Does Your Sex Life Need to Change as an Older Adult?

Whether you’re 18 or you’re 80, everyone likes sex and deserves to enjoy it. So how do you keep the good loving going once you’re past your physical prime?

1. Let’s Get Physical: Not only is exercise good for your overall wellbeing; it also works wonders for your sexual health. Exercise helps with physical wellness issues, such as energy and stamina, as well as improving your sense of body image. If you find sex not-so enjoyable, Kegel exercises can help both men and women get more out sex, improving the functioning of your sexual organs and improving your bladder control at the same time. Just make sure you speak to your physician before engaging in a rigorous exercise programme, especially if you have an existing condition or you’re taking certain medications. This leads us nicely onto…

2. Doctor, Doctor: If you suffer from physical limitations or the effects of certain illnesses or medications, you may need to make a few accommodations in order to enjoy sex. Talk with your doctor about any changes that concern you, and he or she can help you make the necessary changes. You can still can enjoy full, satisfying sex lives if you have a heart condition, although most doctors recommend that you abstain from sex for a brief time following a heart attack. If you have angina, ask your doctor about taking nitroglycerin before you have sex, but refrain from taking erectile dysfunction medication if you are using nitroglycerin.

3. Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby: Communication is key when changes occur to your body. As people age, you lose oestrogen while your partner loses testosterone. These hormonal changes may lead to changes in libido, but your partner won’t know what’s going on in your body until you tell him. Not only can openly discussing your concerns and what you’re experiencing emotionally and physically help you both to find a solution; the sheer act of open, vulnerable communication can bring you closer and help you both enjoy sex and intimacy all the more.

4. Take Me Out: Sex and sexuality communicate a great deal: affection, love, esteem, warmth, sharing and bonding. These gifts are as much the right of older adults as they are of those who are younger, so why not take a leaf out of young peoples’ book? Go out on a date to the movies or to dinner, or just suggest you go for a walk. Quality time helps you to focus on intimacy and physical touch, so hark back to your younger selves and hold hands, hug and show affection.

5. Afternoon Delight: If you find that you’re too tired to have sex at night anymore, try trying it on with your partner in the morning or the afternoon when you have more energy. A low libido can make you want to get things over with quickly, but taking your time and spending longer on foreplay can increase vaginal lubrication and boost your level of desire. If uncomfortable sex is putting you off, try using a lubricant. There are loads of sexual factors to play with, such as mood, lighting and sensual exercises – so try something new to get in the mood.

6. Safety Dance: Research shows that rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis have doubled for people in their 50s, 60s and 70s in the past decade, due to the lack of fear of pregnancy. However, condoms are vital for protecting you against STDs, so it’s important to practice safe sex with every new partner.

Categories: doctor, exercise, nbsp, older adults, partner, physical, safe sex, time

How to Enjoy an Amazing Sex Life No Matter Your Age

As you reach your 50s and beyond, you may notice a few changes to your physical wellbeing. Sure there are a few creaky joints and wrinkles that weren’t there before, but that doesn’t mean your physical needs have changed – not to mention your emotional needs. The need for intimacy is ageless, and sexual health has actually been linked to good wellness overall and a longer lifespan!

 

According to Arthur Hayward, MD, a geriatrician and the clinical lead physician for elder care with Kaiser Permanente’s Care Management Institute, Many women are surprised by the impact menopause has on their sex life. Some women enjoy sex more after menopause while others feel a drop in interest. Men may feel a decline in their sex drive and may want to learn about treatment for erectile dysfunction. Whatever the situation, be honest and open with your doctor about your concerns, so you can get the help you need to improve your sexual health.’ So how can you continue to enjoy a physically and emotionally fulfilling sex life as you age?

 

1. Communicate: This is a top tip regardless of age, but communication is key when changes occur to your body. As people age, you lose oestrogen while your partner loses testosterone. These hormonal changes may lead to changes in libido, but your partner won’t know what’s going on in your body until you tell him. Not only can openly discussing your concerns and what you’re experiencing emotionally and physically help you both to find a solution; the sheer act of open, vulnerable communication can bring you closer and help you both enjoy sex and intimacy all the more.

 

2. Spend Time Together: Sex and sexuality communicate a great deal: affection, love, esteem, warmth, sharing and bonding. These gifts are as much the right of older adults as they are of those who are younger, so why not take a leaf out of young peoples’ book? Go out on a date to the movies or to dinner, or just suggest you go for a walk. Quality time helps you to focus on intimacy and physical touch, so hark back to your younger selves and hold hands, hug and show affection.

