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Sexual desirability and sexual performance: Does exercise and fitness really matter?
... Exercise includes a number of positive physical and emotional outcomes [11][12][13][14][15] and has also been related to improved sexual satisfaction [16][17][18], sexual desirability [19], and self-reported sexual performance [20,19]. Various facets of exercise have been linked to improved aspects of sexual performance [20,21], however, most of the previous literature examined these relationships among unhealthy adults who had been diagnosed with physical conditions such as COPD [22], diabetes [23], heart failure [24] and obesity [25]. ...
... Exercise includes a number of positive physical and emotional outcomes [11][12][13][14][15] and has also been related to improved sexual satisfaction [16][17][18], sexual desirability [19], and self-reported sexual performance [20,19]. Various facets of exercise have been linked to improved aspects of sexual performance [20,21], however, most of the previous literature examined these relationships among unhealthy adults who had been diagnosed with physical conditions such as COPD [22], diabetes [23], heart failure [24] and obesity [25]. ...
... Building off previous work which looks at the relationship among exercise and sexuality among healthy adults [17,20,19], the current study examines selfreported exercise and sexual performance data from a sample of generally healthy adults. This study contributes to the existing literature by examining whether or not a set of exercise regression models were able to predict selfreported sexual performance among healthy adults. ...
... Building off of previous work which looks at the relationship among exercise and sexuality among healthy adults (Marshall et al., 2014;Morris et al., 2015;Penhollow & Young, 2004), the current study examines self-reported exercise and sexual performance data from a sample of generally healthy adults. This study contributes to the existing literature by examining whether or not a set of exercise regression models were able to predict self-reported sexual performance among healthy adults. ...
... These findings are supported by Pujols et al., (2010) conclusions, demonstrating that frequent aerobic exercise and higher levels of aerobic duration increases the likelihood of healthy weight, healthy body image and healthy self-esteem. Penhollow and Young (2004) indicated that these factors are significantly related to an individual's sexual image and sexual desirability. Findings from the current study also support previous work (Li, Holm, Gulanick, Lanuza, & Penckofer, 1999) which demonstrated that levels of physical activity may decrease distressful sexual symptoms like vaginal dryness and improve sexual desire. ...
... The overall findings from this study seem to demonstrate that certain exercise variables can play a significant role in sexual performance among healthy adults. Previous studies (Marshall, Morris, & Rainey 2014 ;Morris Marshall, & Demers, 2015;Penhollow & Young, 2008;Penhollow & Young, 2004;Simon et al., 2015) support this these findings by demonstrating that adults who report higher fitness levels were more likely to report improved sexual performance. Research by Karatas and colleagues (2009) showed that female athletes had higher scores on the Female Sexual Function Index as compared to sedentary healthy females, indicating better clitoral blood flow and better overall sexual function. ...
The purpose of the study was to determine if a set of exercise variables including exercise frequency, exercise intensity, exercise time, and exercise type could predict self-reported sexual performance among healthy adults. The sample consisted of 509 participants ranging in ages from 18-74whocompleted a 30-item questionnaire on exercise frequency, intensity, time, and type and sexual performance indicators. Self-reported sexual performance was identified as frequency of sexual arousal, ability to be easily aroused, number of orgasms in a single sexual episode, ease of orgasm, frequency of sexual intercourse, and sexual arousal then loss of interest. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that exercise intensity regression models were able to significantly predict frequency of sexual arousal, frequency of sexual desire, frequency of sexual intercourse, and number of orgasms in a single sexual episode. Exercise frequency regression models were only able to significantly predict frequency of sexual desire.
... This finding is in contrast to a study from Taiwan which did not find significant associations between regular exercise and maintaining sexual activity. 36 However, the Taiwan study found that self-reported capacity for daily activities was associated with sexual activity. 36 Further research is needed on the influence of exercise on sexual activity, and how this could be promoted in older people in South African setting. ...
... 36 However, the Taiwan study found that self-reported capacity for daily activities was associated with sexual activity. 36 Further research is needed on the influence of exercise on sexual activity, and how this could be promoted in older people in South African setting. ...
