10 Ways Being Healthy Can Improve Your Sex Life

Being healthy improves all aspects of your life, and your sex life is no exception. Here are 10 ways being healthy makes your sex life better.

Helps You Achieve Climax

It’s estimated that only 35% of females will orgasm during intercourse [1]. Physical activity and climax are highly correlated. Men and women who have poor physical and emotional health have a more difficult time achieving climax or ejaculation [2]. The human orgasm is a complex blend of physical sensations, hormones, neurotransmitters, and thoughts – all of which are positively influenced by good physical and mental health.

Improved Endurance

You want your sexual encounter to last more than 30 seconds don’t you? Sex can be a highly intense physical activity. Sixty seconds of thrusting can leave many people gasping for air. Being healthy helps to improve your sexual stamina. Physical activity and exercise leads to improved V02 max and endurance [3]. With a higher V02 max, you are better able to use oxygen during sex – which means your muscles are able to “exercise” longer.

Better Hormonal Profile

Regular physical exercise decreases BMI and increases serum testosterone levels [4]. Testosterone is one of, if not the most powerful hormone when it comes to libido and sexual desire for both men and women. Estrogen is also a powerful hormone when it comes to sex drive. Both high and low levels of estrogen can contribute to sexual dysfunction in men and women. While estrogen is produced by the ovaries, fat cells are also a large producer of this hormone as well [5]. Physical activity can lower body fat levels, which can lower the amount of estrogen that is produced. This can bring libido back into balance as a result of more natural estrogen levels.

Better Flexibility

Better flexibility in bed means you’re able to experiment with more sex positions, and you’re able to better hit those harder to reach places. There is a strong correlation between body mass index and flexibility [6]. Being physically active can reduce you BMI and improve your flexibility [7]. You can increase your flexibility simply by working out using the full range of motion of each exercise. Dedicated stretching will also help to improve flexibility. Use dynamic stretching instead of static stretching to improve performance.

Makes Anatomy Appear Larger

Whether you believe size matters or not is beside the point. While penis size is mostly a male obsession, penis size and confidence levels are correlated. Men reporting a larger-than-average penis rated their self-appearance most favorably, suggesting a possible confidence boosting effect of perceived penis size [8].

While penis size won’t be increased through healthy living, the appearance of it can. As you lower your body fat percentage, the fat on the lower abdomen is reduced – creating a measurable improvement in penile length. For men, a perceived larger penis size leads to improved confidence, which in turn can lead to a better sex life.

More Confidence

Physical fitness enhances attractiveness and makes people feel more sexually desirable [9]. Much of sex is a confidence game. The more confident you are, the more likely you are to have a sexual experience. Being healthy improves your physical appearance by lowering body fat levels, increasing muscle tone, and by improving your skin complexion, among other things. Exercise also improves your hormonal profile, which can lead to higher self-esteem.

More Energy

Too tired? Not up to it? Proper glucose metabolism is essential for optimal energy levels. Ever get that mid-afternoon sleepiness a couple hours after lunch? Without a well-functioning glucose metabolism, your insulin and blood glucose levels remain erratic. Insulin levels spike higher than they should after a meal, and that results in low blood sugar [10]. This low blood sugar (sugar crash) makes you feel foggy-headed, tired, and lethargic, and definitely isn’t good for your sexual drive.

Love

Eating healthy insures that you are getting in enough nutrients – especially vitamin C. Vitamin C has been shown to stimulate the production of oxytocin [11]. Oxytocin is known as the “love” hormone. When released, it stimulates feelings of sexual arousal, bonding, maternal behavior, and trust. Nonverbal displays of romantic love are correlated with the release of oxytocin [12]. Love is a complex (some would say simple) emotion that is strongly influenced by hormones. Being healthy keeps your hormonal profile at optimal levels.

More Visually Appealing

Who you find attractive is always going to be a personal preference. However, across all gender and racial/ethnic groups, individuals are more likely to rate those with higher body-mass indices (BMI) as unattractive [13]. It’s fairly safe to say that while appearance is not the only factor when it comes to attraction, it certainly plays a large role – especially with first impressions.

Higher Libido

Diseases stemming from poor eating habits and lifestyle choices are associated with all aspects of sexual dysfunction. One such disease, diabetes, is negatively associated with sexual drive, ejaculatory function, sexual problems, and sexual satisfaction [14]. Bad lifestyle choices can damage the blood vessels and nerves leading to sexual organs, and can restrict blood flow and negatively alter hormones.

From appearance, to attraction, to hormones and libido, being healthy is strongly correlated to a better overall sex life. Adds a new motivational factor for improving your health – doesn’t it?