Published: Thursday, July 22, 2010

Michael Johnson, CPT
Madison Weekly
Madison, Alabama’s Hometown Newspaper

Michael Johnson is a certified personal trainer who works with clients in Madison County. For a private consultation with Michael call his cell at (951) 216-1687.

Ask any couple who has been together for any significant period of time the secret to a long and happy marriage and more often than not, a satisfying sex life tops the list. In this age of Viagra and other performance enhancing drugs (sounds like something an athlete takes, huh) being able to perform adequately in the bedroom is more important than ever.

A regular exercise regimen will not only make you healthier and give you higher self esteem and boost your confidence, but can actually make you a better partner in the bedroom. Yes, I said, better!

Exercise can improve your sexual drive and give you more energy and stamina. Remember when we were young the thought of old folks having sex was beyond our realm of comprehension? My, how times have changed. Now, we're all hoping (as we age ourselves) for many years of an active sex life ahead of us. And the key is health and fitness.

A recent study revealed that the old cliché is true: Men are more likely than women to be interested in sex, have sex and enjoy sex -- even well past their sexual peak. I call that a “duh moment.” So men, don’t give up and think you will lose your sexual drive with age. Exercising can help you keep your libido intact well into your seventies and eighties, if not beyond.

Research by University of Chicago academics published online in the British Medical Journal found that, across all age groups, men were more interested in sex than women and the gap increased with age.

The difference was most pronounced in the 75 to 85 age group, where 39 percent of men and 17 percent of women said they were sexually active, although the gender difference was smaller among people with a partner. Women of that age are more likely than men to be widowed.

A total of 71 percent of men who were sexually active above age 75 reported a good sex life, compared with 51 percent of women, while 41 percent of men said they were interested in sex, compared to 11 percent of women.

"Overall, men were more likely than women to be sexually active, report a good quality sex life, and be interested in sex," the researchers found.

The researchers found the average person's sex life winds down by the age of 70. By age 55 men can hope for another 15 years while women generally have another 11 years of sexual activity. But 55-year-old men in very good or excellent health gained five to seven years of sexually active life on

average, compared with their peers in poor or fair health. Women in very good or excellent health gained three to six years compared with women in poor or fair health.

The research adds to a pile of scientific evidence suggesting good sex can improve health and well-being -- and vice versa.

The researchers found that, overall; people in very good or excellent health were 1.5 to 1.8 times more likely to report an interest in sex than those in poorer health. So you see exercising and eating well can improve your sex life.

So how can you improve your health and sex life at the same time? Simply changing your diet can make a great difference in your sex life. Exercising with resistance weights on a consistent basis will improve your drive.

Doing cardio exercises like the bicycle, treadmill machine, elliptical machine, stair stepper, and plain walking can increase your stamina and endurance.

Exercising can also get rid of nagging aches and pains that some partners use as an excuse for not being able to have sex. When one exercises a few times a week their confidence builds and they feel much younger and virile.

The bottom line: exercising will make you feel great and can enhance your love life without drugs. Exercising and eating well will tone you up and make you look more pleasurable to your mate.

There is nothing wrong with looking good and feeling good about yourself. One who exercises and stays fit will look better in clothes and will be more appealing to the opposite sex.

Get fit and have fun. Your mate will thank you for it.