The best approach to health and wellness is a holistic one. After all, what happens to one part of the body impacts the rest. But has your healthcare provider ever asked you how satisfied you were with your sex life?
Although asking about your sexual health and wellness should be no different from discussing your exercise or eating habits, many healthcare providers don’t give it the amount of attention it rightfully deserves. We’re here to change that with eight of our favorite tips and tricks to improve your sexual wellness.
What Is Sexual Wellness?
With sexual wellness, we talk about it the same way as any other aspect of your health and wellness. And, like those other aspects, we look at four dimensions — behavioral, biological, psychological, and social.
Compare sexual wellness to another topic providers bring up at annual wellness visits. Have you ever been asked how well-balanced your diet is? How many times a day do you eat? What do you think needs to be changed about how you eat?
You can apply those same questions to your sexual wellness.
Sexual wellness is how your body and mind work together to support and define your sexuality. How your body functions during sex, how easily you get mentally aroused, how satisfied you feel afterward, and how likely you are to achieve orgasm are all parts of your sexual wellness.
When we skip these topics in conversations around health and wellness, we miss out on a large part of what makes us human.
Our sexual wellness is as essential as any other component of our health, and we hope that more healthcare providers get on board soon. But until that happens, we’re here to help you learn how to advocate for yourself.
How To Improve Sexual Wellness
Think about your current level of sexual wellness. If the list of things you wish you could change is longer than the list of things that are going well for you, we’re here to help. Don’t settle for an unsatisfying sex life any longer; try these eight tips and tricks to boost your sexual wellness and enjoy your body more than ever.
1. Get Comfortable With Your Body
When we talk about getting comfortable with your body, we mean both physically and emotionally. Physically, getting familiar with your sexual organs and genitals helps you establish your baseline normal. Once you understand your body, you can quickly identify any red flags.
For example, hormone imbalances (especially during menopause), infections, and even medication side effects can inhibit your ability to get wet (or hard). If you notice something is off, you can schedule an appointment with your doctor to look for solutions.
Try doing your own head-to-toe checks regularly, too. Buy some of your favorite personal care products, draw yourself a warm bath, and take the time to explore your body. Exploration isn’t just about self-love (although you should definitely do that, too). These self-checks are also about catching anything going on with your body before it advances.
It’s not all physical, though. Getting comfortable with your body also means building your emotional connection with your body and your self-esteem. Make small changes to improve your self-love.
For example, investing in new skincare products like exfoliants, a cleanser, or a moisturizer can help you break through your barriers and love yourself.
You should also get comfortable talking about your body with your healthcare provider. Try not to feel awkward or ashamed to bring up issues with your sexual wellness. After all, how else can they support you if you don’t advocate for yourself?
2. Communicate With Your Partner(s)
You should also extend that same comfort level of sexual wellness difficulties to your partner. If you’re having trouble staying wet (or getting or staying hard), talk to your partner about trying more foreplay before penetration.
You can also discuss using a paraben-free personal lubricant, like our Intimacy Sex Oil, to help keep things slippery. You should also take the time to learn about your body together. Try exploring your G-spot and show your partner how to find and touch it.
3. Stave Away Stress
Stress can have a significant impact on your libido. Stress, especially chronic stress, increases cortisol levels (a type of stress hormone) in the body, lowering your ability to get sexually aroused.
Stress can also negatively affect your mental state. Who wants to get it on when they’re stressed and overwhelmed? It’s not very sexy and certainly much harder to let go and get off.
Makeup sex,however, is an entirely different topic.
Try to improve your overall well-being in ways that feel right to you. For instance, work on identifying any potential causes of stress, then working to remove them or at least lessen their impact.
Practice good self-care by taking long soaks in the bath with a partner or yourself (our Intimacy Bath Salts with CBD & Cacao are perfect for both!).
Masturbation can also help improve your sexual wellness while reducing stress, so break out the lube and your rechargeable vibrator and get ready for some real smile makers!
4. Eat a Healthy Diet
Your diet impacts all facets of your life, from blood pressure to stamina and everywhere in between. It also can play a significant role in your sexual wellness, for better or worse.
A well-balanced, healthy diet can help keep your body working optimally and improve your libido. It gives you the energy to perform well in the bedroom and recover quickly afterward.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains are always a good bet (plus, we’re sure you’ve heard that fresh pineapple may make some certain somethings taste better).
You’ll also want to focus on drinking plenty of water because hydration directly influences your sexual health. Dehydration can make it difficult to get wet and can also throw off your pH levels.
5. Stay Active
Staying active is another excellent way to improve your sexual wellness. Studies have shown that the more physically fit you are, the more confident you may feel. People with higher self-confidence and self-esteem are also more likely to report being satisfied with their sex lives.
Plus, added physical activity and exercise can also lead to higher stamina, which is an excellent quality to have in the bedroom. Do you want to go harder and last longer? Start incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine.
6. Boost Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one vitamin that doesn’t get nearly enough hype. Often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is one vitamin many people need to supplement outside their regular balanced diet. Low vitamin D levels can lead to fatigue, mood changes, muscle weakness, and other health issues.
However, vitamin D can also impact sexual wellness, especially for people with a penis. Although studies are ongoing, low vitamin D levels can be tied to trouble achieving and maintaining an erection.
Go outside for a bit of sunshine and ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels so that you can supplement as needed.
7. Bring in the Experts
If you’re still struggling with sexual wellness, it may be time to bring in the experts. Consulting a sex therapist or seeing your gynecologist (or urologist for people with a penis) can help you get your physical and emotional sexual wellness back on track.
You can even ask your favorite sex toy or sexual aide retailers for recommendations. For instance, can you use a water-based personal lubricant with latex condoms? What are the best sex toys on the market right now? Is silicone lube the most long-lasting option?
They’ll have all your answers and other recommendations for personal care products to improve your sexual wellness and blow your mind.
8. Try Aphrodisiac Herbs, Spices, and Foods
The correct herbal supplements can enormously impact all avenues of health and wellness, including your sexual wellness. Knowing what natural health products to look for can help you separate fact from fiction.
We incorporate that premise into our Awaken Arousal Oil, which includes nine different organic plant-based aphrodisiacs. We use kava root, ginger, cacao, cinnamon, broad-spectrum hemp extract, and more to enhance pleasure and sensation and help people with vulvas experience stronger, more fulfilling orgasms.
You can even start with a meal full of aphrodisiacs before breaking out the Awaken Arousal Oil. Foods like raw oysters, figs, and chocolate are thought to increase arousal, especially when you and your partner take turns feeding each other!
Takeaway
Improving your sexual wellness can be much easier than you might think. When you look at how your sex life impacts the rest of your health and wellness, and vice versa, it becomes apparent how connected the entire body really is. Working on one aspect, like physical activity, communication, or diet, can make a huge difference.
Try a few sexual wellness products to boost your arousal and take your enjoyment even further, and for more tips and tricks on all things sex, explore the rest of the Foria blog here.
Sources:
Sex, hormones and the brain | PubMed
Chronic stress and sexual function in women | PMC
Vitamin D and Male Sexual Function: A Transversal and Longitudinal Study | PMC
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