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Sexual stamina
Regular cardiovascular exercise such as jogging, cycling or swimming will
increase your stamina, both in and out of the bedroom.
Being able to jog round
the park without wheezing means you should also be able to enjoy longer sex
with a greater level of comfort and ease.
Government guidelines recommend that adults aged 19-65 should do 2 ½
hours of moderate-intensity exercise a week, such as fast walking or cycling,
as well as muscle-strengthening exercises on at least two days.
If you have not done much exercise for many years, you should speak to
your doctor before embarking on any new exercise regime.
Happy
hormones
Not only will exercise potentially enhance your physical prowess, it also relieves stress, and helps you to forget about the worries and irritations of the day, as well as improving sleep and self-confidence.
Your body will also respond to improved cardio by releasing a number of
powerful feel-good hormones into the brain such as serotonin and testosterone.
What could be better for great sex than a boost of happiness?
Exercise and
arousal
Several studies have shown that exercise increases arousal in women.
Blood flow to the vagina increases when sexually stimulated after even just
moderate exercise.
It’s not known exactly why this is, but it could be because
of changes in the body that occur during exercise, such as changes in hormone
levels or the nervous system.
Healthy diet
Eating well may help maintain your libido - this applies to both men and
women. Lean meats such as chicken and turkey contain lower levels of
cholesterol and therefore reduce the chances of arteries narrowing.
Uninterrupted blood flow is crucial to the engorgement of tissues for sexual
response in both partners.
To avoid your arteries clogging up, you should steer clear of foods like:
- Junk food and takeaways
- fatty, red meat
- biscuits, chocolates and cakes
- chips and crisps
- sugary drinks
Eating plenty of salmon can also improve your blood flow, and therefore
your libido. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in salmon,
help prevent a build-up of plaque in your arteries, thereby easing the flow of
blood.
Garlic is a bit of a double edged sword. It naturally lowers blood
pressure which improves blood flow to your penis, but make sure you both eat it
so there are no strong breath issues to dampen the mood!
Erectile
dysfunction
Around half of men over 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED) at some
point, but getting into shape can help men who are currently affected, as well
as reducing the risk of it occurring in the future.
Regular exercise allows
your heart to pump blood more effectively, thus helping to increase blood flow
to your penis.
In addition to regular exercise, eating a healthy diet will help stave
off erectile dysfunction. Some of the major causes of ED are obesity, high
blood pressure and high cholesterol.
These conditions cause blood vessels to
narrow, making it more difficult for blood to get to the penis during sex.
Eating well and exercising will help you to maintain a healthy weight, as well
as keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol down, thereby increasing the
chances of you being able to get and maintain an erection.
If exercise and healthy eating haven’t solved your erectile dysfunction,
there are a number of other ways you can tackle the problem.
The prescription
medicine Cialis is a medical treatment which helps patients achieve and maintain an
erection by increasing the flow of blood into the penis when a man is sexually
aroused.
One of the advantages of Cialis over Viagra, another well-known
treatment, is that Cialis is reported to take a shorter time to start working
(Viagra takes around an hour). It has also been proven to last longer.
You could also try to treat ED through counselling, especially if the
problem has a psychological case like stress or anxiety.
So eat well and exercise regularly, and give your sex life a welcome
boost.
Dr Tom Brett trained St Thomas' Hospital Medical School in
London and graduated in 1992. A year later he moved to Australia where he began
post-graduate General Practitioner training. In 1998 he gained fellowship of
the Royal Australian College of General practitioners and in 2000 was awarded a
certificate in Sexual Health and HIV prescribing. In 2007 he returned to live
and work in London and is now Medical Director at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.
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