To put on my feminist hat, it's bloody great (mostly). I recall a friend of mine from high school, a middle distance runner who struggled through high school with her identity as a woman. She was strong, muscly and flat chested. Kids are cruel. I remember class mates teasing her for looking like a man.
Now the aesthetic and the discourse is changing. Fit women not only have a place but are lorded and accepted for being strong.
Of course this new fit, strong and sexy aesthetic can put some pressure on other women who don't fit that mold. Thankfully however, there are multiple different societally accepted roles in which women can establish their femininity (the same cannot be said for men, but that's a whole other topic).
Whilst fit is very faddy at the moment, with people getting into fitness for aesthetics rather than health, I don't mind. Does the vessel matter if the outcome is the same?
So I'm gonna go there. I'm gonna bust out the hashtag.What's your #fitspiration?
Is it aesthetics, health or functional ability (sport, flexibility etc)? If they don't motivate, sorry #fitspirate, you into picking up a dumbbell (and activating your long lost instagram account) why not exercise for sex?
Firstly sex is (or should i say can be?) a workout in and of itself. It involves coordinated activation of the cardio-respiratory and musculoskeletal systems for short to long periods. So just like sprinting the 100ms or running a marathon, sex has demands on the body.
The fitter sexual participant will be able to cope with the change in cardio-respiratory homeostasis better and thus may have longer lasting sex. The stronger participant will also be less muscularly sore after sex and able to experiment with more different positions, potentially increasing both partners enjoyment.
From a more medical angle physical activity is also known to: increase libido, decrease the risk of developing erectile dysfunction, decrease rates of prostatic disease and improve the quality of sperm in men. In women it improves libido, menstrual cyclcity, ovulation and fertility.
That said it is not all roses. Constant bouts of "extreme" exercise (running a daily marathon etc) can result in negative energy balance leading to detrimental effects on the reproductive system (especially in women read: amenarchy and infertility). It is best to do a moderate amount of exercise (30-60minutes/day).
So are there are any particular exercises you should be doing?
Yes and no. Any exercise is better than none but there are a few things you should be focusing on.
Guys
Think abdominals (crunches), hip flexors (lunges, squats, deadlifts) and glutes (squats, deadlifts). Extra flexibility isn't going to hurt either so keep up your stretches and maybe think about a yoga class (could be something you do together).
Girls
Think hamstrings (lunges, hamstring curls), glutes (squats, deadlifts) also you want to have some pretty loose hip flexors to get those legs up and out of the way (yoga, pilates). Also probably an idea to think about your pelvic floor. The muscle of interest here is the the pubococcygeus muscle (PC to it's friends). PC runs on each side of the vagina and contracts on orgasm. Strengthening this may make the vaginal canal appear tighter and increase sensation for both you and your partner.
If you type "pelvic floor exercises" into Google you will get all manner of results, plenty to play with. One easy way to work the PC muscle is to stop urination midstream, hold it for 3-10seconds and repeat.
So what are you waiting for? Jump on the fitness bandwagon (remember it only works if you use hashtags). Reinforce your bed and get to the gym!
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