 

3. Experiment: If you find that you’re too tired to have sex at night anymore, try trying it on with your partner in the morning or the afternoon when you have more energy. A low libido can make you want to get things over with quickly, but taking your time and spending longer on foreplay can increase vaginal lubrication and boost your level of desire. If uncomfortable sex is putting you off, try using a lubricant. There are loads of sexual factors to play with, such as mood, lighting and sensual exercises – so try something new to get in the mood.

 

4. Practice Safe Sex: Research shows that rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis have doubled for people in their 50s, 60s and 70s in the past decade, due to the lack of fear of pregnancy. However, condoms are vital for protecting you against STDs, so it’s important to practice safe sex with every new partner.

 

5. Know When to Seek Help: If you suffer from physical limitations or the effects of certain illnesses or medications, you may need to make a few accommodations. Talk with your doctor about any changes that concern you, and he or she can help you make the necessary changes. Some health niggles can be the first sign of a medical problem, so it’s always worth bringing them up.

Categories: Communication, healthy sex life, life, nbsp, older adults, partner, physical, practice safe, safe sex, sex life, sexual, sexual health

Fish Oil Supplements Proven to Fight Ageing Process

The wellness benefits of fish oil supplements is often debated by scientists. However, not only does taking fish oil supplements have enormous benefits to your overall wellbeing, not research has emerged that shows these supplements can dramatically improve your anti-ageing wellness.

 

Sherry Baker, Natural News Health Sciences Editor, recalls ‘Last month, Natural News told readers the truth about a much ballyhooed previous study which, according to the inaccurate reporting by mainstream media, meant taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements (almost always in the form of fish oil) was a waste of money and did nothing to protect health. In fact, the study was not the last word about fish oil supplements at all and even the researchers who conducted it didn’t make that claim.’

 

Baker continues, ‘It was a meta-analysis of studies involving close to 70,000 people all lumped together and included research subjects who had only taken omega-3 supplements for a short while. Some took very little. Even the authors of the study noted that “…an individual patient data meta-analysis would be more appropriate to refine possible associations related to, among others, dose, adherence, baseline intake, and cardiovascular disease risk group.” But that didn’t stop the media from ignoring that important point and proclaiming, as ABC News did, that omega-3s are “not a lifesaver” and do nothing for health in general.’

 

However, now a new study has emerged that shows fish oil supplements really do have major health benefits. Researchers at OhioStateUniversity, who have published their work online in the journal Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity, gave overweight but healthy middle-aged and older adults a substantial amount (either 2.5 grams or 1.25 grams) of omega-3 supplements regularly for four months. The results showed the fish oil supplements altered a ratio of their fatty acid consumption, which, in turn, enhanced the preservation of tiny DNA segments in their white blood cells. ‘These miniscule DNA bits are known as telomeres,’ Baker explains. ‘They shorten over time in many types of cells as a consequence of ageing. Stopping this shortening of telomeres has long been thought to be a key to halting the ageing process or at least slowing it down.’

 

Baker details, ‘The Ohio State scientists found that lengthening of telomeres in immune system cells was more prevalent in people who substantially improved the ratio of omega-3s to other fatty acids in their diet. What’s more, the substantial and regular supplementation also reduced oxidative stress, known to be caused by excessive free radicals in the blood, by about 15% compared to the oxidative stress measured in a control group of research subjects who received placebos instead of real supplements.’ In a media statement, lead author of the study Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and psychology at OhioStateUniversity, commented, ‘The telomere finding is provocative in that it suggests the possibility that a nutritional supplement might actually make a difference in ageing.’

 

Moreover, the research team found that the supplements lowered inflammation, which proves that omega-3 fatty acid supplements have heart health benefits. Kiecolt-Glaser noted, ‘Inflammation in particular is at the heart of so many health problems. Anything that reduces inflammation has a lot of potentially good spin-offs among older adults.’ Baker clarifies, ‘Specifically, taking these supplements regularly may lower the risk for a host of diseases associated with ageing, including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and even mind-robbing Alzheimer’s disease.’ Look online for more information about fish oil supplements, and make sure you speak to your doctor before taking any new supplement, as these may interfere with your personal health concerns.

