How to boost your sex drive

If you’re looking to boost your sex drive and improve your sexual health, you need to look at the big picture. 

There are many factors which influence men’s sexual health – some are physical and some psychological.

So, let’s take a look at the facts about sexual health for men and ways you can optimise your sex drive by paying attention to your body and your lifestyle. Let’s start with the heart…

Good heart health can prevent erectile dysfunction

Taking care of your heart is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy sex life. That’s because changes in your heart health can make their presence felt in the bedroom long before other symptoms kick in.

One of the first stages of heart disease is endothelial dysfunction, a condition that means your blood vessels can’t open properly.  This problem often affects the blood vessels of the penis first.  Struggling to achieve or maintain an erection can be a hint of an underlying heart disease, and erectile dysfunction can make its presence felt as a warning sign 3 to 5 years before a heart attack or a stroke. 

When you look after your heart, you’re looking after your sexual health too. So now you can add a good sex life to the list of reasons to follow a healthy diet and exercise!

Reducing stress can enhance your sex life

Stress can be caused by personal or professional issues, or it can be related directly to anxiety about sexual performance. If you’re not getting along well with your partner, that can lead to stress and anxiety too.

Whatever the cause, stress can have a negative impact on your sexual health. Excessive stress is proven to reduce arousal and it can lead to low libido, erectile dysfunction, and difficulties reaching orgasm.

When you reduce stress, those problems with sex drive and performance can lessen. There’s no single answer to cutting back on stress, but you can make a start by getting good sleep and staying active. Forming good mental health habits can also reduce the worry that is affecting your life to manageable proportions and help you feel at ease in your body again.

Mental health issues can impact your sexual health

Our brains play a key role in triggering the series of physical events that lead to an erection. It makes sense, then, that symptoms of anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem can interfere with your ability to achieve or maintain an erection.

Sleep supports testosterone production

Did you know you produce testosterone while you sleep?  Sleep deprivation can result in poor sperm health, poor sperm motility, low libido, and erectile dysfunction. That make you want to plan an early night…

Diabetes sometimes lowers libido

Men with diabetes often experience a range of complications that impact sexual function. Erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, low libido, and retrograde ejaculation (when semen enters the bladder rather than leaving through the penis) can all become issues if your diabetes is poorly managed.

When you take care of your diabetes, you can optimise your sexual health and satisfaction. Talking honestly with a doctor about any sexual health issues you are encountering can help you maintain a good sex life, and it can also help the doctor to spot any underlying issues that require attention.

Steroid misuse can damage your sexual health

The misuse of anabolic steroids (often used to build muscle) can significantly damage your health, and will lead to lower production of testosterone. That may, in turn, reduce your sperm count and shrink your testes. If you want to boost your sex drive, use steroids responsibly!

Medication can affect sexual function

Various medications, particularly the ones that are used to treat depression, epilepsy, and high blood pressure, may affect sexual function. Do talk honestly with your doctor about any negative effects you are experiencing linked to your medication, so they can support your overall health, including your sex drive.

Drugs and alcohol can reduce performance as well as your inhibitions

Think carefully before taking substances that lower your inhibitions – they could be hitting your sex drive and performance too. It can be tempting to turn to alcohol as a way of relaxing or dealing with relationship problems too, but drink is a depressant and it tends to make matters worse.

Studies show that prolonged excessive use of alcohol can increase your risk of erectile dysfunction. In fact, men who are dependent on alcohol have a 60-70% chance of developing sexual problems.

Meanwhile, recreational drugs can lead to low libido, erectile dysfunction, and difficulties reaching orgasm.  Your fertility can also take a hit.

Obesity may cause sexual health problems

Men who are overweight or obese are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction than men in a healthy weight range. Obesity is also linked to lower sperm counts as well as sperm quality and mobility, which will be an issue if you have plans for parenthood and want to make sure you have good sperm health.

If you need help to lose weight safely, talk to a doctor about the best way to reach a healthy weight for you.

Boost your sex drive to improve your health and wellbeing

A review of your sexual health can guide you towards ways to boost your sex drive. And it’s clear that taking care of your sexual health will pay dividends for your overall health and wellbeing, not just your sex life.

When you see your sex drive as part of that bigger picture, you can start to appreciate it as a great indicator about the shape your mind and body are in.

Taking care of your sexual health can become part of a lifestyle that serves every part of your life well!

More sleep, less stress, healthy eating, and good choices are part of the prescription for boosting your sex drive and achieving a healthy life, so why not get started on them today?

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