Decreased libido can happen at any time. A lot of people experience it after pregnancy and when breastfeeding.
Your libido could also be low because of anxiety, stress, or a hormonal imbalance due to changes in your body. Sexual disorders can also cause a loss of libido.
Whatever the reason for your decreased libido, there are things you can try to help increase it.
One possible reason for your lack of sex drive might be a lack of exercise. Exercise is important for maintaining your health, and your health care provider might suggest you add it (or add more) to help increase your libido.
Whether it’s yoga, jogging, or practicing your favorite sport, exercising is a great natural libido booster that you can get for free.
Lots of health care providers suggest exercise as a way to feel more at ease and confident in the bedroom.
One exercise you might want to try is a boxing class. Learning to box can help boost your confidence, which may help increase your libido in turn.
Kegels help strengthen the muscles in your pelvic floor — the same muscles that contract during orgasm. Your health care provider might suggest adding Kegels to your workout routine.
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Learning to handle stress in a positive way can help increase your sex drive. Meditation can be a great way to cope with stress. There are lots of great resources available that can help guide you through a simple meditation practice.
Stress can sometimes be an indication that it’s time to make some healthy lifestyle changes. When you have a healthy way to manage stress, it can help your body relax and may help boost your libido.
Having an open and honest conversation with your partner can be a good way to get any worries off your mind and address any ongoing problems. Try taking 20 minutes to talk with your partner without the distraction of your phones or the TV.
Communication can bring your partner more deeply into your world, and you can let them know if there’s been anything missing in your sex life. Maybe you’d like prolonged foreplay or want to try a little dirty talk. Whatever’s troubling you, communication can go a long way to addressing it.
If you’re getting bored with your sex life, it could lead to libido problems. You can try spicing up your love life by adding something new to your routine.
READ MORE: Can you have sex on your period?
A hectic lifestyle can make it hard to get a good night’s sleep, making you feel fatigued and stressed out during the day. Sleep is important for your body to function normally. Getting enough sleep can go a long way toward increasing your sex drive.
Before beginning any kind of treatment or therapy, your first step might be to talk to your health care provider. They can help you find out if your libido issue is due to stress or another underlying problem. Your decreased libido could be a result of lubrication problems or another underlying medical or mental health condition that they can help you treat.
Whatever the cause might be, your health care provider can help you get to the root of the problem affecting your sex life and help you find a solution.
Your health care provider may suggest medication to treat your decreased libido. Some people believe that herbal supplements can help address low libido, but there’s not enough data yet to support this. It’s always best to talk with your health care provider before trying any medications or supplements.
A hormonal imbalance can also cause decreased libido. Your health care provider may suggest hormone replacement therapy, which could help you on your journey to healthy and enjoyable sex. Your health care provider will work with you carefully to determine what sort of hormone replacement therapy you should be placed on.
If you’re experiencing low libido, these 8 things to try may be able to help boost your sex drive, helping you achieve a healthy and happy sex life.
Hamilton, Lisa Dawn, et al. “The Roles of Testosterone and Alpha-Amylase in Exercise-Induced Sexual Arousal in Women.” The Journal of Sexual Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 21 Jan. 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2978974/.
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Low Sex Drive in Women.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 28 Mar. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-sex-drive-in-women/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374561.
Cappelletti, Maurand, and Kim Wallen. “Increasing Women’s Sexual Desire: The Comparative Effectiveness of Estrogens and Androgens.” Hormones and Behavior, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4720522/.
Hamilton, Lisa Dawn, et al. “The Roles of Testosterone and Alpha‐Amylase in Exercise‐Induced Sexual Arousal in Women.” ResearchGate, Journal of Sexual Medicine, May 2008, www.researchgate.net/publication/5631096_The_Roles_of_Testosterone_and_Alpha-Amylase_in_Exercise-
Induced_Sexual_Arousal_in_Women.
Willans, A. “The Role of Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise in the Treatment of Female Sexual Dysfunction.” Journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Women’s Health, no. 115, 2014, pp. 22–29., https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ed4a/a677cfe2eefefc7cc304cf04d48e3a5efeaa.pdf.
Hoge, Elizabeth A, et al. “Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Effects on Anxiety and Stress Reactivity.” The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc3772979/.
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