If your sex life feels limp and lackluster these days, resolve to spice it up.
No, not with dietary supplements or prescription pills, but by exercising with a purpose. Certain exercises can help rev-up your performance and level of satisfaction, experts say. While you don't need to jog 10 miles a day to get in great shape for sex, you should get into good cardiovascular shape, engage in strength training, and perform exercises that target the pelvic region.
"Good cardiovascular health is very important," says Alexandra Katehakis, MFT, CSAT-S, CST-S, clinical director of the Center for Healthy Sex in Los Angeles. "And strength training is important because strong muscles will allow for more athleticism in the bedroom."
Exercises for an Improved Sex Life
1. Sex is usually more strenuous for men than for women, says Madeleine M. Castellanos, MD, who specializes in sex therapy. Thus both strength and endurance are especially important for a guy. Men need to strengthen the muscles involved in thrusting and they need to be strong enough to support their own weight and be able to lift their partner.
For upper and lower body strength, "a great exercise is lifting with barbells," Castellanos says. "Crunches are good, too, and while most people do the ones that strengthen the upper abs, try to focus on the lower abs since you'll need strong lower abs for good sex."
2. Also recommended for guys are pushups and bicep curls, she says. "Doing these gives you shoulder, back, and arm strength, and it helps you support your own weight," Castellanos says.
With a strong back and arms, the man can assist his partner and move her into different positions, she explains.
3. For women, Castellanos recommends several yoga positions. One, called the bridge, is particularly effective, she says. "You have to squeeze your glutes to hold the position, and it helps with endurance," she explains.
"When a woman has strong muscles, she can lift up her hips and create resistance as her partner thrusts." For the bridge position, you lie on your back with your knees up and close together, hands at your sides, and feet near your buttocks. Gently raise and then lower your buttocks, slowly arching your back and pushing firmly with your feet. Breathe deeply, clasp your hands under your back, slowly push against the floor, and repeat.
4. Also recommended for women is a yoga position called the plank pose, which strengthens the arms and the spine, Castellanos says. "It gives you a lot of stability so when you are having sex, you can stabilize yourself and participate in moving around," she explains.
5. For women, strong quads are crucial, too. Castellanos recommends leg extensions (best done on equipment at the gym) and forward and back lunges (easily done at home.)
6. Kegel exercises are important for both sexes, Katehakis says. "These strengthen the pelvic floor in men and women," she explains. "They also help prevent people from losing tone as they age." While the exercise is performed differently in men and women, for both, the idea is "squeeze, hold and release" certain muscles.
7. Aerobic conditioning is very important. "Otherwise, you'll get tired and out of breath," Castellanos says. "Physical activity and sexual activity sort of reinforce each other." And, she adds, if you get out of breath during sex, "It should be out of excitement, not because of your low level of conditioning."
Running, brisk walking, biking, and hiking are all ideal forms of aerobic exercise, but be sure to check in with your health care provider first if it's been awhile since you exercised.
