Sexuality is a central aspect of the human being present throughout his or her entire life. “It is expressed in different ways, it is a source of pleasure and well-being and contributes to the personal fulfillment and satisfaction general,” states the Declaration of Sexual Rights of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS).
This part of life is suffering changes throughout life. Thus, for various reasons, the desire and its causes include aspects emotional, hormonal, stress, impact of life and vital stages.
The doctor Laura Maffei (MN 62,441), endocrinologist, stress specialist, explained to Infobae in a recent note: “From the age of 40, women experience a reduction in a hormone that is the male hormone, the testosteroneand can influence the desire. “This is a slow, progressive decrease, which in some cases affects a little more, in others less.”
And he continued: “Men also experience changes: there is a lower, more progressive decrease in the testosteronewhich is the hormone that is most closely related to desire. They may also have a reduction in power”.
Although in both women and men there is a decrease of desire, in them it can intensify after the menopause. “At this stage, women often experience a significant change. The decrease in estrogen can cause greater vaginal dryness“explained the doctor.
However, there are many resources to face these changes and have a satisfactory sex life and a very important ally is the exercise: can help treat erectile dysfunction, pain during penetration and low sexual desireamong other problems.
“It’s important to remember that sex is about movement and exercise,” she said. Debby Herbenickdirector of the Center for the Promotion of Sexual Health at the School of Public Health of the Indiana University, USA, to The New York Times.
Regular physical activity can also help you become more self-aware. “You learn to listen to your body and then you can bring that wisdom to your sex life,” Herbenick said.
Below are five exercises recommended by experts in sexual health and fitness.
1. Do high intensity aerobic exercises. Cardiovascular health directly impacts sexual health, and not just because sex can sometimes be vigorous and aerobic, Herbenick explained. The cardiovascular system powers two body systems that are important for sex: erections and vaginal lubrication. Without adequate blood flow, it will likely be difficult to achieve or maintain any of these goals. Research also suggests that, for some people, aerobic exercise itself can stimulate arousal and desire.
According to a recent study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, aerobic exercise can improve erectile function in men,
To train aerobic activities, you must begin by establishing a solid cardiovascular base through regular exercises of moderate intensity. Then, you can move on to walking or running comfortably at a conversational pace for about 20 minutes, adding high-intensity intervals, to train for bursts of energy that sex may require. Other options include cycling, climbing stairs quickly, or high-intensity interval training. “The goal is to help the body avoid cardiovascular overload during sexual relations,” Marshall explained.
2. Practice Kegels exercises. Activating the pelvic floor muscles frequently helps maintain good sphincter control and plays an important role in sexual health. When they are weak or tense, you may not experience a orgasm So powerful. If they are tight, they can also make penetrative sex painful.
There are several exercises that can be done to strengthen this part of the body. The most common involves taking a seat or lying down with your legs slightly apart. Afterwards, you will inhale deeply through your nose and, as you exhale, you should contract your pelvic floor muscles as if you were stopping the flow of urine.
The position is maintained for a few seconds without holding your breath; Finally, it will be time to relax your muscles. For effectiveness to increase, this activity will have to be done several times a day, as advised by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the National Library of Medicine in the United States.
3. Make your hips more flexible. Most people spend many hours sitting each day, which can cause stiffness in the muscles, fascia, and ligaments of the hip. When your hips are tight, you may experience pain in your back and pelvis during sex.
Working on hip mobility can help your entire lower body move more fluidly and comfortably, and can improve pelvic pain during sexual relations. This also has another solution: “There are estrogens at a local, vaginal level, that can be applied and that protect the entire urogenital area of women,” said Dr. Maffei.
As a first step, Marshall recommends releasing some of the areas by placing a tennis ball on your glutes and rolling it, then transferring it to your hips and hamstrings, massaging each area until muscle release is felt. This can be done sitting or leaning against a wall. From there, stretch your spine with the happy cat and angry cat pose.
4. Focus on the core. The more strength you have in the core or core (formed by the muscles of the abdomen, lower back, pelvis and hips), the more it will be possible to move easily during sexual relations. Most of the nerves and muscles involved in sex are integrated with the core, and a strong core can also help reduce back and hip pain before, during and after sexual relations.
To work the entire structure of the muscles that make up the core, it is recommended to perform plank abdominals daily. At first you can hold it for five to 10 seconds, this will help engage all your core muscles at once. Then increase.
Another possibility to train them is to practice Pilates– Each move focuses not only on your abs, but also exercises the deep core muscles that support your spine and connect to your glutes and inner thighs. This discipline also focuses on the deeper abdominals and pelvic floor to contract and relax. These muscles function as an internal corset that lifts and supports the organs, and protects and stabilizes the back.
5. Practice five minutes of yoga a day. It can help improve hip mobility and increase core strength. and practice the slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing It’s especially valuable for sex, Herbenick said, because it helps relax the body’s parasympathetic nervous system and pelvic floor. Stress is the enemy of erections and good sex.
To take deep breaths, placing your hands on your belly and simply breathing slowly can begin to calm the nervous system, which can then provide more pleasure in your sex life.
