If you’re suffering from low libido or erectile dysfunction you’re sex life is probably something you’d prefer not to discuss – if it even exists at all.
Millions of men suffer from low libido (on average about 1 in 5 men) and the cause varies from lack of testosterone, taking certain medications, poor lifestyle choices such as drinking too much and taking drugs as well as stress, lack of sleep and a variety of psychological problems and medical conditions. The good news is that it can be treated medically – by correcting any hormonal imbalance that may exist or by treating the cause however, there are much more powerful and sustainable ways that you can treat a low libido – and none of them involve a trip to the doctor’s office.
Table of Contents
- Exercise
- Reduce Stress
- Get More Sleep
- Take Care of Your Heart
- Stop Watching P*rn
- Indulge in Aphrodisiacs
- Shake Things Up
Here are 7 natural ways that you can boost your libido – all of which can easily be implemented right away.
1. Exercise
You don’t have to be the fittest guy on earth – but you have to be active enough to ensure your body remains relatively fit and that all your muscles receive adequate supply of oxygen and blood to function optimally.
This goes hand in hand with looking after your heart but exercise plays a much bigger role in determining sexual drive than simply keeping your blood flow going. When you exercise endorphins are released into your blood which lifts your mood and improves sexual desire. In addition, have a toned body is really appealing and will boost you confidence while being fit will help you keep going for longer – either way exercising for at least 30 minutes 4 times a week is enough to improve your sexual desire and performance 10 fold. This being said, over-exercising can have the reverse effect in men – since physical exhaustion is well known to kill libido and put you into a catabolic-like state that numbs the emotions which is very common amongst many professional athletes.
Maintaining a balanced exercise routine is very important in helping you develop and maintain a healthy sexual appetite so if you’re not exercising at all or, are exercising too much, now is the time to find a balance.
2. Reduce Stress
Stress is one of the most common reasons that men struggle with a low sex drive – and it can surpass the effect that physical exhaustion can have, by far.
When you’re highly stressed at work chances are high that you will not feel like having sex when you get home. If you’re having relationship problems your sex drive will also be affected. This is because stress and emotional distress have a variety of negative effects on the human body and mind that can affect every aspect of your life. The best way to reduce stress is to find ways to manage and deal with it that work for you. Exercise and sleep are two of the most powerful stress reliving activities one can do but there are other less-common strategies that include meditation, breathing techniques and lifestyle changes. Taking a slow walk, two-day holiday or simply taking a day-off will certainly help you relieve stress and get back on track – so choose to take it easy and try taking some time off to unwind. Depression is also another significant factor that tends to render people unable to feel any sexual desire.
Depression is very different to stress and sadness as it is a serious psychological illness that lasts for a very long time and cannot be easily rectified. If you’re depressed you will definitely feel a reduction or complete loss of sexual desire but what’s worse is that the majority of drugs prescribed to people suffering from depression will cause a further decline in sex drive. The good news is that the majority of people who are prescribed antidepressants will regain their sexual drive once they stop taking them and begin recovering from their depression.
3. Get More Sleep
Sleep deprivation is a sex drive killer and is perhaps one of the easiest ways to regain and boost your libido.
Sleep deprived men will have a 20 – 80% decrease in libido which is a very similar effect that can be seen with men who are highly stressed. Sleep deprivation can also cause and worsen a number of serious health problems including stroke, heart disease, cholesterol and diabetes not to mention that it can cause a serious decline in your overall brain health, alertness and mental sharpness. Individuals who suffer from insomnia have a 92% chance of developing another very serious health problem that is either cause or aggravated by a lack of sleep. Insomnia is also strongly linked with depression as sufferers of either illness being diagnosed with the other in more than 80% of cases.
In general, 7-8 hours of sleep a night is required for you to be able to perform at your best both mentally and physically as well as ensure your libido remains healthy. In addition if you’ve been injured or have recently had an operation or procedure done – you require additional sleep to recover – possibly about 2-3 hours extra a day in addition to requiring more nutrition and hydration that normal.
4. Take Care of Your Heart
Your penis becomes erect when your brain sends a chemical signal to your penis that instructs the blood vessels to relax and allow a greater blood flow to the area and pressure will cause it to expand and harden.
So logically if you have a strong heart that can withstand this increase in blood pressure – you should have no problem maintaining an erection. Taking care of your heart means that you have to follow a healthy and balanced diet that includes plenty fresh fruit and vegetables, foods high in fiber such as oatmeal, fish and nuts which are high in omega-3 fatty acids and olive and flaxseed oil which helps lower LDL cholesterol. Avoid sugars, salt and saturated fats that can clog arteries and put strain on your heart. In addition, maintaining a healthy weight, getting 8 hours of sleep a night, reducing stress and exercising regularly will also help you keep your ticker in top condition and therefore help get your sex drive back on track.
Basically anything that is good for your heart is also good for you libido – so focus on this and you’ll be hitting the sack with a smile on your face in no time!
5. Stop Watching P*rn
I bet you saw this one coming.
While most of us can watch porn without having any drop in sex drive when it comes to the real thing – watching too much porn and particularly, outrageous sexual activities that are near impossible to replicate in real-life with a partner can have a serious affect on your sex drive. This is because watching porn releases an excessive amount of dopamine which is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for initiating sexual desire and pleasure. Repeated release of significant amounts of dopamine will eventually cause you to develop a resistance to it and therefore make you “immune” to normal sexual triggers. It then becomes very hard for your brain to respond and will render you incapable of getting aroused.
If you watch a lot of porn it’s quite impractical to go cold-turkey and stop completely so you should attempt to reduce the frequency that you watch it and perhaps slowly being to change the type of porn you watch until you can get aroused something that more closely resembles a normal sexual activity between two people.
6. Indulge in Aphrodisiacs
We’ve all heard about aphrodisiacs – foods that can boost your sexual desire and get you going.
Although there isn’t significant evidence that can support the theory – people have believed in the power of aphrodisiacs for centuries and these beliefs have remained strong till today. Nutmeg is a popular aphrodisiac that may be the only one with a strong logic behind its effectiveness since the spice improves blood flow significantly which, as mentioned is critical in ensuring you can get and maintain an erection. Oysters are second on the list because they contain significant amounts of zinc which is known to boost testosterone production as well as tyrosine which helps produce dopamine – which is one of the strongest libido boosters know to man. The other reason that oysters are powerful aphrodisiacs is because of the way the seafood looks and feels in the mouth – which is said to resemble the female genitals.
Dark chocolate which contains cacao may also have the ability to boost your libido since it contains serotonin, caffeine and other mood enhancing compounds. Whether you believe in the power of aphrodisiacs or not – these power foods are good for your health and can’t do any harm – so they’re certainly worth a try!
7. Shake Things Up
Many people that have been in long-term relationships experience a loss in sexual appeal towards their partners.
This may be due to getting bored of the same routine and sexual interaction over and over again and is quite normal. If this is the case – and depending to what degree it may be time to shake things up and try something a little different. Surprisingly simply changing your bedroom around and redecorating can have a serious effect on your sex life – just as trying a new position, some sex toys, or even a little BDSM can lead to a mind-blowing sexual experience. Changing things up and perhaps taking a weekend off to spend some quality time together can help you get rekindle your sex life.
Apart from losing your sexual desire for your long-term partner, relationship problems will also cause your sex-life to diminish and eventually come to a complete standstill so addressing these issues is the first step that you need to take to attempt to get your sex drive back.