Sex Is Better If You Exercise

If you want to have more fun in bed, try getting off the couch

Robert Roy Britt
Elemental
Published in
6 min readJan 13, 2020

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Illustration: Carolyn Figel

IfIf you want good sex, you might want to get your cardio on. People who are physically active have more and better sex, for reasons ranging from better overall health and mood to increased blood flow to vital parts during the act.

“Physical activity is good for sex,” says Lee Smith, PhD, an epidemiologist researching physical activity and public health at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England. “Being more active is associated with lower risk of various chronic illnesses that we know often lower sexual activity” due to fatigue, pain, and other factors, he says.

Physical activity also improves stamina, which is “vital for a healthy sex life,” Smith says. “Lastly, it improves our mood. We know that physically active people are less prone to depression, their self-image is better, and their overall well-being is better.”

All of which ups the odds for more frequent, enjoyable romps in the hay.

In a 2019 study, Smith and his colleagues found that U.K. men and women ages 50 and older who engage in moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking or modest aerobic workouts) once a week say they have more sex than totally inactive people, and people engaging in even more vigorous…

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Robert Roy Britt
Elemental

Editor of Wise & Well on Medium + the Writer's Guide at writersguide.substack.com. Author of Make Sleep Your Superpower: amazon.com/dp/B0BJBYFQCB