Little is known about sexual activity in old age, particularly in Africa. The objective of this paper is to estimate years of sexually active life for older men and women, and examine the association between sexual activity and self-rated health status. Data were extracted from two large cross sectional HIV household surveys conducted in 2005 and 2012 in South Africa. The Sullivan method was used to estimate sexually active life expectancy, whilst logistic regression was used to assess associations with sexual activity. Sexually active life expectancy was higher among men across all the age groups in both surveys. At age 50, the sexually active life expectancy for men was double that for women - 2005 (12.6 vs. 5.9 years), 2012 (12.7 vs. 7.2 years). Self-rated health was significantly associated with sexual activity in men (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 1.56; 95% CI 1.11-2.19; p<0.001). Among older women, moderate exercise was associated with being sexual active, while HIV infection was significantly associated with reduced sexual activity. The presence of chronic conditions was also significantly associated with reduced sexual activity among men. The results confirm that older adults are sexually active, and that factors associated with sexual activity are different for men and women. HIV among women and chronic conditions among men are areas of intervention to improve sexual activity in older people.
... These findings are consistent with work completed by Pujols, Metson, & Seal (2010) which demonstrated that individuals who frequently engage in aerobic exercise and spend greater amounts of time participating in aerobic exercise are likely to be at a healthy weight and have a healthy body image and selfesteem. Such factors are significantly related to sexual image and sexual desirability (Penhollow and Young, 2004). ...
... Overall results from this study seem to indicate that the exercise FITT principle plays a significant role in overall sexual performance for healthy adults. Previous studies (Penhollow & Young, 2008;Penhollow & Young, 2004;Simon et al., 2015) support this claim by revealing that adults who report higher fitness levels also report better sexual performance. Karatas and colleagues (2009) found that female athletes scored higher on the Female Sexual Function Index as compared to sedentary healthy females indicating better clitoral blood flow and better overall sexual function. ...
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between exercise and sexual performance indicators among healthy adults. The sample consisted of 509 participants ranging in ages from 18-74 who completed a 30-item questionnaire on exercise frequency, intensity, time, and type and sexual performance indicators. Exercise was measured using the FITT principle of frequency, intensity, time, and type. Sexual performance indicators were identified as frequency of sexual arousal, ability to be easily aroused, number of orgasms in a single sexual episode, ease of orgasm, frequency of sexual intercourse, and sexual arousal then loss of interest. Spearman’s rho correlations demonstrated numerous significant relationships between the exercise FITT principle and the sexual performance indicators. Analysis of the FITT principle revealed that aerobic frequency was positively correlated with more of the sexual performance indicators compared to any of the other variables associated with frequency, intensity, time, or type of exercise; while intensity of strength training had the strongest positive correlation with three of the sexual performance indicators.
... PA and exercise reduce the morbidity and mortality of most non-communicable diseases and help improve psychological health [75] . Physical exercise also improves sexuality-it increases sexual desire [76] , frequency [77] , sexual functioning [78] , and the degree of sexual enjoyment [79] in both sexes [80] , irrespective of the age [81] . In men, several studies have shown that exercise reduces ED [82,83] . ...
Sexual dysfunction is a common malady. It causes immense emotional suffering and interferes with social wellbeing. Many physical and psychological ailments are frequently implicated in its development and progression. There are several therapeutic options available for its attenuation. However, more recently, the focus has shifted significantly to several lifestyle factors that can help in its prevention. A brief review of these influences exerted by the five major lifestyles, namely, smoking, obesity, exercise, alcohol intake, and diet is done in this manuscript.
... Aktif bir yaşam tarzı ile fiziksel sağlık arasındaki ilişki iyi anlaşılmış olmakla birlikte tüm bireylerin doğumundan ölümüne kadar yaşamlarının önemli bir parçası olan ve Dünya Sağlık Örgütü'nün (WHO, 2011) "cinsellikle ilişkili fiziksel, zihinsel ve sosyal iyilik hali" olarak tanımladığı cinsel sağlığa fiziksel aktivitenin ne gibi etkiler yaptığı günümüzün araştırma konusudur ve literatüre olumlu katkılar yaptığı yönünde kanıtlar vardır (Stanten ve Yeager, 2003;Krucoff ve Krucoff, 2000;Penhollow ve Young, 2004). ...
It's known that sportive activities have positive effects on a person’s quality of life and fertility can be included in this topic. Hormones work much better when sport becomes a part of daily life. The aim of this research is to show the effect of the physical activity level of women on their sexual life. Relational screening model as one of the general scanning models was used for carrying out this research. The population of study is formed by Turkish women with ages between 25-35 years, the sample is formed by 103 women from İstanbul, single or married but with a sexual partner and ages between 25-35 years old. In this study, IPAQ (the long form) was used to indentify the level of physical activity, and Glombok-Rust sexual satisfaction scale was used to identify sexual functioning. For statistical analysis, SPSS 14.0 program was used and Kolmogrow test, witney U tests and Kuruskal wallis tests were performed. The level of significance for all tests was taken as p<0.05.
