ARTICLE - EXERCISE CAN IMPROVE YOUR SEX LIFE

Need some more motivation to get moving? A recent study from the Pittsburgh School of Medicine reveals that exercising regularly is associated with more frequent sex and better enjoyment of sex. In the study, 677 participants aged 41-68 years old answered questions about their health and sex life. The results indicated that being physically active (meaning doing regular exercise 5 or more days per week) had more sexual activity than people who exercised less than 5 days per week. Sexual activity included a wide range of behaviours from hugging and kissing all the way to sexual intercourse. In addition, the more physically active people reported greater enjoyment of these activities than those who were less physically active.

The researchers couldn’t conclude that regular exercise causes greater sexual activity, only that there was an association between the two. However, there are studies regarding reduced sexual functioning that may support some degree of causality. For example, people who are clinically depressed tend to suffer from sexual dysfunction, and regular exercise has been shown to improve depression and sexual functioning. A 2008 study published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity found that aerobic exercise results in greater improvements in sexual function in depressed people as compared to taking anti-depressant medications. In a study from the University of Hong Kong, men who participated in regular moderate or vigorous exercise were 40 to 60 percent less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction. This kind of evidence boosts the idea that exercise has a more direct link to sexual functioning.

While the majority of studies on physical activity and sex have focused on middle aged or older adults, new research on college-age students has found a positive association between regular exercise and increased frequency of sexual activity.