Most men are insecure about two things: sex and penis size. Men from all walks of life pride themselves on the size of their penis and their duration in bed, believing an above-average size and performance can feed the sexual appetite of their partner. Although men can’t do much about the size of their genitalia (except plastic surgery), they can control premature ejaculation to make sex last longer.

The ability to finish early and quickly can be advantageous in many areas in life, but not when it comes to sex. Premature ejaculation is a common and often distressing problem for couples who simply want to find ways to make sex last longer. Harry Fisch, author of the book, The New Naked: The Ultimate Sex Education for Grown-Ups, found although an astonishing 45 percent of men finish sex too quickly, specifically within two minutes, the average duration is 7.3 minutes — only four minutes less than women’s ideal time.

These statistics may be discouraging for men and women alike, but like any athletic activity, sexual performance and stamina is improved in the most unexpected ways. Remember, not all men are doomed to be the infamous guy in Missy Elliot’s 2001 rap song, “One Minute Man.” Here are little-known things that actually help you last longer in bed that you probably didn’t know.

1. A Bigger Belly

Men, size does matter when it comes to sex. The bigger the belly, the better the lover, according to a 2010 study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Overweight men with obvious bellies lasted an average of 7.3 minutes compared to their thinner counterparts who could barely make it to two minutes. Although this seems counterintuitive, the researchers found more belly fat means the man has more estradiol, the female sex hormone, which helps inhibit orgasm.

2. Adult Circumcision

The phrase “better late than never” applies to several areas of life, including adult circumcision. A 2004 study published journal Adult Urology unveiled circumcised men took “significantly longer” to ejaculate after they got a circumcision in adulthood. Ironically, this may actually be considered advantageous, rather than a complication, when it comes to lasting longer in bed. Temucin Senkul, lead researcher of the study and an urologist with GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, speculates the delay to reach ejaculation may result in circumcision lessening the penis’ sensitivity. Ejaculation time may be different, since losing skin is something different that these men have to get used to.

3. Pelvic Floor Exercises

Pelvic floor exercises aren’t just for women or those with bladder problems — they can help treat men with lifelong premature ejaculation. In a study presented at the European Congress of Urology in Stockholm, a small cohort of men aged 19 to 46 with an average ejaculation time of 31.7 seconds, tried pelvic floor exercises over the course of 12 weeks. The 33 out of 40 men who were able to improve their ejaculation time within 12 weeks with these exercises and their own efforts also helped their self-confidence. At the end of the course, the average ejaculation time had increased to 146.2 seconds — nearly four times the average at the start of the study.

4. Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarians are known for their strong stance on dairy and meat intake, including their stamina and energy in bed. A vegan diet that is high in fruit content can provide more sustainable energy that will not lead to the often seen “sugar crash” from processed sugar. For example, a banana is high in potassium, a nutrient that helps in sex-hormone production and boosts energy.

Tests have shown that vegetarians have twice the stamina of meat eaters. A study published in the Yale Medical Journal compared meat-eating athletes to vegetarians and near-vegetarians, half of whom were sedentary. Researchers measured how long they could hold arms outstretched and the number of deep-knee bends the participants did. The findings revealed only 13 percent of meat-eating athletes could hold their arms out for 15 minutes compared to 69 percent of vegetarians. Moreover, no meat-eating athletes could hold their arms out for 30 minutes compared to 47 percent of vegetarians only. When it came to knee bends, only 33 percent of the meat eaters exceeded 352 knee bends, compared to 81 percent of their vegetarian counterparts.

5. Viagra

The little blue pill can do a lot more than just treat erectile dysfunction or impotence in men; it can also boost men’s sexual performance. The “magic pill” that contains phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors — used to treat erectile dysfunction — helped extend the length of time men could last in bed before reaching an orgasm, according to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Although 11 out of the 14 studies demonstrated erectile dysfunction medication was associated with longer duration in bed, the studies were unable to determine whether the medication was actually responsible since some did not test it against a placebo.

Overcoming premature ejaculation, or simply the desire to boost sexual stamina, can be resolved simply with the concept of mind over matter. Like any athletic activity, stamina and endurance in sex, is practiced and cultivated. After all, lasting longer in bed shouldn't be seen as an impossible feat for men.