Sex is good for you. Studies have shown how sex can reduce depression, strengthen your relationship and even improve your life span. Fair enough, but how do you improve things in the bedroom once you are north of 60?
H/T to Dr. Michael Trombley, medical director of Physicians E.D. Center, and others for these tips.
1. Good sex begins outside the bedroom.
Communication is key. To get your partner in the mood, try spending more time connecting in small ways: hold hands, call or text for no reason other to see how your partner is doing, bring home flowers for no occasion. With greater intimacy comes more passionate sex.
2. Literally, we mean outside the bedroom.
Varying where you have sex is part of the fun. Get a hotel room for the night. Make love on the kitchen floor or on the rug in front of the fireplace. When was the last time you did anything in the backseat of the car?
3. Involve all your senses.
Don't forget to use all your five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Improve your sex life by stimulating different areas of the brain, says Trombley. Try activities that rely more on the senses of taste, touch, and smell.
4. It's fine to plan ahead.
Too much emphasis is placed on spontaneity. While it may be great to be swept away by the moment, there is something to be said for careful planning. Buy those scented candles, pick out the sexy underwear you are going to have on, take a long bubble bath before the appointed rendezvous. Do what you need to do to get yourself in the mood.
5. Watch not just what you eat, but when you eat it.
It sounds silly, but the old dinner-and-a-movie is no longer a precursor to the sheets tango, if you get our drift. In fact, quite the opposite. Courtship rituals change as you get older. You want to avoid overeating at dinner and going into a food coma. Movies that end late will likely result in your being too tired for anything after. We know a couple who prefer late afternoon hookups with dinner afterward. Less bloat, and everyone feels sexier.
In addition, some older men experience erectile dysfunction and have a harder time getting and sustaining an erection. Some older women also take longer to get aroused. The end result is that, sometimes, morning sex is best -- when both of you are most energetic.
6. Get active.
You may not be the energizer bunny that you were when you were 25, but a short daily walk will give you more energy in the bedroom. Sex will be better if it isn’t the only physical activity you are doing.
7. Drop the rules and develop a secret signal instead.
The old "if today is Saturday, we must have sex" rule is out the door. Do things when the mood strikes, not when you think you are supposed to. Develop a secret code with your partner to signal when either one of you would like to leave a situation and go somewhere private and make love. This will strengthen your bond, and may even have you feeling like teenagers again. Being spontaneous is an easy way to add some spice to your sex life at any age.
Also on HuffPost:
