This was in IVillage.com today.
You already know that exercise makes you look and feel sexier. But did you know that exercise, quite literally, makes you sexy? After a good workout, men and women alike experience a spike of testosterone (the famed "pump" of bodybuilding), the hormone that influences sexual arousal. And sex itself can be a decent workout. While you can't substitute your mattress for your treadmill (a 125 pound woman burns about 30 calories during a 20 minute session of moderately intense lovemaking), sex works your core muscles, your glutes - even your upper body, if you spend time on top.
Exercise and sex are definitely related. The more you have of the former, the more you'll want the latter! To make the sex you have that much better, you can train for "peak performance" just as you would train for optimal performance in a sport. The program below targets the needs of a sexual athlete. Try it and see if you can achieve your own "personal best."
Build Cardio Stamina
You already do aerobic workouts for weight loss and cardiovascular health, but there are other excellent reasons to make the commitment. First, stress is a major libido killer for women. Regular cardio sessions (at least three times a week) of at least 30 minutes have been shown to improve mood and reduce tension. Second, pushing your endurance can pay off during lovemaking. As we all know, women take time to reach orgasm. To keep the action going long enough for you to reach your climax, it helps to have some extra stamina. Furthermore, if you've been something of a junior partner in the bedroom, your man will also appreciate having you do "some of the work" or even taking the lead! Not only will you both enjoy it, you may burn some extra calories too.
Use Your Glutes
During intercourse, your butt is functional and well as decorative. When you thrust your hips forward, you use your glutes. More powerful glutes equal better thrust. Squats, a weight-room classic for butt toning, also work your quadriceps and hamstrings. To perform a perfect squat, hold dumbbells or place a weighted bar across your shoulders. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and parallel. Keep your belly in and your eyes facing forward. Slowly, sit your butt back and down, as if reaching for an imaginary seat behind you. Lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as close as you can get them) but no lower. Your knees should not shoot out past your toes. Now, squeeze your glutes together and slowly straighten your legs until you are standing in the starting position. Start with two sets of 12 repetitions and work your way up to three.
Strengthen Yourself on Top
Being on top in the "missionary" position can be physically taxing. In a nonsexual context, it's actually an isometric exercise called "plank position." To practice it, lie on your stomach with your bent elbows directly under your shoulders and your toes curled underneath you on the floor. Draw your belly in toward your spine and push yourself up, keeping your hips in line with your shoulders. Your legs should be straight. Your body should form a straight plank with no break at the hips or shoulders. Hold this position, continuing to breathe normally, for at least 20 seconds and as long as possible.
This exercise works your lower back, your abs and all the "core musculature." If you concentrate, you can even feel your PC muscles clenching along with the deepest layer of your abdominal cavity.
Inner Strength
If you've had a baby, you've probably already heard of Kegels. These exercises, which call for the rhythmic clenching and unclenching of the pubococcygeal (PC) muscles, strengthen the walls of your vagina, making childbirth easier, incontinence less likely, and orgasms more intense. The PC muscles form the "floor" of your pelvis. They stretch from your pubic bone to your tailbone like an internal hammock. To find them, the next time you go to the bathroom, try stopping your flow of urine in midstream. The muscles you're clenching are your PCs. Kegels consist of nothing more exotic than contracting and relaxing your PCs. You needn't be urinating to perform a Kegel. In fact, they can be done anytime, anywhere. Simply contract your muscles, hold for a count of five, and release. Repeat 10 times. Most experts recommend that you repeat this cycle of Kegels eight to ten times per day.
Although it can be difficult to remember to do Kegels on a daily basis, the benefits are amazing. Stronger PC muscles can lead to more intense orgasms, multiple orgasms, enhanced sexual sensation and even G-spot sensitivity! Your partner will also enjoy your "grip" when you internally flex your newfound muscles.
Be More Flexible
Stretching can prevent injury, increase range of motion around a joint, and lead you to discover some novel sexual positions. Take a few yoga classes and get comfortable with your limbs in new and unexpected contortions. The more choices you and your partner have, the more creative you can get.
