Exercise and Romance

For almost 4 years I have been promoting the benefits of exercise and fitness. But I have overlooked one the most important reasons for staying fit - maintaining a healthy sex life. In the February 1999 issue of the American Medical Association, researchers found that sexual dysfunction is more likely among those with poor physical health and it contributes to negative experiences with sexual relationships. The conclusion is that your physical health affects your ability to function sexually.

But this is only one of many studies. It seems to be a popular topic of research:

Doctors at the New England Research Institute determined that regular vigorous exercise would lower the risk of impotence. Vigorous exercise was defined as doing the equivalent of walking two miles or burning 200 calories a day.

A University of California studied middle-aged, sedentary men. After putting them on one hour of exercise three times a week, “the men demonstrated improved sexual function, more frequent sex and orgasms and greater satisfaction.”

Researchers at Bentley College in Massachusetts found that women in their 40s were m