Exercise builds strength and endurance. That’s a good thing when it comes to doing things like lifting heavy furniture or sprinting across the yard to catch your dog. But there’s another fringe benefit of getting a regular workout. It can give your sex life a boost. The health benefits of exercise extend beyond the weight room, all the way to the bedroom. Staying active and physically fit can make you a better sexual partner, and that may be the best reason of all to keep your gym membership current.

Exercise and Sex: How Working Out Improves Your Sex Life

Exercise builds muscle definition and melts away body fat, which means you’ll strike a pose in your Jockey shorts. But the benefits of exercise on sexual function go beyond the superficial. Staying active can improve your ability to perform sexually.

A study published in the International Journal of Sexual Medicine found that men who worked out regularly had better erectile function than guys who spent time lying around on the couch. This held true regardless of age. Another study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine involving 31,000 men showed that men over the age of 50 who stayed active reduced their risk for impotence by 30%. Exercise is one of the best ways to stay virile as you age.

Exercise wards off impotence naturally, but how? It all comes down to blood flow. Exercise increases your heart’s ability to pump blood and oxygen to all parts of your body including the areas you keep covered up. Better blood flow means better performance. Aerobic exercise is best for boosting sexual function since it conditions the heart to pump more blood and oxygen with each beat and opens up blood vessels leading to the penis. Exercise is like Viagra without the side effects.

 

Another Benefit: Greater Endurance in the Bedroom

Cardiovascular endurance comes in handy when you’re planning a long one. If you want more stamina in the bedroom, running on the treadmill, swinging kettle bells and cardio interval training can give it to you. You knew there had to be a reason you keep sweating it out at the gym.

 

Other Ways Exercise Benefits Sexual Performance

Resistance training builds strength, which comes in handy when you’re trying to hold a position in bed, and the additional flexibility you get from developing your core and back muscles means you’ll be able to change positions quickly without pulling a back muscle. Exercise also makes you feel more confident and in control of your body. It’s hard to feel like a stud in the bedroom when you’re sporting a pot belly. Working out can change that. Exercise also reduces stress levels, and stress can get in the way of a strong erection and dampen libido at the same time.

 

One Precaution

There’s one type of exercise you should do with caution – cycling on a bike with a narrow seat. Long periods of cycling on a narrow seat put pressure on your penis and testicles. This can rarely cause problems with erectile dysfunction. If you cycle, sit on a padded bike seat and wear padded cycling shorts – and don’t tilt the seat forward.

 

The Bottom Line?

Exercise not only makes you look like a stud – it helps you perform like one. Take advantage of this natural way to enhance your performance and sexual stamina. Keep on lacing up your exercise shoes.

 

References:

Bacon, C. Annals of Internal Medicine, August 2003; Vol 139: pp 161-168.
Men’s Health News. “The Better Sex Workout”
Harvard Medical Publications. “Prostate Knowledge”. Published Oct. 1, 2008.