Many of us know that exercise is good for our health. After all, we hear all the time that we should exercise regularly.
However, most of us have not stopped to consider whether or not exercise is good for our sex lives.
Even though we may not talk about it often, most of us want to have more confidence and perform better in the bedroom.
Plus, our sexual health and satisfaction play a significant role in our we feel overall.
This is why it’s so important to talk about the health benefits of sex. Let’s take a closer look at this subject to find the answer to this question: can exercise improve your sex life?
Can Exercise Improve Your Sex Life?
Yes! Exercise absolutely can improve your sex life. When you exercise, you improve the critical components of your health that lead to increased sexual satisfaction.
Human sexuality is closely tied to physical and mental health, so when both men’s health and women’s health decreases, their sex health also decreases.
Not only does exercise increase testosterone levels, which naturally increases the libido, it also improves your athletic performance, which translates to more stamina.
So, whether you are looking to increase your sexual desire or improve your form in sex positions, exercise is the answer!
Fortunately, you do not need to see an exercise physiologist to get in shape. You can start making changes in your daily routine and to see results in the bedroom. Here are the sexual health benefits of exercise.
Health Benefits of Exercise
There are lots of health benefits of exercise, and it’s the best way to improve your overall health.
It helps lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, which decreases your chance of developing heart disease.
Exercise also keeps your blood sugar levels stable, reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. These factors all work together to help you to burn calories and lose weight.
There are mental benefits, too – you’re much more likely to remember important facts and think more clearly when you exercise.
While all of these benefits will keep you healthy, a vital part of sexual performance, some health benefits tie directly into sexual health.
Increases Blood Flow
Sexual dysfunction is often caused by decreased blood flow. When you workout, your heart rate increases, which means more blood is pumped to every part of your body, including your genitals.
This can help improve both male sexual dysfunction and female sexual dysfunction. Increased blood flow also means you have more energy.
You’re much more likely to want to engage in sexual intercourse if you feel energetic. Increased blood also leads to more sexual arousal.
Improves Self-Esteem
When you exercise regularly, you start to feel better about yourself.
Research has found that even if you don’t lose weight or change your body, the act of regularly exercising still promotes a positive body image.
Feeling sexy and desirable is vital for sexual arousal. Plus, if you are feeling confident, it can improve your sexual performance as well!
Makes You Happier
Physical exercise causes your brain to release endorphins when you work out. These endorphins make you feel happy.
That’s why you always feel better and happier after a workout, even if it was exhausting!
This happy feeling makes you want to do the things you enjoy and spend time with loved ones. As a result, your sex life can drastically improve!
Gives You More Endurance
Regular physical activity is the only way to increase your endurance.
When you do cardio and strength training exercises, you improve not only your physical stamina, but also your mental stamina.
This translates to more endurance during sexual intercourse. It also means you can hold different sexual positions for longer periods of time!
Better stamina also increases your chances of having an orgasm. Your orgasms may also be more intense and pleasurable because of the sustained positions and performance.
Better stamina also increases your chances of having an orgasm. Your orgasms may also be more intense and pleasurable because of the sustained positions and performance.
Reduces Stress
Physical exercise is excellent for your mental health, which also means it’s great for your sexual health.
When we exercise, our mind clears, and stress is reduced. This helps us become more focused in the bedroom and able to be fully present with our partner. This can lead to more sexual arousal both before and during sex.
Sometimes, reducing stress and anxiety can also help with difficulties like erectile dysfunction.
Exercise can also improve women’s health and wellbeing in the bedroom if they are taking anti-depressants. After exercise, their sexual arousal is much higher.
Best Types of Exercise to Improve Sex Life
While all forms of exercise are great, four types of exercise are especially good for improving your sex life.
1. Yoga
Yoga is one of the best types of physical exercise to improve your athletic performance, increase flexibility, and strengthen your core.
Yoga also helps open up your hip flexors, muscles that are important in many different sexual positions.
Although Kegels aren’t done in yoga, the concentration and breathing exercises taught when practicing yoga can help you achieve better control and core strength when strengthening pelvic muscles.
Yoga has also been shown to increase your libido! This means you’ll be much more likely to seek and find sexual satisfaction after spending time doing sun salutations and hip openers.
2. Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise, or cardio, is excellent for both your heart health and your sexual health.
Experts recommend doing at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic activity every week. Since this equals about thirty minutes of physical exercise five days per week, it’s very easy to add this to your daily routine.
It doesn’t matter what type of aerobic exercise you do. You can walk, run, swim, cycle, or dance to get your heart rate up.
If you prefer, you can use cardio machines at the gym like the treadmill, elliptical, row machine, or stair climber.
You can also do classes at the gym or boutique studios like Zumba, step aerobics, or high-intensity interval training.
You can also do high-intensity interval training at home! This form of exercise is great because it combines cardio (by getting your heart rate very high) and strength training. This leads us to our next type of exercise.
3. Strength Training
Strength training can increase your libido because it increases the testosterone levels in your body.
The good news is that you don’t have to live at the gym and start lifting hefty weights to get these benefits.
Doing high-intensity interval training that uses bodyweight, bands, or light weights is an excellent way to build muscle.
This physical activity can also improve your sexual performance because it makes your entire body stronger. You’ll be able to hold sex positions for longer and have (and give) intense orgasms. If you’re unsure of where, to begin with, strength training, then consider hiring a personal trainer or exercise physiologist.
4. Kegel Exercises
This may be the most obvious choice when thinking about exercise and sex and for a good reason.
Kegels really can help! Most people associate kegel exercises with women, but both men and women alike can benefit from Kegels because they can decrease sexual dysfunction.
Kegel exercises are designed to strengthen your pelvic floor, which naturally weakens as we age. Certain things can accelerate the weakening of pelvic floor muscles, like childbirth in women.
In men, prostate cancer and urinary problems can also harm the pelvic floor. When you do these discrete pelvic floor exercises, you can improve issues such as erectile dysfunction and female sexual dysfunction.
Conclusion
You may have never connected exercise and sex before, but these two physical activities complement each other.
If you feel like your sex life could use a boost, then consider starting an exercise routine.
By doing regular workouts, you can improve sexual dysfunction without having to take medicine, and you will look and feel better. Physical activity doesn’t equal long, intense workouts, either.
You can hit the gym or even make small changes like walks in the evenings and yoga poses in the morning.
If you want to focus on ways to increase sexual pleasure, then focus on exercises that will strengthen your pelvic muscles, core, and hip flexor. And, if you’re ready to take your sex life to the next level, then consider hiring a personal trainer instead of a sex therapist!
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