WE WORK OUT for all kinds of reasons, whether it be wanting to get stronger, lose weight, or improve our mental health. During a recent in-depth conversation with urologist and sex educator Dr. Rena Malik, kinesiologist Dr. Andy Galpin touched on another area of life that can be enhanced through training: sex. Specifically, how to ensure you can stay fit and healthy enough to keep on having sex into later life.
To begin with, both Malik and Galpin agree that a certain VO2 max threshold is required. VO2 max measures the efficiency with which the body uses oxygen during aerobic exercise, and is used as one possible gage of physical fitness. For reference, Malik cites research which positions cardiovascular activity like jogging, swimming and stationary rowing as being similar in intensity to sexual activity, and therefore roughly comparable in terms of VO2 max. Yet another good reason to not skip cardio.
When it comes to strength training, Galpin speaks about the importance of achieving full hip extension—without compromising the lower back. Far too often, he explains, we recruit the lower back to aid in extension of the hips, which can risk leading to weakness, pain, and injury over time. Instead, should be achieving a strong contraction of the glutes to drive extension in each rep, whether it be squats, split squats, lunges, hip thrusts or step-ups.
Mind-muscle connection can play a role here too: Galpin advises being “conscious of the quality of contraction” in your muscles during your workouts. “Don’t just worry about the sets and reps,” he says. “Think about the muscles that you want to contract, and focus on the quality of contraction… Really make sure that when you’re finishing those things you’re doing it intently and you’re not just getting 90 per cent of the way there and then going onto the next repetition.”
“Now we have higher efficiency, so muscular endurance is higher,” he adds. “I can’t promise you that your sexual stamina will be higher, but your fatigue, your perception of fatigue, will be much higher, because you’re moving much more efficiently, and you won’t hurt yourself.”
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