Categories: fatty acid, fish oil, Health Benefits, Inflammation, oil supplements, older adults, omega 3s, oxidative stress, Research, research subjects, supplements regularly

The Facts Of Sexual Satisfaction For Older Women

We often consider that our youth is the right time to feel satisfied with our sex lives. Indeed perhaps it is common to believe that when we are young it is the only time that we are going to feel satisfaction sexually. But this does not necessarily need to be the case in fact there is increasing evidence that a healthy love life is very beneficial to us as we get older and it is something that can be a part of all of our lives. It is even true that a healthy sex life is beneficial to us as we get older and can get us cope better with aging. We only need to look at celebrities such as Jane Fonda and Joan Collins to see examples of women doing this.

 

Apparently this holds true even as the amount of sex you have decreases. This all comes from a report that was published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society; the researchers looked at 1,235 women between the ages of 60 and 89. One of the major finding from the study was that older women had sex a lot less frequently than younger women – this might not seem like anything especially ground breaking, but what is perhaps more so is the suggestion that older women still reported being at least moderately or very sexually satisfied. It was also true that this had a massive effect on overall quality of life.

 

“Sexual satisfaction was not significantly associated with age,” according to one of the researchers, Professor Thompson of the University of California San Diego “although the levels of sexual activity and functioning did vary significantly, depending on the woman’s age, their perceived quality of life, successful ageing and sexual satisfaction remained positive.

 

“What this study tells us is that many older adults retain their ability to enjoy sex well into old age. This is especially true of older adults who maintain a higher level of physical and mental health as they grow older. Furthermore, feeling satisfied with your sex life – whatever your levels of sexual activity – is closely related to your perceived quality of life”

 

One interesting fact about sexual satisfaction among older people is the fact that sex among older people is still a taboo subject. For a huge number of reasons both younger and older people seem to strongly dislike talking about sex among the older generation. This can lead us to believe that older people never have sex and that therefore they feel that sexual satisfaction must naturally diminish as we get older.

 

But clearly this is not the case in fact many people as they become more mature with age are more able to have excellent sexual experiences. What’s more, having sex can also have a number of genuine health benefits that can really make a difference for us as we get older. For example it is well known that having sex can reduce stress. Stress can be a real problem as we get older and it is good to relieve it as it is linked with a greater risk in a huge number of illnesses.

 

Sex is also known for a number of other benefits including the fact that it can improve the health of your heart, help you to get more sleep and even to burn off calories. So clearly we can see that even as we get older sex has a role to play in our lives and even if you are having it less often it does not mean that you cannot get satisfaction from it.

Categories: life nbsp, older, older adults, older people, older women, perceived quality, satisfaction, Sex, sex life, sexual activity, sexual satisfaction

Does Your Race Determine When You Lose Your Sense of Smell?

As you get older, your wellbeing can be affected as your senses aren’t what they used to be. However, according to a new study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, this may have something to do with your race. Researchers at the University of Chicago, along with survey teams from the National Opinion Research Centre, have found that your race may determine the age at which you lose your sense of smell, as blacks and Hispanics lost their ability faster than whites.

 

For the study “Racial Disparities in Olfactory Loss Among Older Adults in the United States”, the smelling capabilities of 3,005 older adults between the ages of 57 and 85 were gauged using a standard test. The participants – who answered questionnaires about their physical and mental health, social and financial resources, education, and alcohol or substance abuse – smelled five different odours individually (peppermint, fish, orange, rose, and leather) and were asked to identify what they were out of four choices.

 

The results of the study revealed that just under half of the participants (49%) were able to recognise all five smells correctly, and there was a correlation between age and declining ability. Of the participants aged 57 years old, 64% were able to identify all five smells, while only 25% of the 85-year-olds were also able to identify all five smells. While the study found that women’s smelling capabilities were the equivalent of five years younger than the men’s, the more surprising finding was that non-whites scored 47% lower than whites. This means that non-white participants performed as if they were nine years older.

 

According to study author Dr. Jayant Pinto, associate professor of surgery at the University of Chicago, ‘We have long known that men begin to lose their sense of smell some years sooner than women, but this is the first study to point to racial or ethnic differences. What surprised us was the magnitude of the difference. The racial disparity was almost twice as large as the well documented difference between men and women.’ The study authors added, ‘Race likely serves as a proxy for differential environmental exposures and life experiences, which may interact with biological differences.’

Categories: older, older adults, participants, race, Research, smell, smelling capabilities, study, whites, years