Fulfilling sex life is a cornerstone of a healthy relationship. It helps strengthen intimacy and feel a couple more connected. On the flip side, not being able to satisfy your partner can not only place strain on your relationship but also hamper your self-esteem. Besides, it could be a sign of bad sexual health. That is why poor performance in bed can be an unnerving experience.
The good news is that you can improve your sexual stamina and performance the natural way, without resorting to unregulated treatments or going on a pill-popping spree. Let’s find out how:
How to boost sexual stamina – for men
There are few things men are as fixated with as enhancing their sexual performance and lasting longer in bed. However, several factors such as stress, poor lifestyle habits, medical conditions such as erectile dysfunction can get in the way.
Here is how you can take control of your performance in bed and correct the course:
- Kegel exercises for erectile dysfunction: Kegel exercises designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles - that supports your bladder and rectum and helps control your urine flow. These exercises can help restore the agility in your genitals, and get you up and about for action. These simple contract and release exercises can be performed at any place and time, even on the go. And yes they are meant for men too!
- Try the Stop-and-Start technique: Want to increase your sex time? The stop-and-start technique is truly the best tool at your disposal. If you feel that you’re about to ejaculate sooner than you’d like or before your partner has orgasmed, just stop your movement. Do not pull in or out your penis strokes for a few seconds. Take a deep breath and resume. Using this technique regularly, you can train your body to put off ejaculation longer than usual.
- Mix things up: A lot of times reasons for sub-par sexual performance are psychological and not physical. You may find it hard to get aroused or sustain an erection if your sex routine has become predictable and monotonous. So try to mix things up a little by trying new positions and places. You can also experiment with role-playing or sexual talking during the act for that extra stimulation.
- Manage stress: Stress is one of the biggest killers for libido. Whether you’re dealing with stressors in your work or home life or your inability to perform in bed makes you anxious, engage in some calming activity. It could be anything from yoga or meditation to pursuing a hobby or playing a sport.
- Change your lifestyle: A more holistic lifestyle will help improve your health parameters, which will reflect in your sexual performance. Cut back on alcohol intake, quit smoking, exercise more often and eat clean to experience a surge in sexual energies.
How to boost sexual stamina – for women
The many physical changes that a woman’s body goes through can severely impact the desire for intimacy and sexual performance. Childbirth, hormonal changes, menopause are just some common reasons why a lot of women get put off the whole idea of sex. Here’s how you can change that:
- Pleasure yourself: This is especially important if you’re going through a dry spell. As the frequency of sex decreases, your body forgets what it is like to experience an orgasm. Consequently, your libido becomes non-existent. While you explore ways to revive your will to perform sexually, make way for masturbation in your life. The self-stimulation will make you crave the real thing soon enough.
- Work with the right aids: A lot of women find it hard to keep up with long durations of penetrative sex because they experience discomfort in the vagina. This is often due to a lack of natural lubrication. So don’t hesitate in using lubes, massage oils gels or even sex toy to get and stay wet.
- Embrace your body: Another common reason behind women shying away from sex is that they are uncomfortable their physical appearance. But if you aren’t comfortable with your naked body, how will you be comfortable with another person looking at you – even if that person is your partner? So, embrace the way you look or do what it takes to make you feel good about your body. But do it the healthy, sustainable way.
- Tell your partner what you want: It’s a sad reality that a lot of people don’t know their way around a woman’s body, even after they’ve been sexually active for years. When you don’t get your share of the pleasure, it is only natural to feel put off the whole idea of sex. So, be honest and forthcoming about your needs. Want longer foreplay? Or be touched at a specific spot? Want them to be more gentle or rough? Just say the words without inhibition. Consider it an investment in sexual performance, which will hold your relationship in good stead.
Improving your sexual performance is a continuous work in progress. You’ll need to work on it more and more as you age. Make these tips a part of your lifestyle for the sake of prolonged sexual gratification.
To protect the identity, the person in the picture is a model and names have been changed.
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Arushi Chaudhary is a freelance journalist and writer with 5 years of experience in print publications such as the Pune Mirror and Hindustan Times, and has spent close to a decade writing for digital platforms and print publications – The Tribune, BR International magazine, Make My Trip, Killer Features, The Money Times, and Home Review, to name a few. Of the many things she's written about over the years, exploring the space of love and relationships through the prism of psychology excites her the most. Writing is her first and forever love. You can find her on Twitter here.