Health experts always suggest that people incorporate exercise into their daily lives to improve overall health, and to reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Well, there is now a new reason to start exercising on the daily. According to new research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, breaking a sweat may improve your sex life.
A new study overlooked 6,000 runners, swimmers, and cyclists, categorizing them by workout intensity and how often they worked out. Researches then compared their weekly exercise to reported sexual functioning, examining male erectile dysfunction and female orgasm satisfaction, arousal, and sexual dysfunction. The findings indicated that the more frequently and intensely a person exercised, the better sexual function he/she experienced. In a nutshell, frequent exercise equals better sexual health.
In Men
Studies show that regular exercise is about as effective as erectile dysfunction medication. Sedentary middle-aged men who take up regular, vigorous exercise report more frequent sexual activity, greater satisfaction, and improved function. Middle-aged men who do not exercise have an increased risk of poor sexual health and erectile problems.
In Women
Most women who are physically active consistently report greater sexual desire, satisfaction, and arousal. One experiment monitored young women who took a spin class for 20 minutes. After finishing the exercise, they watched X-rated videos and the results showed a higher rate of sexual arousal than women who did not exercise and watched the same videos.
Why Is This The Case?
The correlation between regular exercise and improved sexual function has a lot to do with increased blood flow to sexual organs. Better blood flow can make the clitoris and labia become engorged, which is necessary for female arousal and orgasms. Additionally, regular exercise can also strengthen the pelvic floor muscles in women, which has been linked to better sexual health. For men, increased blood flow makes it easier for the penis to become erect. Men who engage in strength training exercises can increase testosterone levels, which can boost sex drive. Too much vigorous strength training can deplete testosterone levels and have decreased libidos.
Walk The Walk
Harvard researchers conducted a study with 31,000 men over the age 50. Regular fast walking demonstrated that aerobic exercise decreased the risk of erectile dysfunction by 30 percent. Another study found that burning 200 calories per day lowered the risk of erectile dysfunction because of improved blood flow. Aerobic exercise helps to keep blood vessels clear, leading to stronger erections.
Yoga
Yoga can be beneficial for both females and males, because improved flexibility can give you the opportunity to practice new positions, which give your body more pleasure. Another reason to practice yoga is to avoid cramping up during a passionate moment. Some yoga experts have said that a couple yoga classes per week can improve stamina, due to the regular concentration on breath and energy.
If you are looking to experience improved sexual health, consider engaging in more physical activity. Take exercise classes that interest you to increase your desire to workout. Additionally, practice kegels to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, which leads to better sex.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