The result of this research shows that all women whether physically fit or not have problems of vaginusmus and anorgazmia. Most are interested in sex and they get pleasure from sexual intercourse. As the level of physical activity increases, interest in a sexual life declines and the cases of Vaginismus increase. In general, sexual satisfaction and anorgasmia have an inverse relationship and as the total physical activity values increase, sexual satisfaction and anorgasmia levels both show a decrease.
... Considering that athletes are more sexually active than non-athletes (6,7), the fact that sex could alter their performance by either physiological or psychological elements (1), and the controversy surrounding this topic, we decided to review the literature on whether precompetition sex influences performance. Thus, the aim of the present study was to summarize original scientific articles studying the effect of sexual activity on athletic performance. ...
Objectives. The purpose of the present study was to systematically evaluate the scientific evidence about the impact of pre-competition sexual activity on athletic performance.
Methods. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement, PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Physiotherapy Evidence Database(PEDro), and Google Scholar searches were performed with appropriate keywords without time and language restrictions for studies evaluating the impact of sexual activity on athletic performance. The titles and abstracts were reviewed by two independent reviewers. The methodological quality of the studies and the risk of bias were checked using the quality assessment tool of the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP).
Results. We found that most studies on this topic had low methodological quality. Out of the456 articles retrieved in the search, only seven met the inclusion criteria of the review. In four of these studies, sexual activity10–12 hours before competition did not alter short-term physiological testing results including maximum-effort grip strength test, hamstring flexibility, reaction time, aerobic power (stair-climbing exercise), VO2max (treadmill and cycle ergometer test), sub-maximal graded-exercise test, muscular endurance, oxygen pulse, double product, testosterone, cortisol, blood glucose concentrations, and mental concentration. In one study, significantly higher differences were reported for post-maximal stress test heart rate at 5 and 10 minutes during two hours of recovery period after sexual intercourse, which disappeared when a maximal stress test was performed 10 hours after sexual activity. In another study immediately after sexual intercourse, 40% of long-distance athletes had difficulty during intensive loading, while in 90% of the addressed athletes, sexual activity 12 hours before the endurance test did not have an influence on performance.
Conclusion. Based on mainly low-quality and heterogeneously designed studies, it can be concluded that having sex at least 10–12 hours before athletic events does not negatively influence physiological test results and possibly athletic performance. However, having sex immediately or a few hours before a competition has negative psychological or physiological effects on athletic performance.
... Regarding measures of the BES-R's validity for men, as expected, the Sexual Esteem Scale was significantly correlated with the Sexual Attractiveness subscale and not significantly correlated with the Upper Body Strength subscale. Unexpectedly, a small but significant correlation was found between the sexual esteem measure and the Physical Condition subscale, which is perhaps explained by the fact that people who are physically fit tend to experience greater sexual drive, sexual activity, and sexual satisfaction (Penhollow and Young 2004;White et al. 1990). Correlations were as predicted regarding the BES-R subscales for men and measures of aerobic and anaerobic activity satisfaction as well as male respondents' BMI and EDI scores. ...
The Body Esteem Scale (BES; Franzoi and Shields 1984) has been a primary research tool for over 30 years, yet its factor structure has not been fully assessed since its creation, so a two-study design examined whether the BES needed revision. In Study 1, a series of principal components analyses (PCAs) was conducted using the BES responses of 798 undergraduate students, with results indicating that changes were necessary to improve the scale’s accuracy. In Study 2, 1237 undergraduate students evaluated each BES item, along with a select set of new body items, while also rating each item’s importance to their own body esteem. Body items meeting minimum importance criteria were then utilized in a series of PCAs to develop a revised scale that has strong internal consistency and good convergent and discriminant validity. As with the original BES, the revised BES (BES-R) conceives of body esteem as both gender-specific and multidimensional. Given that the accurate assessment of body esteem is essential in better understanding the link between this construct and mental health, the BES-R can now be used in research to illuminate this link, as well as in prevention and treatment programs for body-image issues. Further implications are discussed.
