbation to the next level. They’re just as easy to carry around as any of your digital devices, meaning you can enjoy premium-level thrills anywhere, anytime.

Transform the way you play with sex toys

Sex toys are such an ingenious replacement for prone masturbation that they can revolutionize the way you play forever.

Traditionally seen as being purely for people with vaginas, there’s now an exciting range of male sex toys on the market, each designed to make you orgasm harder and better than ever before.

Smart and easy to use and maintain, the latest in sex tech is sophisticated, stylish, and sleek. A huge range of devices are growing in number and popularity, and more and more men are adding a sex toy or two to their arsenal of gadgets.

Easy to take anywhere, modern sex toys are the smart way to expand your sexual repertoire and feel levels of pleasure that take you into another world. Self-pleasure has never been this good. Why not try for yourself?

Prone masturbation–the takeaway

Whatever you do repeatedly becomes a habit. Some habits are more beneficial to your well-being than others. For about 10% of men, prone masturbation–the act of masturbating face-down thrusting your penis against a flat surface–has become a habit.

Its appeal lies in the intense pressure prone masturbation inflicts on the penis and its highly sensitive nerve endings. Over time, this can create numbness, making it harder to enjoy other forms of sexual play.

But there are plenty of alternatives to prone masturbation at your fingertips, with sex toys in the lead. Toys can create equally intense sensations of pleasure while offering greater variety to your play. They keep things interesting and can offer new, mind-blowing orgasms. Feel free to start a new adventure!