Your overall health extends to all areas of your life. When you’re physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy, your sex life is likely to be so. You won’t enjoy great sex if some things are troubling your mind or you’re feeling physical pain. Staying healthy may take time and effort but the results are rewarding. It only takes simple self-pampering to have the best of your sexual health and be an incredible partner in bed. The tips below will help you.
1. Take care of your nutrition
Different foods have different effects on the body. Eating the right foods makes your body healthy while eating unhealthy foods can lead to illnesses or health problems. This logic sounds simple but when you’re faced with different kinds of deliciously looking food, you sometimes get confused between healthy but less tasty foods or yummy but less healthy. Thus, you need to have a strong preference for foods that pack the right nutrients, especially the ones that are good for your sexual health.
Go for foods that are good for circulatory health, like nuts, fruits, cayenne, ginkgo biloba, and dark chocolates. Proper blood flow is essential to erection and ejaculation. Also, include in your diet some testosterone-boosting foods, such as tuna, egg yolks, oysters, beans, and low-fat milk.
2. Manage your stress
Achieving or maintaining an erection is difficult when you’re under stress. You can’t perform your best when your body and mind connection is weak. There has to be a good mind and body connection to achieve fulfilling and satisfying sex.
Yet stress is inevitable. It’s a normal part and parcel of life. A certain amount of stress is needed to grow and move forward. It’s how you manage your stress that makes the difference. If you allow stress to affect your dealings in every aspect of life, then it’s destructive. But if you see it differently and take it as a signal that something important needs your attention and act accordingly, you’ll move through life with flying colors.
To effectively manage stress, take breaks. Many people may be counting on you, but all of them will be affected too if you won’t take good care of yourself. So, don’t be afraid to take a mini vacation or days off when you feel your body needs it badly. Spending more time with your loved ones is another way of recharging yourself. Sometimes marred relationships are caused by not having enough time for each other. Doing physical activities or spending more time on a hobby is another way of de-stressing yourself.
3. Meditation practice
Mindfulness relaxes your body and mind. Others effectively manage their stress by achieving an inner sense of calm and balance through mindfulness and meditation. Meditation is helpful not only for the mind but also for the body.
The health benefits of this practice include stress and anxiety reduction, emotional well-being, and increased focus, among all others. All these things can help improve your overall wellbeing including your sexual health. You’re likely to perform better in bed when your body and mind are in its greatest shape. Studies suggest that meditation increases people’s negative perception of sex, improves sexual relationships, and helps individuals to be more aware and present with their partners during sex.
4. Watch your weight
Aim for a healthy weight. Obesity has been linked to hypertension, diabetes, and other illnesses that are associated with erectile dysfunction. Maintaining a healthy weight can make you feel good about your body. When you’re feeling good, you’re likely to perform better during sexual activity.
5. Stop smoking
Health experts have been telling that you’re killing yourself slowly every time you smoke. Because the effects happen gradually, smokers tend to ignore this warning. If you’re one of them, think twice because smoking can also affect your sexual health and how you perform as a lover.
Based on studies, smoking leads to illnesses that are linked to erectile dysfunction, like high blood pressure, heart problems, and others. People who quit smoking were found to have improved sexual functions and reduced sexual problems. Another thing is, some women don’t like the smell of cigarettes unless she smokes too. To avoid being turned off by someone you’re interested in, quit smoking.
6. Avoid too much alcohol
A high dosage of alcohol in the body can affect your sexual health. According to research, men who drink too much have a reduced capacity to get and maintain an erection. Prolonged overconsumption of alcohol has also been found to affect a man’s fertility. If you’re planning to have a baby, whether it may be now or sometime in the future, you might as well limit your alcohol intake to maintain your sperm health.
7. Get physical
Physical exercises have many benefits, boosting not only your mood and energy but also your sexual health. Having regular physical movements reduces your risk of debilitating diseases that can lead to erectile dysfunction or other sexual problems. Proper blood circulation can strengthen your nerves and improve blood flow, which is important to getting and maintaining an erection.
Aside from exercising your body, you should also exercise the parts that are needed for erection and ejaculation, such as your PC muscles. Do simple Kegel exercises while urinating. Hold the flow of urine for a few seconds and be aware of the muscles involved. When not urinating, contract these muscles for at least ten seconds and relax them for another ten. Repeat the process several times a day. This skill can improve your performance in bed, especially in delaying ejaculation.
8. Establish open communication
The health of your sexual relationships does not only depend on the amount of work you put into it but how you and your partner work for it as a couple. Problems in the bedroom arise from time to time. Instead of giving it a cold shoulder, both of you should be open to talking about it. This reduces the risk of anxieties or isolation during sex, which can affect your performance.
9. Address relationship problems
Relationship problems often arise when you’re in a long-term relationship. No one is born perfect, for this, criticism about each other’s shortcomings may come up. Blame or guilt may make you feel like a lousy lover. This can make you feel bad about yourself and affect your sexual function.
Try to address any relationship issues the moment they come up. Don’t wait for it to take root and cause permanent damage. There’s no problem too big for couples who value each other and want to stay in the relationship. You may come up to certain compromises just to keep the relationship and each other, which is the secret to a healthy sex life and relationship.