If you’re wondering how to boost your sex drive, then this post is for you! As a Christian, I think the topic of sex has always been a little “taboo.” I’ve found that many individuals (for religious reasons or otherwise) also have a difficult time talking about sexual health. I hope that we can change that! Healthy sex is not only so nourishing to a marriage, but it can actually improve mental health. Likewise, learning how to naturally increase libido can help improve hormone, cardiovascular, and mental health. If you’re struggling with libido, know that you are NOT ALONE. This is such a common complaint, so let’s dive in to ways that we can improve it!
Let’s Chat About Libido…
As a Christian, I think the topic of sex has always been a little “taboo.” I’ve found that many individuals (for religious reasons or otherwise) also have a difficult time talking about sexual health. I hope that we can change that! Healthy sex is not only so nourishing to a marriage, but it can actually improve mental health. Likewise, a good libido is a sign of good hormone, cardiovascular, and mental health! If you’re struggling with libido, know that you are NOT ALONE. This is such a common complaint, so let’s dive in to ways that we can improve it!
Get Regular Exercise (especially by lifting heavy weights)
The most WELL-KNOWN libido stimulating hormone is TESTOSTERONE. Most people know the importance of testosterone in men, but often forget that women also need sufficient amounts of testosterone for a healthy libido. One of the best ways to boost testosterone is by getting regular exercise, specifically through heavy lifting. More specifically, the best way to boost testosterone is through lifting heavier weights (85-95% of your one repetition maximum), utilizing compound movements that engage more than one muscle group (squats, deadlifts, bench-press) at lower reps (6 or less), with longer rest (3 minutes in between).
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Support Hormone Balance
As we already mentioned, testosterone is important! However, it’s not just total testosterone, it’s free testosterone that really makes the difference. Free testosterone represents the amount of testosterone in the blood stream that is unbound (from a protein carrier) and FREE to act on a receptor- signaling the response. The protein that binds testosterone and lowers free-testosterone is Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). Things that cause SHBG to rise include:
Birth Control and other Estrogen preparations
Alcohol
Liver Ailments
Medications (Anti-depressants, Antipsychotics, Anxiolytics, Morphine, and some anti-hypertensives)
High thyroid
Restricted Caloric Intake
For women, Estrogen is also an important hormone for libido. Higher levels of estrogen help increase sexual desire and support vaginal lubrication. The spike is estrogen mid cycle (around ovulation) is part of the reason why many women experience an increased libido during this time. Additionally, the drop is estrogen post-menopausal is found to be a significant influencer in the drop in desire, and testosterone replacement alone has not been found to consistently ameliorate post-menopausal low libido.
Get Quality Sleep
Did you know you that quality REM sleep is necessary for optimal production of testosterone? Along with exercise, this is a crucial factor when desiring an increase in testosterone. The highest level of testosterone is produced during REM sleep, the deep restorative sleep that occurs in the late night sleep cycles. Sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep apnea, shortened sleep, and interrupted can lower testosterone levels by decreasing REM sleep.
Beyond improving testosterone, sleep is important in preventing fatigue during the day. If you are a mother caring for children, a business owner working long hours, an individual working night shift, or ANYONE else suffering from chronic fatigue, you know the impact your low energy can have on your desire to have sex.
Increase Dopamine
Dopamine is known as our pleasure neurotransmitter. While sex can cause an increase in dopamine release, we also need enough dopamine to elicit sexual desire! If you aren’t being pleasured by sex, your motivation for sex will suffer. Beyond its importance in libido, adequate dopamine is also an essential factor in getting an erection, and modulation of the dopamine pathway has been used as a way of treating erectile dysfunction. Other signs of low dopamine include: lack of focus, depression, loss of satisfaction, fatigue, and lack of motivation. If you are concerned that low dopamine could be impacting your libido, we would love to help you find natural ways of boosting it!
Improve Relationship Qualities
It takes two to tango. This likely seems like it should be common-knowledge, but many of us are unaware of exactly how our relationship dynamics could influence our desire for sex. A few factors are shown to be important in creating a relationship where there is sexual desire on both ends:
Emotional Intimacy: Emotional intimacy involves a high level of vulnerability, transparency, and openly sharing personal feelings. This has been shown to be especially important in fostering female sexual desire.
Adequate Arousal: Sexual arousal involves the mental and physiological changes that allow the body to get ready for sexual activity. It is important to determine what factors are helpful in arousing your partner and leave enough time for connection and foreplay prior to sex.
Self Confidence: Part of the relationship includes improving your relationship with yourself and your own body. Lack of self-confidence and body image is a huge detractor from a healthy libido.
