Have A Better Sex Life With 7 Science-Backed Tips: From Getting Sweaty To Eating Spicy
Men and women, whether they’re 18 or 80, are never too old to learn new sex tips. The benefits of sex extend beyond the bedroom (reducing stress, heart disease risk, and boosting immunity), but how do you get better at sex? Shaking up things between the sheets can be easily attainable with communication and foreplay.
Work schedules, household chores, and other daily demands are barriers that make it easier to give into a subpar sex life. This keeps partners out of the bedroom, decreasing libido and the overall sexual spark in a relationship. However, mind-blowing sex doesn’t have to be complicated, but frequent and enjoyable for both partners.
Sex is essential to any happy and healthy relationship. Data from a recent General Social Survey of over 15,000 people surveyed between 1993 and 2006 found respondents who reported having sex two to three times a week were 55 percent more likely to report more happiness. This suggests an increase in the sense of well-being is associated with a greater frequency of sex.
So give your sex life a boost for your physical and emotional well-being with these little-known sex tips:
1. Give compliments to receive better oral sex
People who better communicate and understand other’s emotions are more likely to have a satisfying sex life. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found higher levels of self-esteem, autonomy, and empathy were associated with more sexual pleasure in females, while only empathy had an impact in men. Autonomy was associated with frequency of orgasm for men, while higher self-esteem was linked to the enjoyment of giving oral sex. In other words, a compliment can go a long way when it comes to sexual satisfaction.
2. Get sweaty to turn on your partner
Men can skip out on the cologne (at least in the bedroom) and sweat it out. The smell of a man’s sweat can influence the hormones of the opposite sex, leading to higher sexual arousal for women. A 2007 study published in The Journal of Neuroscience found women’s hormonal levels change due to sniffing androstadienone, a compound of male sweat. Male sweat not only sexually aroused women, it also led to physiological arousal, changed mood, and brain activation.
3. Get more sunlight to boost sex drive
Going outdoors and soaking up the sun will not only do your body good, it will also boost your sex life. The sun’s vitamin D can naturally boost a man’s libido by increasing the testosterone levels in his blood. A 2010 study published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology found men who ensure that their body has a sufficient supply of vitamin D are doing their testosterone levels and libido some good. Researchers saw testosterone levels, like vitamin D levels, peak in the summer and drop during the winter.
4. Eat more spicy food to boost testosterone levels
Men who like their food hot are more likely to like it hot in the bedroom, too. Men who have higher levels of testosterone are found to love spicy food, according to a 2014 study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior. The researchers found how much capsaicin — the chili pepper compound that makes food spicy — a man prefers is linked to social dominance, aggression, and “daring behaviors.” High testosterone levels are associated with a heightened sex drive in men.
5. Smell like pumpkin pie and lavender for sexual arousal
Men and women can skip the high-end cologne and get some pumpkin pie and lavender instead. These smells have been found to increase penile blood flow in men and sexual arousal in women, according to a 2010 independent study by the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation of Chicago. For men, pumpkin and lavender produced an arousal response in 40 percent of men while decreasing anxiety. Meanwhile, women experience the greatest increase in blood flow to the vagina when smelling Good & Plenty® (licorice) combined with the scent of cucumber. These scents are considered to be other types of aphrodisiacs that can get both men and women in the mood for sex.
6. Watch a scary movie for sexual arousal and attraction
Horror movies may not be for the faint of heart, but they can be good for low libidos. These movies can trigger the body’s sympathetic nervous system (SNS) by turning on the fight-or-flight response, and therefore, increase the body’s sexual desire. A 2011 study published in the journal Psychophysiology found increases in SNS activity was associated with higher genital arousal, while very low or extremely high SNS activity was linked to lower genital arousal. This suggests watching a moderately scary movie before sex can help women achieve sexual arousal and boost their libido.
7. Wear socks to reach an orgasm
Women and men who suffer from cold feet (in the bedroom) can rejoice that their socks do more than just keep them warm. A cool climate in the bedroom can be just as important as being sexually aroused for women. Wearing socks in the bedroom can actually lead women to achieve an orgasm compared to when they’re barefoot, according to a 2011 study from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. At the beginning, only 50 percent of women were able to reach orgasm because they were uncomfortable since they had cold feet. However, after they were given socks, 80 percent reached orgasm.
This is attributed to the decrease in amygdala and prefrontal cortex activity — the areas of the brain responsible for anxiety, fear, and danger signals — during an orgasm. "A pleasant environment, which includes the room temperature, is an important part of making her feel safe, secure, and comfortable," said Dr. Gert Holstege, study author and chairman of the center for uroneurology at the university.
Apply these surprising secrets to your love life so you and your partner will crave sex tonight and every night.