Will physical exercise improve my sexual health?

"Beginning a fitness routine has made a difference in our sex life," remarks a 42-year-old woman, mother of three. "Since we began biking together, we have so much more energy for each other. It's getting wonderful again."

Such an experience isn't unusual. A recent study in the International Journal of Obesity found that overweight and obese women who lost weight reported improved sexual arousal and orgasms. Also, more the weight lost, better the impact.

Regular exercise can increase sexual desire and make sex more enjoyable; studies show. No matter what, all types of exercise are good for you and by keeping your body in good working order everything should keep functioning at its near optimal levels. Some studies have shown that regular exercisers report a higher sex drive; this may be related to surges of testosterone that can occur immediately after resistance training like lifting weights, or right after endurance training like running or stair-climbing.

Researchers at Bentley College in Massachusetts found that women who in their 40s who exercised engaged in sex more often (about seven times per month), and enjoyed it more than a sedentary group of peers. Since sex can be an act of endurance, improving cardiovascular fitness with aerobic activity such as walking, running, cycling or swimming for at least 30 minutes, three times per week, will help both partners perform longer and more often.

A revved up sex drive may also be a result of other sympathetic hormones like epinephrine that makes one feel more energised. Some opioids like beta-endorphins can produce a "feel-good" effect there by reducing stress and letting optimisation of the sexual system.

It is also believed that the psychological self-confidence that you get from being physically fit, accomplishing fitness goals (exercising on a regular basis) or simply losing weight boosts your self-esteem andhelps you feel sexier there by optimising the sexual system.

The surest way to whet sexual appetite and increase sexual activity is through physical exercise. Potent medicine, aerobic exercise revs up hormones, flushes stress, whittles away fat and rejuvenates the body filling us with renewed vigour, greater confidence and the glow of good health.

Regular exercise also increases blood flow to the genitals priming men and women for sex. A University of California study of middle-aged, sedentary men found that after just one hour of exercise three times a week, men demonstrated improved sexual function, more frequent sex and orgasms, and greater satisfaction.

Links between diabetes and cardiovascular disease to erectile dysfunction has also been established.  High blood pressure is strongly linked to lower urinary tract symptoms and perceived symptoms of androgen deficiency. If you are down on your sexual appetite or performance, there could be more than just a simple health problem cooking up inside.

The author is a city-based health and fitness expert