Fitness and libido

I just received a friend request from a member who brought up the topic of fitness and libido. After responding to him, I thought it might make a good topic for forum discussion. Below is my reply to him...

I had read countless times - how the number one thing you could do to improve your sex life was to get fit. But like most, I never paid much attention. But it didn't take long after I started walking and running (and losing 30 pounds) that I noticed a dramatic improvement in my bedroom performance. My wife noticed it too, and I think it is contributing to her being more receptive to sex than she had been over the last several years.

When I really noticed a difference was when I started weightlifting! Doing barbell squats and other compound lifts really gives you a jolt of testosterone. I didn't realize it at first - until my wife informed me that I was "being too rough" - something I had never been accused of in the past. When I backed off, she told me I didn't have to stop - just to be aware of how hard I was pounding 😃 We've had to put a blanket over our headboard to keep it from banging against the wall.

Sucks that it took me so long to discover all of this, but better late than never 😃

I had the same experience. Lost weight, run like hell (even today in 26 degrees with a 15 mph wind), and work out hard 3-4 times per week. My testosterone is through the roof. I even asked my urologist to check my testosterone levels and when my primary care doc received a copy of the results, he said I should be able to wrestle a bear.

Fitness has definitely improved my sex drive, although I still enjoy my Zity kinks and still seek to satisfy that part of my libido.

I think a lot of us will chime in with yes, it works. I do cross-fit three times per week and fast walk for at least a half hour on the off days. It took several years to notice the difference but it changed things for the better and I'm in my late 60s. Takes time, hard to set as a priority, don't feel like it some days, but stick with it. Along with increased libido you help heart, bond density, lower the chance of cancer, you are stronger, your shape changes for the better. Last week some younger lady (OK about 20 years younger) said I was good looking! Go for it.

I think it is important to keep in mind that sex is a physical act of exercise. The healthier and more in shape you are, the better the performance.

Absolutely, staying in shape and being physically active at any age will carry over to the bedroom. And I feel it works both ways. Having sex is good for the body and vigorous sex helps with keeping you in shape just like any type of exercise.

The two are directly related.

Important I think. I run and cycle regularly, good body shape helps self esteem and makes me feel sexy.

Probably more important for those of us who are ageing gracefully (or not so gracefully). I'm now in my 70s, and I'm certain that if I didn't walk (briskly) a couple of miles a day, and go to a gym 3 times per week, I wouldn't be able to enjoy fairly strenuous sex once a week. I bicycle a lot as well, and at the gym I mostly work with free weights.

I had started this 25 years ago, after sitting at a desk for 30 years and lifting nothing heavier than a pen. I now like what I see in the mirror, and I think that confidence carries over to my sexual activity. My partner is equally fit, although her libido seems much lower than mine.

Unfortunately, a busy career sometimes precludes a good fitness regime.

I was going to start a thread on exercise but found this older thread. When I was early 40's my wife surprised me with a trip to an "adult" motel. Swings, sauna, misters, and lots of mirrors. I remember at one point having sex and looking in the mirror and seeing my gut hanging down. REPULSIVE!!! So I went on a fitness kick; worked out every day, tracked calories etc. My sex drive skyrocketed!

Some 15 years later I saw a picture of my fat self at work and realized I had gained 30 lbs. I looked terrible. Again I went on a fitness drive to lose weight and again my sex drive shot up. I've since reduced and maintained my weight at my optimal level. I find a direct correlation between going to the gym, being in shape, to being horny and having intense orgasms. I also find that when I workout regularly, I tend to be more inclined to do regular enemas - I think they just feel better when I am in tune with my body (they don't help me maintain weight or any other health benefit).

This thread has been discussing increased fitness increasing testosterone and therefore libido. I know some people who use the opposite idea, libido increasing testosterone increasing fitness, while in the gym.

I have seen men watch hardcore porn for 5-15 mins before a workout in the changing room (not touching themselves at all) to get their testosterone levels up.

While I've never tried it, or seen it endorsed by reputable sources, it supposedly helps muscle gain and allows one to lift heavier weights for longer periods of time during the workout.

I asked and none ever complained of blue balls, as they 'didn't let it get that far'.

I have seen men watch hardcore porn for 5-15 mins before a workout in the changing room (not touching themselves at all) to get their testosterone levels up.

It isn't intuitive to me that you can boost testosterone over a 5-15 minute period watching porn. Someone with more medical knowledge might be able to confirm this. It's possible that watching porn or having sex prior to working out simply triggers the "man-effect" to work harder. BTW - where does one watch porn in the locker room?

I was on the low end of the Testosterone scale (I hate when they call it hypogonadism - why not simply LOW_T) - and was on testosterone for a couple of years. I did not notice a significant boost in my strength or stamina. I decided to drop the gel and am still working out at the same levels as when I was taking it - 5 years ago.

My wife and I were very physical. The best - animalistic sex we had was after an hour of racketball, hiking a 14,000 footer in Colorado etc. I don't think my Testosterone went up following a workout - and seriously doubt that my wife's did either. Some folks get turned on by romantic dinners, movies its. - not us. Sex directly correlates to physical activity (for us).

I am all for keeping fit, but I don't get this obsession with the gym. Don't you have stuff to do around your house? Don't you have projects to work on? I have no end of stuff I can do that will stretch my mind an muscles. I have a good friend who had a treadmill and the damn thing is killing him. He goes for a walk on it every day and swears he is in shape. He was visiting me and he was winded on a short walk through our woods. I built a tiny house back there and have clear memories of doing that same walk with a load of 2x4's on my shoulders or a sheet of 3/4" plywood. Now that's a good workout.

I'm not a gym rat or obsessed - try to workout 3-4 days per week. I have built most of the furniture in our home, and spend a lot of time on projects in my workshop - much more that I do at the gym.

Carrying wood/plywood is a good workout! I never thought much of treadmills - you don't have to pull your leg through so it isn't the same as walking or running.

Fitness definitely counts.

My family members are not fitness nuts, but we eat healthy, stay very trim and toned and exercise regularly.

Many ways.

If you're fit you're not as tired, if you keep your body in good shape you're hopefully not as likely to be hurt (pain and libido don't always get along), you look better and find yourself more desirable, and there's always the nitric oxide connection.

Also, if you work out with your partner you get to see them moving around in usually somewhat revealing clothes. That's always good for the libido.

I have seen men watch hardcore porn for 5-15 mins before a workout in the changing room (not touching themselves at all) to get their testosterone levels up.

Does anyone have any thoughts about whether one's testosterone increases (or not) by watching porn?? I t's not intuitive to me that a visual stimulus would cause a chemical or hormonal change.

I have Low-T - if porn helps then I should be watching more!!!!

I have seen men watch hardcore porn for 5-15 mins before a workout in the changing room (not touching themselves at all) to get their testosterone levels up.

I did some google searches on the subject and it looks like there is some evidence that testosterone levels can be temporarily increased by watching porn. My skepticism was wrong.

https://www.testofuel.com/tf/does-porn-increase-testosterone/

https://www.testofuel.com/tf/does-porn-increase-testosterone/

I did some google searches on the subject and it looks like there is some evidence that testosterone levels can be temporarily increased by watching porn.

So there's a good chance I get a temporary boost in testosterone every day. At 72 years old that's great to know.