Health
5 types of exercises for a more satisfying sex life
Not feeling as saucy or limber as you used to be in the bedroom? These exercises can help you get your mojo back.
By Sabrina Rogers-Anderson
“Use it or lose it” is an adage that applies to so many areas of our lives as we get older.
Keeping our neurons firing can ward off dementia, staying physically active helps prevent a range of illnesses and ailments, and having an active sex life can boost our wellbeing and keep our relationship alive.
But how can you harness your inner sex god or goddess when your back hurts and you can’t keep your eyes open past 9pm? As with anything worth having, you have to put in the effort.
A large body of research shows that older adults who are physically active have more satisfying sex lives. In a 2019 study, adults aged 50 and over who exercised at least once a week were significantly more likely to report sexual activity in the previous year and significantly less likely to experience sexual problems.
There are also several specific exercises you can do to improve your sexual function – from increased endurance to better lubrication or stronger erections.
Ready to put the “ooh” back into your bedroom? Try these 5 exercises:
1. Pelvic floor like never before
Both men and women can improve their sex lives by strengthening their pelvic floors, but the exercises need to be performed correctly to be effective. The Continence Foundation of Australia offers detailed guidelines on pelvic floor exercises for both women and men.
“Pelvic floor muscles sit in the base of our pelvis and play an important role in a lot of our bodily functions,” says pelvic health and continence physiotherapist Lissy Changuion. “For women, pelvic floor muscle training has been shown to improve subjective reports of sexual function, intimacy, arousal and orgasm. In men, religious pelvic floor muscle training will often improve erectile function.
“But in some women, pelvic floor muscles are too tight and cause pain, so doing pelvic floor exercises can make the pain worse. Instead, they need to focus on muscle length. When they contract their pelvic floor, they need to make sure they can also fully relax the pelvic floor, which is something that’s often overlooked.
“During perimenopause in particular, there’s a drop-off in oestrogen that causes a thinning of the vaginal wall, which can sometimes contribute to pain with intercourse. And then the muscles can sometimes go into a fight-or-flight spasm response where they tense up even more and increase the pain, creating a vicious cycle.”
If you’re experiencing pain or have other concerns, your best bet is to have a pelvic floor assessment with a specialised pelvic floor physiotherapist. They can help identify any issues to guide appropriate treatment and refer you to a gynaecologist if needed.
2. Get busy with cardio
Not only can aerobic exercise improve cardiovascular health and sexual stamina in both men and women, but research shows it supports sexual function in other ways too.
A review of 11 studies published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that 30 minutes of aerobic activity three times a week – such as brisk walking or cycling – was just as effective as medications like Viagra at improving erectile function in men with erectile dysfunction.
In women, acute exercise increases blood flow to the genitals, sexual arousal and lubrication. What a way to bring a renewed sense of purpose to your daily walk!
3. Core to the floor
A strong core can help improve your mobility and endurance during sex. “It can also support your back in different positions and help prevent pain,” says Lissy.
The plank is a great choice because it targets all your core muscles. Start with holding it for as little as 5 seconds and slowly building up to 60 seconds or more.
Some lucky women actually get aroused or achieve orgasm just by doing abdominal exercises – so you may want to try out a new exercise regime at home first!
There’s also an important caveat: steer clear of core exercises if you have pelvic pain and talk to a pelvic floor physio about the best course of action.
“Women in perimenopause might have really strong abdominal muscles, but if their pelvic floor muscles are too tight and causing pain, core exercises can make the pain worse,” Lissy explains. “They may need a combination of stretching, mobility and targeted pelvic floor and core exercises depending on the results of their assessment.”
4. Put your hips into it
Your hip muscles can get tight and sore as you get older or if you spend a lot of time sitting. This can reduce your mobility during sex and cause pain.
“Women in particular experience changes in their bone health, muscle length and muscle strength as they age, so mobility exercises are super important,” says Lissy. “Stretching, yoga and pilates can all be super beneficial.”
The Arthritis Foundation recommends the seated butterfly stretch, quadriceps stretch and knee-to-chest stretch to improve mobility in your hips. You can also perform exercises including bridge with leg extension, sit-to-stand, hip hinge and side leg raise to strengthen your hip muscles. Watch video demonstrations of all these exercises on their website.
5. Embrace your inner yogi
Beyond the flexibility and mobility benefits of yoga, the ancient physical and spiritual practice can help both men and women boost their sexual mojo.
A major study review found that yoga effectively manages both erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation in men. With concerns about the long-term safety and effectiveness of medications to treat these conditions, the authors conclude that yoga is a safe complementary or alternative therapy.
Research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that yoga also improved six areas of female sexual function, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain. That’s enough to make us want to say “namaste”!
Bringing sexy back
A saucy and satisfying sex life doesn’t have to become a distant memory as the years tick by. Armed with life experience and confidence you likely didn’t have when you were younger, you may even find that your best sexual years are yet to come.
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