... Penhollow's research (2008) involving 408 university students showed that the level of physical activity and exercise is a key element to sexual satisfaction. It was also reported that physical exercise and its subsequent fitness enhance physical attractiveness and overall well-being, which makes women feel more desired (Penhollow & Young, 2004; Richman & Shaffer, 2000). This indirectly could lead to a good sexual functioning. ...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of physical activity on the sexual function of women from 18 to 40 years old. Questionnaires about level of physical activity, perceived ability and scale of sexual function were applied on 114 women, physically active or not. The results showed no significant differences in sexual function scores for women considering the levels of physical activity (low, moderate or high). More physically active women tended to show more dyspareunia during or after sexual intercourse. Women with thinner waists and larger hips reported more sexual desire and arousal.
... Some researchers have demonstrated that females with and without sexual dysfunction improved on sexual performance scores after participation in physical activity (Dabrowska, Drosdzol, Skrzypulec & Plinta, 2010) Another study, college-aged adults indicated that above average levels of fitness improved perceptions of sexual performance and sexual desirability (Penhollow & Young, 2004) Need for study However, little research has examined the relationship in sexual performance or sexual satisfaction as a result of physical activity among a broad population of healthy adults National Institutes of Health indicates that most cases of ED are a result of several conditions e.g. heart disease, which impairs healthy blood flow to the penis, and diabetes, which impacts genital nerve function ( May be motivating factors for exercise participation which could contribute to improved sexual experiences among adults. ...
... Another study by Penhollow and Young (2004) showed that specifically college-aged adults indicated that above average levels of fitness improved perceptions of sexual performance and sexual desirability. Bortz and Wallace (1999) demonstrated that improved fitness showed a strong positive correlation for sexual satisfaction among men. ...
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between exercise and physical activity (PA) and markers of sexual satisfaction. There were 509 male and female participants ages 18-74 who completed a 30-item questionnaire. Exercise/PA was measured using performance indicators of frequency, intensity, duration, and mode. Sexual satisfaction was measured by self-reported overall sexual satisfaction, overall satisfaction with quality of orgasm, and overall satisfaction with number of orgasms. Results of the study according to Chi-square demonstrated that there was not a significant association between overall sexual satisfaction and the different levels of frequency, intensity, and modes of exercise/PA. However Spearman’s rho correlation demonstrated a significant relationship between overall sexual satisfaction, satisfaction with orgasm, satisfaction with number of orgasms, and levels of frequency for all modes of exercise/PA (i.e., sports, aerobics, recreation, and strength training).
... A large number of studies have demonstrated that physical exercise or sport increases or improves body self-esteem [15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Others emphasise an improvement in one's sex life [22][23][24][25]. ...
The objective was to examine the sexual and body self-esteem of Brazilian competitive athletes with physical disabilities using The Physical Disability Sexual and Body Esteem Scale (PDSBE). This study involved 150 men and 58 women over 18 years of age engaged in various sports activities. The participants obtained a mean of 42.66 (±8.11) on the scale for body and sexual self-esteem. Mean scores were similar for both sexes and among types of physical disability. The body and sexual self-esteem indexes for Brazilian para-athletes were found to be significantly higher with respect to the population of individuals with disabilities previously examined with the PDSBE. The scale showed itself to be a valid instrument in measuring body and sexual dimensions (α = .907) among the Brazilian subjects, despite loading on only 2-D (sexual esteem and level of externally perceived sexual attraction), skipping one of the original dimensions (body esteem).
This study compare the adventure sports practitioners and non practitioners in order to identify specificities among academics of an undergraduate degree in Physical Education. The sample was 157 (52%) men and 145 (48%) women, that filled out in an anonymous and private Sexual Identity Questionnaire (QIC). Of these 107 (35,1%) were classified as non practitioners, 133 (43,7%) as sporadic practitioners and 62 (20,5%) as frequent practitioners. Of the total controlled variables from this study, the adventure sport practice can be explained in 55% of its variation for men and the body satisfaction in 30% for men and 52% for women. Psychological aspects of adventure sport practitioners point to socio-cultural influence of the environment opportunities, as well as, for the children's psychological dimension of a co-educative motor experience.
