Increase Your Sex Drive Naturally With These Lifestyle Changes

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Physical intimacy is just as important as emotional intimacy in a relationship. However, if the desire isn’t there, all parties can wind up frustrated. According to research reported on Medical News Today, women face a 43 percent likelihood of sexual dysfunction. Sexual dysfunction, in the medical world, is a blanket term for any condition that prevents you from wanting to have sex or from enjoying sex. So, for some women, the desire to have sex might be there, but the ability to climax could be lacking. For others, the drive to get it on in the first place is missing.

For a high number of women, sex drive goes down in a long-term relationship. A study published in the National Library of Medicine found this to be consistently true. But, what are the implications of that study? It’s not as if you’ll just find a new partner every time your sex life dwindles – especially if the relationship is otherwise loving and functional. If you find yourself in this predicament, here’s what you should know if you want to increase your sex drive.

Your Lifestyle + Your Sex Drive

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Speaking to your partner about your low sex drive and exploring ways to bring back the spark together is a great first step. However, there are things you can do on your end to improve your chances of bringing your libido up. Some of these include:

• Drinking less. It’s no secret that a drink or two can get you in the mood, and maybe make you feel brave enough to finally try that new thing in bed. However, Health Service Executive reports that excess drinking over time lowers sex drive.
• Avoiding trans fats. Staying away from chili cheese fries is a good idea on date night for a number of reasons. Biologically speaking, the trans fats in these foods have been shown to lower sex drive.
• Cutting back on salt and sugar. It turns out lean, healthy meals are the key to a better sex life. The insulin changes that result from sugar intake are associated with a lower libido. The high blood pressure associated with sodium intake is also linked to a low sex drive.
• Smoking less (or not at all). If you smoke cigarettes or partake in any nicotine-containing substance, know that research published in the National Library of Medicine found that nicotine-dependent women typically have a lower sex drive.
• Sleeping more. While this one is easier said than done, if you can find a way to clock more Z’s, know that The Sleep Foundation reported a correlation between sleep deprivation and reduced sex drive in women.

Masturbation And Sex Drive

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For years, experts have debated whether or not frequent masturbation increases or decreases sex drive. On the one hand, if you’re getting your big O’s from yourself, why seek them from a partner? On the other hand, some argue that the more pleasure you experience, the more you want – including from a partner. Luckily, some results are in. Sort of.

Masturbation and sex drive have a complicated relationship. Some unsurprising studies – like this one and this one – found that when men masturbate less, they want to get it on with a partner more. However, other studies have found that men who masturbate often to pornography specifically report lower sexual satisfaction in their relationships. Another study published in Springer found that women who masturbated often had a higher sex drive.

So, what does it all mean? You’ll have to try it out for yourself, but these studies could suggest the following:

• Couples will benefit from the woman masturbating more. Experiencing orgasms regularly could increase your desire to have more and with a partner. Throughout many studies, frequent masturbation was not associated with a lowered sex drive in women.
• Couples might benefit from a man masturbating less. And certainly, based on the research, if men are going to help themselves, they should cut back on the X-rated films as those appear to have an adverse effect on their sexual attraction to their partners.

Libido Fluctuations Are Normal

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It is important to remember that it’s perfectly normal for sex drive to fluctuate throughout one’s life. Most couples – according to extensive research – do not want to do the deed as often when they are many years into a relationship, compared to when they were freshly dating. Taking some extra steps to boost libido in long-term relationships is common and nothing to be alarmed over.

Natural hormonal fluctuations, as well as stressful phase-of-life changes like having kids or changing jobs, can also impact one’s sex drive. The key is to always communicate with your partner and work together to get back on track.

In some cases, sexual dysfunction can be a sign of an underlying condition. So if traditional methods of boosting your sex drive are not working, it could be a good idea to speak to your doctor.

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