Long-lasting sex relies on two types of “stamina.”
First is physical endurance, which involves your energy levels and how long you can engage in any physical activity before getting fatigued.
The second is your “sexual stamina” which refers to how long you’re able to engage in intimacy or sex before reaching climax and orgasm.
Making a few lifestyle changes can help to increase both of these endurance factors and possibly lead to better, more enjoyable, and longer-lasting sex.
Why Are My Energy Levels Low?
Many lifestyle factors contribute to low levels of energy.
Some of these factors might be out of your control such as age and inherited genetics.
But there’s a lot you can do for your endurance and stamina.
First, here are a few reasons why your energy levels might be low and why you fatigue easily:
- Poor diet. If you aren’t eating a well-balanced, healthy diet, you’re at risk of malnutrition and low energy. Not getting enough essential nutrients or the right calories can lead to severe fatigue. This is especially true for older adults who are less likely to engage in physical activity and also have a slower metabolism. Foods like oatmeal, leafy greens, complex carbs, legumes, and healthy fats can promote higher energy levels, with sustained energy release, and a healthy metabolism, while packaged snacks and soda can cause cravings and blood sugar spikes followed by a crash.
- Not enough exercise. Long periods of being sedentary and a lack of exercise can result in muscles becoming weaker. Weak muscles become fatigued much faster than muscles that are in use regularly to maintain their strength. Yoga, cycling, jogging, and even just walking are examples of exercises that can improve blood flow and circulation, support your body’s energy, and reduce stress hormones.
- Low testosterone production. Testosterone is the primary sex hormone for men and plays a vital role in physical abilities. Your testosterone production reaches its peak in your late 20s or early 30s and falls by an average of 1.6% each year afterward.
- Lack of sleep. Your circadian rhythm is your internal clock, and it’s “set” largely from exposure to sunlight. When lifestyle factors disrupt your sleep cycles, it can interfere with your ability to get a good night’s sleep. Difficulties with sleeping such as insomnia or sleep apnea can severely disrupt the amount of rest you get on a nightly basis. Most people should be getting between seven and nine hours of high-quality REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Anything less can lead to intense feelings of fatigue and low energy.
- Depression. This mental health disorder often leads to a lack of interest in previously important areas of life and can drain your energy levels as a result. Not only will you be less enthusiastic about hobbies and activities, but you may also have less energy to perform them– that includes sex.
- Stress: Stress leads to increased cortisol levels, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Prolonged stress can make you feel like you constantly need a power nap just to get through the day, and working to manage stress can help you feel more energized.
How Can I Boost My Energy Naturally?
Low levels of energy are usually due to a combination of some of the factors listed above.
These factors are often co-associated, too, meaning one may lead to or contribute to another.
For example, depression can lead to a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, poor sleep, and lower testosterone production.
Addressing each issue individually can help to improve the others and lead to higher levels of energy.
Here are a few ways that you can naturally address low energy:
- Eat a healthier diet: Replacing unhealthy foods in your diet with those that are higher in nutritional value can help energy levels in several ways. You should replace foods high in fat, salt, and sugar with more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and nuts to maintain healthy blood sugar levels (which are key to providing your cells with energy) and longer-lasting energy. Drink enough water, too, as dehydration can also contribute to low levels of energy.
- Try herbal supplements. There are plenty of herbal options that may be able to help increase or stabilize energy. Natural supplements have long been used in traditional medicines to boost energy and sexual performance.
- Get more exercise. You should try to get around 150 minutes of exercise each week to maintain and improve energy levels. Exercise and a healthier diet can help you to lose weight, which is another factor involved in energy levels and sexual function.
- Drink more caffeine. An easy way to temporarily boost energy levels is to drink some caffeine, which contains natural stimulants. The substances in a cup of coffee can help block the neurotransmitters in your brain that make you feel tired and sleepy. Just avoid caffeine too close to bedtime.
- Testosterone replacement therapy. Lifting weights and changing your diet can help to improve your health and increase your testosterone production, but it can only do so much. Men with testosterone disorders may need testosterone replacement therapy to restore production to optimal levels.
- Get better sleep. Engaging in exercise, meditation, and deep breathing exercises can help you experience deeper and more restorative levels of sleep. For more severe cases, you may need to see a specialist to discuss options for better sleep.
- Go to therapy. Mood conditions like depression or anxiety can be challenging issues to overcome and will most likely require therapy and medications. If your therapist recommends medication, be sure to ask about potential side effects as some antidepressants have been known to result in sexual dysfunctions.
- Reduce substance use. Abuse of alcohol and nicotine can negatively affect energy. Quitting smoking and reducing regular alcohol intake may help support your energy as well as your overall health and immune system.
How Can I Last Longer During Sex?
You should be able to improve your physical endurance by making a few of the changes listed above. However, if you’re reaching orgasm before you want to, it may be a sign of an entirely different matter. You might be experiencing premature ejaculation.
Fortunately, several effective options are available that can help you last longer during sex:
- Using topical anesthetics or specialized condoms during sex can help to dull the sensations that you experience during sex and delay your orgasm.
- Kegel exercises can help you to strengthen your pelvic floor and provide more control over your orgasms.
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are primarily prescribed as antidepressants but have been shown to delay orgasms and are sometimes used to treat premature ejaculation.
Lifestyle changes are the first and often best way to naturally boost your energy levels and help you last longer in bed.
Eating a healthier diet, getting more exercise, spending time doing things you enjoy, and sleeping through the night are a few ways that you can naturally boost your energy levels.