You already know that exercise makes you look and feel sexier. But did you know that exercise, quite literally, makes you sexy? After a good workout, men and women alike experience a spike of testosterone (the famed "pump" of bodybuilding), the hormone that influences sexual arousal. And sex itself can be a decent workout. While you can't substitute your mattress for your treadmill (a 125 pound woman burns about 30 calories during a 20 minute session of moderately intense lovemaking), sex works your core muscles, your glutes - even your upper body, if you spend time on top.
Exercise and sex are definitely related. The more you have of the former, the more you'll want the latter! To make the sex you have that much better, you can train for "peak performance" just as you would train for optimal performance in a sport. The program below targets the needs of a sexual athlete. Try it and see if you can achieve your own "personal best."
Build Cardio Stamina
You already do aerobic workouts for weight loss and cardiovascular health, but there are other excellent reasons to make the commitment. First, stress is a major libido killer for women. Regular cardio sessions (at least three times a week) of at least 30 minutes have been shown to improve mood and reduce tension. Second, pushing your endurance can pay off during lovemaking. As we all know, women take time to reach orgasm. To keep the action going long enough for you to reach your climax, it helps to have some extra stamina. Furthermore, if you've been something of a junior partner in the bedroom, your man will also appreciate having you do "some of the work" or even taking the lead! Not only will you both enjoy it, you may burn some extra calories too.
Use Your Glutes
During intercourse, your butt is functional and well as decorative. When you thrust your hips forward, you use your glutes. More powerful glutes equal better thrust. Squats, a weight-room classic for butt toning, also work your quadriceps and hamstrings. To perform a perfect squat, hold dumbbells or place a weighted bar across your shoulders. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and parallel. Keep your belly in and your eyes facing forward. Slowly, sit your butt back and down, as if reaching for an imaginary seat behind you. Lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as close as you can get them) but no lower. Your knees should not shoot out past your toes. Now, squeeze your glutes together and slowly straighten your legs until you are standing in the starting position. Start with two sets of 12 repetitions and work your way up to three.
Strengthen Yourself on Top
Being on top in the "missionary" position can be physically taxing. In a nonsexual context, it's actually an isometric exercise called "plank position." To practice it, lie on your stomach with your bent elbows directly under your shoulders and your toes curled underneath you on the floor. Draw your belly in toward your spine and push yourself up, keeping your hips in line with your shoulders. Your legs should be straight. Your body should form a straight plank with no break at the hips or shoulders. Hold this position, continuing to breathe normally, for at least 20 seconds and as long as possible.
This exercise works your lower back, your abs and all the "core musculature." If you concentrate, you can even feel your PC muscles clenching along with the deepest layer of your abdominal cavity.
Inner Strength
If you've had a baby, you've probably already heard of Kegels. These exercises, which call for the rhythmic clenching and unclenching of the pubococcygeal (PC) muscles, strengthen the walls of your vagina, making childbirth easier, incontinence less likely, and orgasms more intense. The PC muscles form the "floor" of your pelvis. They stretch from your pubic bone to your tailbone like an internal hammock. To find them, the next time you go to the bathroom, try stopping your flow of urine in midstream. The muscles you're clenching are your PCs. Kegels consist of nothing more exotic than contracting and relaxing your PCs. You needn't be urinating to perform a Kegel. In fact, they can be done anytime, anywhere. Simply contract your muscles, hold for a count of five, and release. Repeat 10 times. Most experts recommend that you repeat this cycle of Kegels eight to ten times per day.
Although it can be difficult to remember to do Kegels on a daily basis, the benefits are amazing. Stronger PC muscles can lead to more intense orgasms, multiple orgasms, enhanced sexual sensation and even G-spot sensitivity! Your partner will also enjoy your "grip" when you internally flex your newfound muscles.
Be More Flexible
Stretching can prevent injury, increase range of motion around a joint, and lead you to discover some novel sexual positions. Take a few yoga classes and get comfortable with your limbs in new and unexpected contortions. The more choices you and your partner have, the more creative you can get.