Well, that's about it; about all I have to say. We've spent some time talking about enhancing research productivity in health education. We've talked about what, why, and how. I hope that the "what" was at least somewhat informing, the "why" a bit compelling, and the "how" encouraging. I also hope that many of you will think about how we can enhance research productivity in health education, and about how you can enhance your own productivity. Some of you will say, "This talk wasn't for me. I'm not a researcher and I'm not going to be a researcher." I know that, and that's okay. I hope that all of you appreciate, however, that for our profession to continue to be relevant, we must enhance our research capacity and our research productivity. As a profession and as individual professionals, we must encourage that. To improve health and quality of life, we must be involved in significant health behavior research, and we must translate these research results into health education practice. We have a number of people doing this type of research. We need more. We need the Jeanne Freemans, the Don Chaneys, and the Keith Zulligs-the folks who have their Ph.D. behind them, who are making contributions, but who are also early in their careers and need your support. We also need folks like Tina Penhollow, Eric Buhi, Beth Hensleigh, Rene Umstattd, Will Torrrence, and Erika Trapl. These are people who represent today's doctoral students and who are in the process of becoming the researchers we need. They need your help, your direction, and your word of encouragement. Finally, we need the people that perhaps none of us yet knows. These are the folks who you will help attract to our profession. They are the ones to whom you will explain what research really is, why it is important, and how we can go about enhancing its quality and quantity. These three groups of people-the ones who are as yet unknown, our current doctoral students, and our relatively new Ph.D.s-these are the ones who will continue to enhance research in health education and health behavior long after those of you who are my age and older are gone. Please give them all your encouragement and your support. Thank you.
Celem badania było wykazanie ewentualnych różnic w seksualności między tancerzami i zawodnikami japońskich sztuk walki a sportowcami innych dyscyplin i osobami nieuprawiającymi sportu w ogóle.
Badaniem objęto łącznie 384 osoby, w tym 180 kobiet (46,8%) i 204 mężczyzn (53,2%). Wyróżniono cztery grupy: grupę pierwszą stanowiły osoby profesjonalnie zajmujące się tańcem, grupę drugą stanowiły osoby uprawiające japońskie sztuki walki, grupę trzecią tworzyli sportowcy innych dyscyplin (przede wszystkim gier zespołowych i lekkoatletyki), czwartą grupę rekrutowano spośród osób nieuprawiających sportu.
Analiza wyników wykazała istnienie wielu różnic istotnych statystycznie pomiędzy badanymi grupami. Mężczyźni we wszystkich grupach osiągali zdecydowanie wyższe wyniki w kwestionariuszu Mell-Krat niż kobiety w jakiejkolwiek grupie. Sportowcy, zarówno kobiety, jak i mężczyźni, uzyskali zdecydowanie wyższe wartości w kwestionariuszu Mell-Krat niż osoby nieuprawiające sportu.
Background: Most women value continued quality of life as they age. Biological, cognitive and social factors make the concept of aging unappealing (Branch, Katz, & Kniepman, 1984). Of primary concern is the decline in sexual functioning in both sexes (Masters & Johnson, 1970). Previous research examined exercise/physical activity (PA) and female sexual response and demonstrated that vigorous physical exercise/PA activated the woman’s sexual response (Meston, 2000). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between exercise/PA and sexual satisfaction among women.
Methods: The current study used a 30-item online questionnaire to collect data on components of exercise/PA and markers of sexual satisfaction among 278 women ages 18 to 74.
Results: Results of the Spearman Rho determined that aerobic frequency (r=.154, n=249, p<.05), aerobic duration (r=.131, n=248, p<.05), aerobic rate of perceived exertion (r=.129, n=244, p<.05), and recreation intensity (r=.208, n=129, p<.05) were positively correlated with reported overall satisfaction with the quality of orgasm. Also, the level of pleasure of orgasm was positively related to recreation intensity (r=.225, n=129, p<.05). Interestingly, there was negative correlation between rate of perceived exertion during sports (r=-.131, n=244, p<.05) and overall satisfaction with quality of orgasm.
Conclusions: Findings from this study demonstrate that there is a positive correlation between exercise/PA and perceived sexual satisfaction among women. These findings could be motivating factors for middle-aged and older women to promote or maintain participation in exercise/PA which can then contribute to healthy aging and sexuality.
Background: Relatively little is known about the sexual behaviors of older people, and the relationship between quality of life and sexuality has not been fully explored. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of sociological, cultural, and psychological factors to further explain variance beyond biological changes that influence participation in sexual intercourse, sexual satisfaction, and overall quality of life. Methods: Data were collected using a mixed-mode approach to optimize participant response and coverage. Residents of a large active retirement community served as the study participants. Results: Logistic regression identified a set of biopsychosocial variables which significantly distinguished between those who participate and do not participate in sexual intercourse. Multiple regression procedures identified sets of variables that significantly predicted sexual satisfaction and quality of life. Discussion: Overall findings add to the existing body of literature on aging, sexual health, and quality of life. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health professionals should develop interventions that provide education about sexuality to enhance sexual satisfaction and quality of life among community dwelling older adults.
