You probably know about all the benefits of regular exercise. But do you know that it’s also a key part of increasing your libido?
For both men and women, exercise can be a potent libido booster in a variety of ways. There’s just the pesky little problem of doing it regularly.
If you’re lacking motivation to finally get around to joining a gym, this may be a compelling reason. There’s a persuasive body of research about the effects of exercise on libido, and you’ll find the five biggest benefits in this article.
1. IT ENGAGES YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM
Before we even get into some of the more obvious benefits, let’s talk about desire.
The sympathetic nervous system (PNS) regulates your body’s alertness levels and stress response. Exercise increases the activity of the PNS. When that happens, blood rushes to your extremities, and you become primed for all kinds of action.
One type of action being sexual activity. A study looking into exercise-induced sexual arousal in women produced some interesting results.
The study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, showed a “significant increase in physiological sexual arousal with exercise.”
Although this particular study used subjective responses, many studies replicated those results.
According to sexual physiologist, Nicole Prouse, exercise probably acts as a signal to promote sexual activity in humans.
2. IT REDUCES STRESS
One of the most significant barriers to libido and sexuality is stress. When stress hormones are high, it’s very difficult to focus on anything else.
Now, while it’s true that exercise produces physical stress, it has a curious interaction with stress hormones. Physical activity, when you start doing it, will increase your cortisol levels. Cortisol is the primary hormone that regulates stress.
However, as it becomes a habit, exercising will produce less stress.
In addition, exercise will also make you better at dealing with the release of cortisol in stressful situations. It will, effectively, take much more to stress you out than if you didn’t have regular physical activity.
Moreover, exercise will cause a spike in endorphins. Endorphins are a family of hormones that are structurally similar to morphine. They cause feelings of euphoria and general well-being.
Endorphins are responsible for the so-called “runner’s high.”
Feeling less stressed relaxes you. The more relaxed you are, the easier it is to get in the mood for sexual activity. It’s a fairly straightforward formula.
3. IT INCREASES YOUR STAMINA
It’s no secret that the more you exercise, the better you get at it. That’s because your cardiovascular endurance improves, among other things.
Sex is, at its core, an intensely physical activity. Therefore, any improvement in that area will translate into better sexual performance. But does that really make you more libidinous?
Yes, absolutely. The more difficult it is to engage in sexual activity, the less likely you are to want to.
You can’t force yourself into wanting something that you simply don’t enjoy. Exercise will make exercise more enjoyable, and therefore, more desirable.
In a similar vein, exercise improves your cardiovascular function. If blood reaches the genitals more efficiently, it’s that much easier to feel aroused.
Good blood flow is also important for sensation in general. Better circulation makes every touch feel that much more intense.
4. IT MAKES YOU LIKE YOURSELF MORE
A big part of sexual activity is visual. Being attracted to, and feeling attractive to your sexual partner, is a big part of the equation.
If you exercise regularly, you’ll soon notice changes to your physiology. You might lose some weight, or your muscles become more toned.
Liking the way you look makes you feel more sexual and more ready to engage in sexual activity. Having a positive body image increases your self-confidence, which is a key part of feeling libidinous.
It doesn’t have to mean looking like a fashion model either. Exercise can have a positive effect on anyone’s perception of themselves.
5. IT MAKES YOU MORE FLEXIBLE
Some forms of exercise are better than others in this regard.
You definitely don’t need to be an acrobat for sexual activity. However, the more comfortable you feel, the better it is for your performance.
Remember, desire and libido are closely tied to what you think the outcome of sexual activity will be. If you think you’ll end up wheezing and defeated by the end, you’re more likely to set up mental barriers. If you expect to fully enjoy it and connect with your partner, it’s that much easier to get motivated.
STAY FIT TO STAY IN THE MOOD
As you can see, exercise is a powerful force to increase your libido. It has numerous benefits beyond just making you feel and look better.
However, that’s not the whole story. Libido is a complicated subject, a function with a multitude of factors affecting it.
Exercise is an essential part of libido, but so is a good diet and supplementation.
Don’t restrict yourself to only one approach to boosting your libido. Make sure you’re doing everything you can and be persistent. Increasing your libido naturally is certainly possible.
