Want to add more glow to your skin, years to your life and a bounce to your step? Have more sex.
In her new book, “Healthy Sex Drive, Healthy You: What Your Libido Reveals About Your Life,” nationally acclaimed Ob/GYN, Dr. Diana Hoppe, founder of Amazing Over 40 explains why a woman’s libido is a reflection of her overall health.
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A few reasons why sex may be your best health and beauty boost:
- increases longevity; anti-aging
- eases stress
- boosts your immune system
- promotes heart health
- improves brain health
- preserves vaginal health
- helps relieve insomnia
- helps relieve pain, both physical and emotional
The thing is, according to the National Health and Social Life Survey, approximately 34 percent of American women- including those of childbearing age-have some form of “sexual dysfunction.” This definition, according to Dr. Hoppe can mean a number of things but the one that most women feel is decreased sexual desire.
Stress is the main non-medical reason many women experience low libido. Women are natural multi taskers, caregivers and sharers. We take on too much and give too much. We often don’t value our time and waste it. So one thing to start doing today is: Make time for taking care of You and make time for coupling up if you have a partner.
If you don’t have a partner, you can DIY. Self-stimulation is no longer a dirty little secret. In fact, statistics report that 94 percent of all men and 89 percent of all women masturbate on a regular basis, Dr. Hoppe noted in her book. No one just wants to admit it! You can read some other interesting masty facts at this link here.
As for reducing stress, here are my tips:
Anticipate: Plan better rather than waiting to do everything and meet deadlines at the last minute. It’s easier to accomplish a few tasks and assignments each day than all at once.
Automate: Look at administrative tasks that are sucking up your precious You time and figure out which ones can be automated. For example, set up automatic bill paying through your checking account or a credit card. Arrange for employers to direct deposit your paychecks to your bank to save you a trip.
Communicate: Ask for help when you feel overwhelmed. Be honest with yourself and with others if you need more time and space to yourself. Don’t let petty annoyances get the best of you and allow things to simmer inside of you. As I like to say, “Get things off your chest.”
Delegate: Stop trying to do it all yourself and assign tasks to family members at home and to staff at the office.
Procrastinate: Reschedule something that is non-essential for a more convenient time. But just don’t make procrastination a habit and postpone things that really matter to you and to your future.
Finally, from my book, “Getting Things Off My Chest,” here is my checklist for getting reacquainted with your sexual self. I call it my “stimulus package.”
Communicate: Tell your partner- in a nice way- what feels good to you and what does not.
Lubricate: Use unscented water soluble vaginal lubricants if intercourse is uncomfortable. Skip oil based and perfumed ones.
Dilate: Exercise keeps the blood flow moving. There are exercises and special devices to help manually stretch your vaginal tissue and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles (also important to reduce incontinence). In fact the New York Post published this article January 21 called “New York women’s dirty little secret“about a new device called The Elvie.
Stimulate: In addition to touch and foreplay, this also refers to putting yourself and your partner in the mental mood, de-cluttering your space, detaching from tech, softening both the lights, changing your conversation from “need to do next” to “touch me now.”
If safe, smart and pleasurable sex is a way to add years to your life and life to your years, then a libido lift may be your easiest and best beauty treatment.
Dr Diana Hoppe
This Monday, January 25, Dr. Diana Hoppe will join me on Fearless Fabulous You to discuss her new book and talk about how to lift your libido. Join me 4pmEST on W4WN.com the Women 4 Women Network. The show will be available anytime at www.iHeart.com and the free iHeart App. http://www.iheart.com/show/209-Fearless-Fabulous-You/
Want to add some lift to your pelvic floor muscles? Check this product out:
