Can Working Out Really Increase Your Sex Drive?
Many things affect your sex drive. From medication and hormonal fluctuations, to diet or sleep patterns, to one's general mood, the human libido doesn't sit still. Furthermore, there's no one way to experience a sex drive. "There are no norms, and every person is different," psychologist and sex therapist Shannon Chavez, PsyD told Women's Health. "Our libido also changes daily, so it's better to understand how to cope with the changes rather than make assumptions about the highs and lows." In other words, don't worry about the sex drives of those around you and focus on what's "normal" for you.
One way to give your libido a boost if it's been lagging a bit is through exercise. According to a 2018 study published in Sexual Medicine Reviews, sexual arousal and satisfaction are positively affected in women "following acute exercise." As the study found, there's not one reason for this, but many, including increased heart health, hormonal impact, flexibility, and positive body image. Basically, all the things one may need to be in tip-top form in the bedroom, all thanks to exercise.
While exercise isn't the only way to enhance your sex drive and not all results are the same, it's something worth considering if your libido needs a little kick. Exercising, in general, is never a bad idea, so if there's a bonus of a higher libido and that's something you need, why not give it a go?
Exercise is great for mental health
If you want a better sex life, then you need to get your brain in order, and exercise can help. It should come as no surprise that things like depression, anxiety, and stress affect the libido, but one way to nip these things in the bud is through regular exercise. (Medication can help too, but SSRIs can negatively affect the libido.)
According to a 2023 study published in Cureus, exercise is beneficial in all realms of mental health disorders. Depression and anxiety are better for it, stress is lowered, as are cravings for those who are dependent upon alcohol. While not all of the findings in the study are specific to the positive impact of exercise on libido, it proves that when the necessary components for an increased sex drive are in check, everything else falls into place.
There's also the fact that when you feel good, your outlook on life changes for the better, and your confidence goes up. This isn't just about feeling more at peace with your body image, as the 2018 study published in Sexual Medicine Reviews found, but what that confidence exudes and attracts in return. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Personality is just one of many pieces of research that have found that when it comes to attraction on a romantic level, social confidence is what catches peoples' eyes and ultimately lures them in.
Exercise increases overall health
As much as research pinpoints specific areas where exercise plays a pivotal role in your libido, it's also important to see the bigger picture of an enhanced sex drive. It all works together, creating a healthy cycle. For example, exercise increases endurance and stamina which are essential for an increased libido. The longer you can have sex, the more calories you burn, which is more exercise for the body. According to a 2013 study published in Plos One, engaging in a half-hour of sexual activity results in the same amount of calories burned per walking three miles in an hour — something that, when put in that context, is pretty impressive.
Although there are overwhelming positives that come with exercise and how it affects your libido, make sure you don't overdo it because too much working out can send your sex drive in the other direction. "It's difficult to either desire or have sex if you're exhausted," holistic health expert Ana Gonzalez Herrera told InStyle. "The body goes into recovery mode after strenuous workouts in order to repair your muscles, [meaning] that your body is prioritizing its efforts on creating an anti-inflammatory response, and not on the idea of getting sex." Like anything, moderation is key and more isn't always better. Listen to your body; it will tell you when enough is enough, so you can get back on even ground where your exercise routine and libido are feeding off each other in a healthy way.