Struggling to get in the mood? Worry not, it happens to the best of us, with many men and women experiencing a loss of libido (sex drive) at some point in their lives. Low sex drive can be caused by a multitude of factors, including stress (hello!), tiredness, relationship issues, and underlying medical conditions.
It’s important to remember that everyone’s sex drive is different; just because you’re not keen to get freaky day and night doesn’t necessarily mean you have a low libido. However, if your sex drive (or lack thereof) is affecting you, it may be wise to look at some strategies to boost your libido.
Given your low sex drive isn’t caused by a more serious physical or mental issue, exercise can be an effective way to improve your libido. That’s right – getting sweaty outside the sheets can lead to increased sex drive and an improvement in sexual function. Here are the best 5 exercises scientifically proven to increase your sex drive.
Strength training
Lift your libido by lifting; weights training causes the body to produce more testosterone, the main precursor for male sex drive. Short, intense reps can be effective at boosting testosterone levels in men.
For both men and women, try bodyweight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and crunches to strengthen your shoulders, chest and abs. Improving your upper body strength can increase your time between the sheets as these are the main muscles used during sex.
Kegels
Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can boost libido and improve sexual function in both men and women. While traditionally used to alleviate bladder and bowel control issues, kegel exercises can strengthen vaginal muscles for a more powerful orgasm in women and can delay ejaculation for men.
Yoga
Getting bendy can help spice up your sex life by improving your flexibility, allowing you to get into more creative positions during sex. A study published by the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that yoga helped improve premature ejaculation in men and improved several aspects of sexual function in women including arousal, desire, lubrication, satisfaction, and pain.
Try yoga poses that involve the pelvic muscles, like the bow pose and peacock pose.
Brisk walking
A Harvard study found that just 30-minutes of walking a day resulted in a 41% lower risk of erectile dysfunction in men. If that’s not reason enough to take a walking lunch, we don’t know what is! Brisk walking also helps improve blood flow and circulation, resulting in improved stamina and longer-lasting erections. Cardio like running and faced-paced walking also release endorphins and improve your mood, which can enhance sexual desire and performance in both men and women.
Squats
In addition to being great at toning the legs and glutes, squats can help with increasing sex drive in women. Squats (with or without weights) improve blood flow to the vaginal area which can help with arousal and lead to an increase in libido. The lower you squat, the more you reap the benefits; try squatting like you’re sitting on an imaginary chair.
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