by valerie foster
W
ant a new incentive to start exercising? How about a better sex life? “Not enough people are talking about the exercise-sex connection,” says personal trainer Lisa Lynn. “If you exercise, get in shape and stop being ashamed of your body you will have more sex.” Today, our three experts — Lynn, Dale Kelley and Suzanne Nicklas (see Meet Our Experts) — share their surefire exercise suggestions for pumping up your bedroom action.
Top Pick Kegels.
It’s the one exercise our trio agrees every woman should do. “Kegels strengthen the pelvic floor, which is part of the primary core muscles,” says Dale Kelley, a personal trainer in Colonie. “They are important for all women, but especially important for women who have had children. They help with bladder leakage after having kids, which is one of the main reasons women do not exercise. In addition, kegels help with weight loss by improving your core strength.” To find the pelvic floor muscles, stop urination in midstream. When you can do it, you’ve found the right muscles. (Don’t make this a habit: Doing kegels while emptying your bladder could weaken the muscles and lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder, increasing the risk of infection.) Pelvic floor muscles ID’d, empty your bladder and lie on your back. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for 5 seconds, relax 5 seconds. Repeat four or five times. Goal: holding contraction for 10 seconds; resting for 10 seconds. Do not flex muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks and remember to breathe freely instead of holding your breath. Repeat at least three times a day. Once you are comfortable with kegels and understand what muscles to contract, kegels can be done anywhere — sitting at your desk, driving a car, during a meeting.
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