Maximizing Your Sexual Health Through Healthy Habits

It’s no secret that sexual health is complicated. While the average animal has sex for the sole purpose of reproduction, we humans are slightly different. Humans want to enjoy sex, and the most diminutive factors can present immense problems in the bedroom. Sex is important, whether you’re in a relationship or not. If you’re looking to improve your sexual health through lifestyle habits, here are some areas to be mindful of.

Exercise

When trying to improve your sexual health, the first thing to review is the amount of exercise you’re getting. Physical activity impacts our health in many ways, including our sexual health. During sex, your heart rate increases, showing that even doing the deed involves a bit of working out. Exercise helps to improve your cardiovascular fitness and can improve your sexual performance.

If you’re hoping to improve your stamina and ability to perform in the bedroom, participate in aerobic exercises for endurance, and strength exercises to help you build your muscles. Further, balance and flexibility can improve your sexual performance and can be done through yoga. By exercising at least once a week for about an hour or two, you can directly improve your sexual health.

Diet

You’ve probably heard certain foods labeled as aphrodisiacs. While the jury is still out on the science behind these foods improving your libido and arousal, diet does play a significant role in your sexual health regardless. A healthy diet can help to improve your stamina, which is very important in the bedroom.

To improve your sexual health through diet, ensure you’re getting the necessary servings of complex carbohydrates. This doesn’t mean eating a family-sized bag of chips, but instead, fueling your body with whole grains. Fruits also impact your blood pressure, so the “apple a day” saying can apply to your sexual health as well. Studies have shown that Omega-3’s found in fish and flaxseed also help increase blood flow, in turn, helping our sexual organs get aroused.

Lastly, studies have shown that Vitamin D contributes to our overall sexual health and performance and can lower your risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction and other sexual disorders. If you think you need extra vitamin D in your diet, you can get your servings from mushrooms, fortified foods, and eggs.

Improve your sleep

If you’re experiencing a sexual disorder such as erectile dysfunction or low libido, lack of quality sleep may be the culprit. A study done in 2018 found that individuals with lower levels of melatonin were more likely to experience erectile dysfunction, showing the correlation between sleep and sexual health. For men, testosterone is sleep produced while sleeping, so lack of quality sleep may prevent you from producing the health levels needed to perform sexually.

If you think sleep may be inhibiting your ability to have sex, consider looking into sleep supplements that can help you get the melatonin you need for a good night of rest.

Reduce stress

You probably already know that stress can negatively impact your health, and your libido is no different. When you experience high amounts of stress or have poor stress management, it can damage your libido and impede your ability to have an erection or reach orgasm. Stress can also prevent you from getting a good night of rest, which we mentioned can negatively impact your sexual health. Not only can stress reduce our ability to have sex, but it can also cause us to develop other unhealthy habits like self-medicating through alcohol, lead to binge eating of unhealthy foods, and more.

If you think poor stress management could be negatively affecting your sexual health, look into health coping strategies such as therapy, exercise, or whatever helps to reduce your cortisol and cope with the stress in your life.

Kick out unhealthy habits

Unhealthy lifestyle habits may be the culprit to your poor sexual health if none of the other factors we mentioned seem to apply to you. Whether it’s the glass of wine or two you have after a long day of work or your after-dinner treat like a bowl of ice cream. While you shouldn’t have to overhaul your lifestyle to improve your sexual health, small, incremental changes can make a huge difference.

Identify some of the habits in your life that may be unhealthy and swap them out for something healthier. Significant changes won’t happen overnight, but little changes and decisions you make daily can make all the difference in your sexual health.

Masturbate

For some, having sex isn’t the problem, it’s lasting that is the issue. Masturbation can help to improve your stamina in the bedroom by getting a little practice. To improve your longevity through masturbation, don’t rush through it. Instead, take your time, just as you would want to when with a partner. Masturbation can not only help you last longer, but also provide some stress relief, boost your mood, and improve your sleep quality.

Please your partner

When you experience sexual disorders, it can be hard to get out of your head in the bedroom. The anxiety that comes with sexual health disorders, such as erectile dysfunction, can make it harder to perform in the bedroom. The best solution to stop worrying about yourself and your sexual issues is to focus on pleasuring your partner. Focusing on your partner helps reduce the anxiety you’ve developed from your issues, and you may find that they disappear once you let go of the anxiety associated with them.

Working with your partner can help improve the experience for all parties involved. You can work together to find the right pacing, positions, and pressure to make it more enjoyable for everyone. You can also discuss some of your concerns beforehand to help ease your worries as you go into the bedroom.

Get help when you need it

Even with all of these factors tended to, your sexual health problems may not go away. If you’ve cut out unhealthy habits, improved your physical health and diet, and still have the same problems, don’t get frustrated. Sometimes you just need extra help from a doctor. If you’re concerned about your sexual health, consider discussing issues with your doctor and even a therapist. Sometimes sexual issues are a mental thing, and other times they could indicate an unresolved illness. Either way, there are plenty of ways to enjoy sex, and with a little effort and the help of a healthcare professional, you’re on your way to better sex.