We’ve all heard of the post-exercise burn, but did you know that some workouts can also burn out the fire in the bedroom? Yep, the type and amount of exercise you do could be ruining your sex life – from reducing libido, increasing fatigue and even impacting your sensation during sex.
Before you grip your hanky in horror, it’s important to acknowledge that exercise is key to your wellbeing and has been shown to positively impact almost every facet of life – from your sleep quality to your mental health. There is also plenty of evidence to show that exercise can improve your libido.
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Confused? I get it. So, let’s talk ways to help you continue committing to the exercises you love without sacrificing your love life.
Here are 3 types of exercise that can ruin your sex life
Extreme endurance exercise
When women exercise at an extreme endurance level, it puts them at risk of hypopituitarism, which is when the pituitary gland doesn’t produce the amount of hormones it should. When it comes to your sex life, testosterone and estrogen are key players, helping with sexual desire, vaginal lubrication, maintenance and repair of the genital tissue and blood flow the area down there.
Excessive exercise
If you’re working out too much or you have a lower body fat percentage it can not only impact fertility, but also your libido – or your desire to have sex. Why? Well, your body may perceive you to be in a state of starvation, so it priorities your survival function over sexual pleasure and function.
High-impact exercise
High-impact sports like netball, running, trampolining and skipping can put serious downward pressure on your pelvic floor. And, before you ask, your pelvic floor is key when it comes to sexual function. Your pelvic floor provides a framework or support system around your vagina (as well as your urethra and anus) and excess and long-term pressure on this muscle group can create an overly tight or ‘hypertonic’ pelvic floor. This leads your pelvic floor to be in a constant state of tension – and that tension can often lead to painful penetration. What could be more of a mood killer than painful sex?
So, what can you do?
First up, listen to your body. If you love your intense exercise or you can’t imagine giving up your box jumps, fear not. Just make sure you give yourself recovery time in between workouts to allow your body to repair; maybe even consider a few days of active recovery like yoga or walking.
If you’re a lover of heavy impact sports or activities, aim to do a few minutes of diaphragmatic breathing and pelvic floor relaxation after each session. This will help reduce your risk of developing a hypertonic pelvic floor.
Don’t forget the other bedroom activity – sleep. Quality sleep is essential to recovery and repair and if that’s not enough to get you hitting ‘snooze’, a 2015 study4 found that women who slept an hour more the night before had a 14% increased chance of having sex the following day.
Finally, we’re not advocating you hang up your netball skirt or throw away your running shoes. It’s all about awareness; we want you to understand your risk and note any symptoms or changes in your body or levels of sexual desire. That way you can reach out for help we you need it!
Heather is a passionate advocate for women’s health and owns Core Restore Co, a group of core and pelvic floor rehabilitation clinics across NSW. Heather is available across all four Core Restore Co clinics and provides educational content through the Core Restore Co Instagram.
