Pick it up. Dust it off. Give it mouth-to-mouth. Our fitness guru Annie Deadman on the natural ways to revive a flagging libido.
“I told some of my clients I was tackling this topic… ‘Save us and our stuttering sex drive,’ they begged. Busy family lives, work issues and fluctuations in how we feel about our partners can all contribute to a decline in the desire to be intimate. Then there’s the big M…
I believe in not blaming hormonal imbalances for every negative in our lives, but we are not strangers to the midlife cocktail of night sweats, hot flushes, joint pain and stiffness, parched skin, palpitations and, of course, anxiety. It’s not surprising then that having sex doesn’t always make it to the top of the midlife woman’s to-do list.
Patches and potions can also boost desire. But let’s see what we can do to give us (and Friday nights) the best possible chance. Our oestrogen levels may drop, but let’s get our underwear joining in too.
ALSO SEE: Sex after childbirth: what you need to know
Move more!
Look, I know it’s my job to bang the exercise drum, but the link between exercise and mental health is huge. The charity Mind states there is solid evidence to show that people who exercise regularly are less likely to suffer from depression and stress, and that this leads not only to an increase in self-esteem, but to a boost in mood.
Exercise can make us happy. When we’re happy, we’re confident; when we’re confident, we’re more likely to take the plunge.
A sedentary lifestyle will kill anyone’s sex drive, so take each other by the arm and get out for mood-boosting walks. Importantly, a decline in libido may not just be about plummeting oestrogen levels, but testosterone too. Adding strength training not only challenges our muscles, giving us renewed strength and tone, but also a boost in testosterone.
Let’s look at food
The words ‘healthy diet’ are obvious, but can it actually make a difference to our va-va-voom? I’d take a bet that it does.
Regular doses of greens and other brightly coloured fruit and veg will add a sizzle of antioxidants to the quality of the blood
in your veins. On top of that, essential fatty acids (EFAs) found in oily fish, nuts and avocados will aid production of sex hormones, keep any negative moods at bay and help shunt the blood along to our vital parts.
Collagen accounts for a third of all the protein in our body, and helps build and repair bones, teeth, tendons, blood vessels and skin, keeping it smoother and more elastic. A nice plump clitoris, anyone? As we age, collagen declines, so think about taking a collagen drink or powder.
The vaginal wall is worth a mention here, as this can become dry and thin when oestrogen drops. So thin that penetration becomes painful (like lemon juice on a wound). That’s hardly going to spark much interest in taking things further, is it? There are a great variety of lubes and vaginal moisturisers on the market, or talk to your GP, who may be able to offer some topical oestrogen.
Incidentally, during my research on the food side, one thing did keep cropping up – maca powder. Despite there being little scientific evidence to suggest a leg-up for our libido, there is a great deal of interesting chat about it online (the forums made particularly juicy reading for a Tuesday afternoon!). It’s packed with magnesium, iron and selenium, and it boasts whopping energy- giving properties.
So, lose the cigs, moderate the booze and we have every chance of igniting that flame of passion.
ALSO SEE:
Feature Image: Pexels
