Balance to live a healthier life | workout + sex
Do you ever get the feeling that all you ever do is work?
For many of us, this carousel ride of work is never ending. From sunrise to sunset, or maybe even after dark, we are trying desperately to keep from falling under the hooves of paperwork, assignments, appointments, activities, and so on. Unfortunately, if our lives are out of balance, we ultimately suffer from burnout, exhaustion, and a decline in our relationships. One way we can help calibrate our lives is to include exercise back into our routines.
For years we have been told about the natural power physical activity has when it comes to zapping the effects of depression, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and more. People who take time to workout often benefit as they reap the rewards of extra energy. While all of these side effects are pretty amazing in their own rights, a lot of us are completely unaware of how exercise can enhance our sex lives, allowing us to rekindle our relationships for balancing a healthier life.
Exercise and Sex: The New Power Couple
If we fail to stop the cycle of an unbalanced life, we can easily put our bodies into survival modes. Whether we work nonstop or hit the gym too often, we can stress out our bodies which leads to a shutdown of our sexual drives. This is an inborn response, because nature has geared our body’s ability to reproduce to slow during times of stress, famine, or dangerous situations.
It was originally intended to keep a woman from experiencing the physical and mental burdens of a pregnancy during trying times, but this paleo response also affects our sexual desires. Getting in those extra steps or signing up for a zumba class is doing much more than slimming our tummies and reducing that extra wiggle on our backside. It is potentially improving our sex lives when paired with a healthy lifestyle.
For starters, workouts reduce the amount of stress in our lives. This is important for people to consider, because stress clutters our minds and is often the number one libido killer. Regular exercise helps our bodies secrete endorphins and lowers the level of cortisol, which are directly responsible for activating the natural reward centers in our brains allowing us to feel joy.
In addition, exercise gets our hearts thumping, trims up our problem areas, helps improve the strength of our pelvic floor muscles, and pumps up our confidence. The combination of all these benefits can roll over into our relationships by helping us achieve sexual satisfaction without extra medications. Working up a sweat improves blood circulation, which in a round-a-bout way, revs up our ability to be aroused. Proper blood flow is essential for creating the needed sensations to achieve orgasms, which are part of a healthy life.
5 Ways To Achieve Balance With Exercise and Sex
The following suggestions can help us achieve balance to live a healthier life:
Take care of ourselves. Make sure we take the time to focus on our own needs instead of others. It’s tempting to always be the caregiver, but don’t forget to schedule annual physicals or trips to the dentist. A few minutes of self care can reduce the chances we will experience a major crisis around the bend.
Schedule sleep. Getting adequate amounts of shut eye is essential for us to feel well, handle stress, and achieve higher productivity. It might be tempting to stay up an extra few hours to get one more item checked off our lists, but we need to remember that sleep deprivation harms us in the long run.
Make it a priority to focus on your relationships. Daily living can quickly douse the spark for today’s couples. Implement a date night or set aside time for bonding as a couple, so we can foster our connections and enjoy a healthier sex life.
Consider practicing yoga. Yoga is a great form of exercise that helps people strengthen their cores, tone their bodies, and clear out stress. Plus, many beginner yoga moves release tension and tightness from our muscles, making us feel better almost instantly!
Eat a diverse and healthy diet. There is mounting evidence that vitamins and minerals in our food can naturally enhance our sexual and physical wellbeing. Consider adding spinach, green tea, or basil to your next meal to boost your sex drives.
What tips do you have for balancing life with workouts and sex?
By Guest Contributor: Gwen Lewis
Gwen Lewis is a freelance fashion writer who lives in California. She has been in the health and fashion industry for years and loves writing on the topic to give tips from experience. In her free time, she loves to stay active and has just taken on learning how to surf.
Don't forget to connect with her on Twitter @GwenEveLewis