Exercise is well documented as a means of losing weight and maintaining muscle mass.

New research suggests that physical fitness can also benefit one’s sexual health. Two new studies suggest exercise might be considered “sexercise” for men and women throughout the lifespan.

Researchers report that exercise lowers the risk of impotence in men by improving blood flow to the genital region. Fitness primes women for sex in a similar way. With greater blood flow, sexual organs work more efficiently.

A University of California San Diego study of 78 healthy but sedentary middle-aged men documented changes when the men were assigned to exercise 3 to 4 times a week, one hour per session. Overall, the former couch potatoes reported more reliable sexual functioning, more frequent sexual activity and orgasms, and greater satisfaction.“The degree of sexual enhancement correlated with the individual’s fitness gain,” says study author James White.Half a continent away similar results were seen among female participants in a study at the University of Texas at Austin. In a clinical setting, vigorous exercise prior to watching an erotic movie had, in the words of UT clinical psychologist Cindy Meston, a “kind of priming effect” on blood flow to vaginal tissue.

As further evidence of the benefits of staying fit, researchers, as reported in a February 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that sexual dysfunction is more likely among those with poor physical and emotional health, and plays a major role with negative experiences in sexual relationships and with overall well-being.

A daily workout helps 63-year-old Jerry Monroe burn calories. It also helps keep his romance burning with vigor, reminiscent of his younger days. “In my younger years, I was quite a good athlete–I still hold some records at my college, he says. “I’m in nowhere near the kind of physical shape I was at that time, and I think–at least considering age wise–, I’m just as active sexually,” confides a physically fit Monroe.

“If you think of hardening of the arteries in relation to heart disease or strokes, that same process is going on throughout the entire body,” says anti-aging specialist Neil Hirschenbein, MD. “If you have some narrowing in a blood vessel going to the penis–which a relatively small blood vessel–, it doesn’t take much narrowing to significantly decrease the flow of blood going in.”

Staying in shape by exercising 20 to 30 minutes a day can also fend off age-related hormonal changes which can dampen your sexual appetite.There are a whole host of hormonal reasons,” says Hirschenbein, a member of Personal Physicians Group, San Diego. “As men get older, their testosterone levels go down and you get into a vicious cycle. Testosterone is really the hormone in relation to desire or libido, as opposed to erectile function.”

Staying active with some form of cardiovascular and weight bearing activity also combats loss of the male hormone testosterone, which comes with weight gain. “When you have more fat it produces an enzyme called aromatase that converts the testosterone into estrogen, so that your testosterone levels go down even further,” Hirschenbein says.

Whatever the physiological reasons, Jerry Monroe’s wife Pamela appreciates the effort–and results–of Jerry’s commitment to health. “I appreciate that he keeps on top of his nutrition and physical exercise,” says Pamela. “I think somebody who doesn’t care enough about themselves to kind of let themselves go and slip, it says a lot about their character. I have never seen another 63-year-old man with as great a body.”

His wife’s encouragement helps motivate Monroe to continue his exercise regimen, pointing to some mechanisms that fitness enhances, including stress reduction, mood elevation, and heightened self-confidence, all factors which can enrich one’s love life. Says Dr. Hirschenbein.

“If you exercise you’re going to look better, you’re going to be more attractive to your mate, and you’re going to be more attractive to yourself in terms of having sexual desire with your mate.”Says Jerry Monroe, “I think if I spent all my time sitting on the couch eating chocolates and watching television, things would not be as good as they are.”