It’s twelve days into the new year. Have you started working on those resolutions yet?
Whether it’s losing the holiday pounds, quitting smoking, or getting organized, keep it up: You might start having better sex because of it.
Sexual health, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is “a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality.” It is a holistic condition affected by different parts of your general health and lifestyle, and improving any of those parts can also improve your sexual health.
Getting physically fit can most noticeably enhance your body image and increase your sexual self-esteem. Increasing your athleticism outside of bed can also increase your physical stamina and prowess in bed. In addition, having high blood pressure and high cholesterol is correlated with decreased sexual interest and function for women, and with erectile dysfunction for men.
Becoming a nonsmoker is certainly starting to be more socially and olfactorily desirable, especially for many people looking for a sexual or romantic partner. On top of that, smoking is associated with male erectile dysfunction later in life, and it is a major risk factor for bladder cancer which can severely impair your sexual function.
Getting organized is a great way to become more efficient and allow more time for you to focus on other aspects of your life, like friends, romance or sex. It can also help you to reduce stress, and many sexual dysfunctions can arise out of stress-related problems, such as anxiety or depression.
If you’re not feeling sexy enough, you might also consider adding a few resolutions just for your sexual health.
Get educated. Research what it means for you to be sexually healthy, so that you can recognize when there might be a problem like a sexual dysfunction or sexually transmitted infection. You’ll probably discover that you’re not alone and that there are solutions available.
Get comfortable. Once you’ve learned more about sexual health, you should start to feel more at ease talking about sex and consequently more at ease having sex. Communication with a sexual partner is important for having pleasurable sex, and discussing your sexual concerns with someone is a great step towards getting help.
