If you are looking to maintain or improve sexual function, you are not alone. Many men and women seek ways to enhance their sexual performance. This can include seeking treatment for medical problems all the way down to finding new ways to keep your partner happy. If you think no one is talking about sex after 50, you are wrong. You just didn’t ask us.
For Women: Enhancing Sexual Health
Lifestyle Habits Matter
Regular exercise is not to be underestimated when it comes to libido and sexual health. Aerobic exercise and strength training increase stamina, improve body image, lift mood and self-confidence, and absolutely boost libido. Feeling good is a whole-body experience, and sexual health is most definitely a mind-body connection. A key villain to sexual well-being is stress. What is the number one stress-reducing medication available? Exercise! No doctor or pharmacist required.
Oxytocin and Libido
What else reduces stress and consequently blood pressure? Oxytocin! When we orgasm, our brains flood the system with this lovely, happy, feel-good hormone. Ladies, the more your system experiences an oxytocin release, the more your system desires it. Sex, like movement, is indeed use it or lose it. To maintain libido, two orgasms a week is a sustainable routine. We didn’t tell you how to get them, but yeah, just do it.
Communication and Intimacy
Little improvement will be had without proper communication between partners. Talk about sex! Set aside time for intimacy, disclose fantasies, and add a little spice to your sex life. Sex should not be an awkward conversation. Sexual health is an essential part of physical and mental health and is crucial in vitality. If we are to get picky, ditch bad habits. Keep phones and screens out of the bedroom. Listen to your partner’s needs just as much as you desire to have your own wants met. Sex can be a deep bond between a couple and critical toward a lasting relationship.
Hormonal Balance and Blood Work
Oh, you are doing all these things and more and it is still not great? Now it is time for blood work. Correcting low vitamin D3, B12, DHEA can go a long way. A powerhouse for libido is Testosterone. This important androgen drops off with menopause. The good news is safe and effective topical bio-identical testosterone replacement therapy can go a long way toward reducing brain fog, increasing energy, and yes libido. Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy with Estrogen and Progesterone also is of help. Postmenopausal vaginal atrophy, aka painful intercourse, can be correct with treatment.
For Men: Tips to Enhance Sexual Health
Cardiovascular Health and Exercise
There are plenty of male enhancement pills on the market, but there are also many simple ways to stay firmer and last longer without having to hit the pharmacy. Keep in mind that your penis works on blood pressure. Your cardiovascular system absolutely affects your bedroom performance. Basically, what is good for your heart is good for your sexual health.
Diet and Nutrition
Men, you need to stay active with regular cardiovascular activity. Yes, sex is physical activity, but thirty or more minutes a day of sweat-breaking exercise will do you wonders. A healthy diet of plant-rich antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, omega-3, B vitamins all factor in as does hydration. Man cannot survive on beer alone! OK, you can, but you’re not thriving. Stress also kills. It spikes your cortisol, wrecks your sleep, diminishes your testosterone and burdens the bedroom. Lower stress by communicating with your partner, getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, engaging with a therapist, and knocking down bad habits like smoking, alcohol, and excessive caffeine. Even Shakespeare wrote (of alcohol), “It provokes and unprovokes. It provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance.”
Masturbation and Practice
Yes, you need to masturbate. However, you need to do it the right way. If you’re not lasting long in the bedroom, you might need more practice. While sex is the best way to practice for sex, masturbation can also help you improve longevity. If you are rushing through it, you could inadvertently decrease the time you last with your partner. The secret is to make it last, just like you want to when you’re not alone.
Hormonal Balance and Blood Work
Finally, it might be time for blood work. The body needs healthy cholesterol and adequate vitamin D3 to make testosterone. Testosterone naturally declines in men each year after the age of 30. Symptoms of low testosterone are reduced muscle mass, reduced bone mass, reduced sex drive, erectile dysfunction, decreased energy, increased body fat, hair loss, brain fog, and depression. YIKES! We know. Many men choose to partake in Testosterone Replacement Therapy. If you are curious about TRT, seek professional help, get adequate testing and make sure your treatment is followed carefully.
Welcome back, boys.
