Let’s face it- after a certain age all guys start to worry about losing their sex drive and the thought alone can affect not only a man’s ability to perform, but his ego as well. The erectile dysfunction drug market is expected to garner a $3.2 billion dollar windfall to the pharmaceutical industry by 2022.
A number of factors account for this rise, but living a sedentary lifestyle and its looming physical effects are high on the list. As such, it should not be a surprise that men over the age of forty are looking to the nearest gym to give that testosterone level a healthy burst of physical activity.
Prior to starting that first squat thrust however, let’s look at the link between the male sex drive and physical activity because you might be surprised by what you discover.
Gym Membership and the American Male
Of the more than 45 million Americans with a gym membership card in their wallet, 23 million of those are men.
With an average age of 40, each member joins from a myriad of reasons ranging from the desire to shed a few pounds, to adopting a healthier lifestyle, to trying to look more attractive to their significant other.
Obviously, exercising boosts the body’s endorphins, which helps boost your mood, self-esteem, and gives you that sexy confidence that swerves to turbo charge your sexual desires and libido.
Beyond the subconscious, the physiological effects of exercise include increased circulation, and since great sex is predicated on increased blood flow to the genitals, exercise is an excellent way to get that particular ball rolling.
Ample evidence points to the universal nature of the phenomenon, but exercise also has additional benefits.
Sex is a Physical Game
Sex is a lot of things, but at its core it is an intensely physical act requiring core muscle control and endurance for a true night to remember. Physical activity will build both strength and stamina to help improve your sexual performance when things turn horizontal.
Specifically, you can look for the following advantages with a moderate workout schedule that becomes evident with as little as six weeks of regular workouts at the local gym or fitness center owing to:
- Greater flexibility
- Stronger core
- Increased muscle strength
- Longer endurance
Simply stated, stronger muscles and longer physical endurance means expanded play time and increasingly varied sexual positions that are a sure fire guaranteed way to boost your sexual libido.
Also, feeling sexy comes with regular exercise, and those with better body images of themselves tend to have more relaxed sex than one who might be harboring adverse images of their body.
Too Much of a Good Thing is a Bad Thing
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina warns that excessive exercise training can have the opposite effect and actually suppress your sex drive as sex hormones are replaced with stress hormones in a condition identified as “Exercise Hypogonadal Male Condition,” which suppresses the testosterone levels in your body.
In fact, prior research indicates that the testosterone boosting advantages of exercise for sedentary men is more pronounced than in those who adhere to a high intensity workout. Therefore, for a highly tuned sex drive, it is better to engage in regular, moderate intensity exercises for a happy and healthy sex life than to spending hours in the gym overtraining.
Studies have also shown exercising with a significant other can boost feelings of attraction. Whether you exercise alone or with a partner, get out there and get active, your sex life will thank you for it!