Sex and the UniverCity: Exercise, Active Lifestyle Make For A Better Sex Life

By: Emily Neumann

Posted: 6/9/08

Exercise and eating healthy foods are great for getting that bathing suit bod - but did you know they can also improve your sex life?

The separation from school, friends, lovers and the freedom of living away from home can make for a very rough transition from spring to summer. I casually shared my gloomy outlook on this three-month "vacation" with my doctor at a routine physical, to which she responded, "You know, exercise can make you feel a lot better."

Yes. I know. Exercise can help solve a lot of problems, especially those caused by eating way too much macaroni and cheese due to the stress of finals. But guess what? I hate exercising!

But as I started to research strategies that might encourage me to enjoy the occasional work out, I came across some more mature reasons to get your body in shape.

According to a feature on WebMD.com, being in shape makes you more confident, and having more confidence leads to better sex. In the article, psychologist Karen Zager said, "If you feel good about yourself, you are in a better position to feel good about relationships, including your sex life."

In the article, Mark Kantor, professor of nutrition and food science, agrees.

"You will feel sexy if you look and feel good," said Kantor.

Physical activity gives you more energy and wakes you up, even if it exhausts you temporarily. Yes, your muscles are tired, but it releases epinephrine (commonly known as adrenaline) into your system, according to howstuffworks.com. Epinephrine essentially throws their body into what's called the fight-or-flight-response. Basically, your body speeds up, your muscles become more tense and you become incredibly alert, according to the Web site.

The fight-or-flight response works both ways, and sometimes the adrenaline rush results in fear. Unfortunately, intense exercise (and sex) can sometimes trigger severe anxiety and even panic attacks in some people.

If too much vigorous activity tends to stress you out, or if the idea of heading to the gym is too intimidating, start out slow. For me, walking around the block was a great way to get into the habit of actually getting off my butt and doing something. Get a friend to motivate you. Going to the gym with one of my co-workers is now a very enjoyable activity.

Yoga is another popular option, and something anyone can do in the privacy of your own home or at a studio. There are even yoga DVDs focused specifically on improving your sex life by stretching, strengthening and stimulating the most sexual and sensual areas of the body. A Google or Amazon.com search will return many different options so you can choose which works best for you based on customer feedback.

Putting forth the effort to exercise regularly will quickly come full-circle. First of all, exercise (particularly cardio) gives you more endurance, according to about.com. On top of that, stronger, more flexible muscles give you a ton of new and exciting options in the bedroom. In the end, longer and more physically intense sex translates to more exercise and more calories burned in addition to what you already achieve in your regular workout. According to about.com, a 130-pound person burns off about seven calories for every 5 minutes of energetic sex.

From promoting general health to having better sex, exercise has a lot of benefits. Not only is it a fun surprise for your partner to see your new physique after some time apart over the summer, but you'll both be on the right track for attempting some of the more difficult positions you've always wanted to try.

In the end, the most important thing about exercise is that it makes you feel pretty darn good about yourself. Even if you don't see the results right away, stick with it. Knowing that you're doing something to improve your quality of life is very rewarding.

Contact Emily Neumann at Emily.Neumann@UConn.edu.