We know that exercise is key to a physically healthy life. This is nothing new. What you may not realize is that exercise can be key to a healthy sex life too. Here’s why exercise is important to your sex life:
- Being in good shape means having better sex.
Contrary to what you may have been told, sex actually doesn’t count as a workout. You certainly do burn calories, but not as many as you need to in order to count as your
regular exercise. However, regular exercise can make having sex way more enjoyable.
This is because stamina, flexibility, and strength are all intrinsically involved in good sex. You will have more interest in trying new positions or hanging from the bedposts if you are in shape! The best way to improve these things…Exercise.
- Working out makes you want more sex.
One tried and true way of raising your libido is, you guessed it—exercising. Why is this the case? Because exercise releases endorphins, increases testosterone production, boosts energy, and helps regulate stress—all of which are hormonal adjustments needed to improve and increase libido. Less stress, more sex!
- Exercise can help your self-image.
Exercising can help to build up your self-esteem. This is even the case when you are just beginning to exercise. So even if you are still “out of shape,” exercising can make you feel better about yourself. This is especially the case when you are beginning to see the results of your workout (weight loss if that is the desired goal, more defined muscles, increased flexibility). This confidence is built in the gym and follows you into the bedroom. When you feel better about yourself, you are less inhibited and you make love better.
So we know that working out in general can improve your sex life, but how does working out with a partner enhance those benefits?
- Working out together improves the overall relationship, which improves your sex life. Exercising together is good for your sex life with your partner for many reasons. First of all, it builds trust and comfort between the two of you. When you are comfortable with each other, you spend less time being self-conscious during sexy time and more time enjoying yourselves.
- Healthy relationships make for great sex. Secondly, more time spent together doing something active and constructive is good for your relationship and the health of your relationship is directly reflected in your sex life. You probably know this from experience, when you feel close to your partner, you tend to have better, more fulfilling sex.
- Getting hot and sweaty gets you hot and bothered. Nothing is hotter than seeing your partner all hot and sweaty. And if that isn’t your cup of tea, growing together towards your goals should be a major turn-on. If nothing else, sharing this time together doing something besides the usual couch potato routine should be a pleasant and sexy change of scenery.
Okay, so you’ve bought into the idea of working out with your partner. Now what? Here are a few tips on how to get started with your new sexy exercise routine:
- You need to build stamina. Nothing is worse than getting soooo close to orgasm—or being right about to make your partner orgasm—and having to stop in your tracks because you are exhausted. If this is a problem for you, then you might need to add some cardio and endurance training to your workout. You can do this by running, biking, or using gym equipment like the treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike. If this is too much, then taking walks with your partner is a good way to get started. Walking together can also be a great way for you and your partner to connect and catch up from the day. Again, when you feel more connected to your partner, you have better sex.
- You need to get stronger. Strength training is a good addition to any workout for people of any sex or gender. If you are finding yourself having trouble staying in certain positions long enough to reap the benefits of it, then you may need to add strength training to your workout routine. This could be in the form of bodyweight exercises (such as pushups, crunches, planking, etc.), or weight lifting. There are also a number of structured workouts (and sensual couple workouts) available for you to try such as yoga, Pilates, or workout video programs. Any of these can help you get stronger and become a better lover.
- You need to get more flexible. Holding an intricate sex position is one thing, but what if you can’t even get into the positions you want to try? If that’s the case, then you probably need to increase your flexibility. How can you do this? You need to add some stretching and flexibility exercises to your workout routine. This is another area in which yoga or other similar exercises can help out. Because when you are more flexible, you have more options available to you and your sex life improves as a result.
The moral of the story is this: Exercise is great for the body and even greater for your relationship. Adding some of these moves to your weekly workout regime can be a great boost to your relationship and sex life in general. Overall, exercise is greatly beneficial for your health and wellness, which in turn, can only help your sex life.
Once you start getting in a routine, are feeling better about yourself and have more energy, reach out to Dr. Stacy at drstacyfriedman.com for a complimentary 15-minute consult to see how to spice things up in the bedroom!