The major purpose of this study was to identify the effects of personality on individual exercise motivation and exercise participation, which then influences quality of life. A comprehensive model was developed, based on an extensive literature review, and empirically tested using members of fitness centers from Taiwan, Europe and the United States as respondents. The results indicate that individuals with a positive personality tend to have higher levels of exercise motivation and exercise participation. Personality and exercise participation then impacted on individuals' quality of life, in terms of physical health improvement, psychological health improvement, and sexual satisfaction. The study results offer valuable suggestions not only to marketing managers of fitness centers but also to government officers to promote health and quality of life through stimulating exercise motivation and exercise participation.
Studies in the field of body image have primarily addressed its negative aspects, such as body dissatisfaction. The present study focused instead on women who are satisfied with their bodies and on how body satisfaction relates to sexual health. A sample of 319 Dutch female university students completed an online survey that included items about body image evaluation, body image investment, overweight preoccupation, body image affect during sexual activity, sexual frequency, sexual functioning, and sexual self-esteem. We found that the level of body dissatisfaction was minimal in our sample. The majority reported neutral or mildly positive body evaluations, and in 30% of the sample these evaluations were clearly positive. Comparisons between women who reported positive versus neutral body evaluations showed that the body-satisfied women had lower body mass indexes (BMIs) and reported less body image investment, less overweight preoccupation, and less body self-consciousness during sexual activity. With regard to sexual health, they reported higher sexual self-esteem and better sexual functioning. Furthermore, we found that body image self-consciousness was negatively associated with sexual functioning, sexual self-esteem, and frequency of sexual activity with a partner. Body satisfaction did not account for a portion of the relationship of body self-consciousness during sexual activity with sexual health.
Throughout the ages, humans have searched for new ways of enhancing sexuality and sexual performance. We review some of the
more popular products, such as herbs, botanicals, combination products, and topical formulations that have been heralded as
sexual enhancers or have mythological roots suggesting they can be used for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Lastly, we
discuss sexual touch (Tantra), aroma, nutrition, and exercise as modalities that have been used to improve or enhance sexual
function.
The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and self‐rated sexual attractiveness was studied on the basis of representative surveys of adult populations in Finland and in St. Petersburg in order to find out whether the body ideals related to sexuality differ in the two cultures. Data were analyzed by calculating correlations and by conducting regression analyses. In both countries, the connection between BMI and sexual attractiveness was stronger for women than men. St. Petersburg men were the only group in which thin people did not rate themselves as sexually more attractive than corpulent people. Regression analyses showed that (a) the impact of BMI on sexual attractiveness was not totally caused by the controlling variable age; (b) the hypothesized mediating variables, sexual activity and satisfaction, did not diminish the relationship between BMI and sexual attractiveness; and (c) the relationship was stronger in Finland than in St. Petersburg.
This study was an exploratory investigation of the relationship between physical exercise and sexual behavior. It was hypothesized that self‐report of increased time spent in physical exercise would be associated with a higher self‐reported frequency of sexual behavior and frequency of desired sexual activity. An anonymous questionnaire was given to a sample of undergraduates (N = 78) and a sample of persons (N = 144) walking through a fieldhouse/classroom complex at Indiana University. Pearson correlational analysis of each sample supported the hypotheses (p < .001). Further investigation via a more comprehensive questionnaire or a factorial design study was discussed.
Clinicians who understand how the body responds to exercise, how aerobic training improves cardiovascular fitness, and the benefits and principles of prescribing aerobic exercise can effectively encourage patients to become active and optimize programs for those already active. Patients who are active at an early age and who continue to enjoy active lifestyles as adults will attenuate the normal losses in cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility that accompany aging and sedentary living, thereby maintaining greater independence throughout their life spans.
Sexuality is a major quality-of-life issue, even into advanced age. Although relatively few studies have addressed sexuality, most studies have emphasized the decline in both sexual performance and satisfaction with aging. In an effort to assess possible positive modifiers of the decline, we included questions concerning sexuality in a multipurpose 90-item questionnaire submitted to members of the Fifty Plus Fitness Association based in Stanford, California. This group is unique in its commitment to a very active lifestyle and has served as a cohort for many prior studies related to fitness and medical outcomes. Sixty-seven percent of the membership returned the mail questionnaire, and 59% of these respondents replied to the sexually relevant items. The results indicated a high level of sexual activity and satisfaction in both older men and women of the Fifty Plus Fitness Association members. Further, sexual satisfaction seemed to correlate with the degree of fitness. We conclude that physical fitness and high levels of sexual activity are mutually supportive elements of successful aging.