Year after responsible year, couples can forget how to have fun together. Recently we were reminded of the term “recreational intimacy” on a double date with a pastor and his wife in which we went “tubin’‚ÄÖ” (inner tubing) down the Chattahoochee River. The day was spent floating (and sometimes hanging on for dear life in the rapids). It was flat-out fun. When was the last time you and your spouse:
- Square-danced
- Ballroom danced
- Danced under the stars
- Took a walk in your neighborhood
- Hiked a trail
- Canoed or kayaked
- Boated, water-skied, or sailed
- Bicycled
- Flew a kite
- Walked the beach
- Walked around a lake
- Skateboarded, snowboarded, or snow-skied
- Snowmobiled
- Motorcycled or off-roaded in a four-wheel-drive
- Rode a horse
- Rode in a carriage, sleigh, or on a hayride
- Snow-sledded or tobogganed
- Inner-tubed down a river or in the snow down a hill
- Ran or jogged
- Worked out at an athletic club (at the same time)
- Lifted weights while you spot each other
- Jumped on a trampoline
- Jumped out of an airplane
- Took an aerobics class
- Took a Pilates or stretch class
- Took a hula class
- Snorkeled or scuba dove
- Windsurfed (or surfed or boogie boarded)
- Cowboyed
- Rock climbed
- Jumped rope
- Played hopscotch
- Twirled a baton or spun a hula hoop around your hips
- Played basketball, touch football, soccer, or tennis
- Did a cartwheel or stood on your head
It is wise to work in a weekly active date into your life. To kick-start a more active love life, you might want to take a more active weekend getaway (or longer) vacation. Endorphins play a huge role in our emotional wellness and happiness. If you are physically active, your body produces more endorphins and, as a result, you will just feel happier and more interested in sex as an activity!
There is a positive correlation between sex and sports according to a BBC article. “[Sex] The night before has no effect on strength or endurance or any of the physical abilities of the athletes,” says physiology expert Dr. Ian Shrirer, a former president of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3555734.stm Israeli physician Alexander Olshanietzky notes, “We believe that a woman gets better results in sports competition after orgasm…Generally, it’s true of high jumpers and runners. The more orgasms, the more chances of winning a medal.”Ibid.
“Research suggests that people who get regular aerobic exercise have more sex, better orgasms…than nonaerobic exercisers, says James White, Ph.D…Possible reasons: Vigorous exercise may increase natural testosterone levels (which might fuel desire in women as well as men), and it helps pump blood down to erogenous zones, like the vagina, increasing sensation. Regular workouts also boost your energy (remember, good sex can be hard work!), improve your confidence in your appearance and confer a sense of general well-being, all of which can give your libido a lift.”www.sextherapyny.com/fitness.htm Seventy-eight sedentary men were studied over nine months as they began to exercise sixty minutes a day, three times a week. Every single man noted increased frequency, performance, and a greater level of satisfaction in his sex life.
Take out your calendar app and organizers and schedule in a little fun activity this week. (It’s a performance enhancer, after all.) You might also decide a recreational intimacy getaway is just what the doctor ordered. If so, mark off a little vacation time. Get out those travel brochures, and figure out where you want to go play again.
