Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS
If you are an older man, you may fear the natural changes to your sexuality that come with age signal that you are hopelessly over the hill. These changes don’t mean you can’t still enjoy sex. Your body may not be as flexible or your erections as quick on the draw, but you can use these five tips to be as potent at eighty as you were at twenty.
1. One change that comes with age should be viewed as a bonus—older men take longer to reach orgasm. If your partner is a woman, this may benefit her because bringing a woman to orgasm is easier with prolonged sex. Enjoy being able to take your time—not only do you naturally acquire greater ejaculatory control as you age but you have learned an arsenal of tricks for arousing and satisfying the person you share your bed with.
2. Sex for older men and women need not be boring and routine—take the initiative to spice things up. Nothing brings passion and romance back to a long-term relationship faster than a change in sexual habits or venue. Some men surprise their partners with flowers and a sunset tryst in a motel. When was the last time you and your partner had sex in the kitchen or the shower? Experiment with different positions. Use your imagination and see what you come up with.
3. Making simple changes to your diet significantly improves your overall health and sex life. Don’t overeat, and make sure you consume plenty of fiber. A great sex life depends on clean arteries—you don’t want to gum up the works and hinder your erections by ingesting saturated fats and bad cholesterol. A diet high in fiber and low in saturated fats and simple sugars helps men maintain their prowess and prevents health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and prostate cancer.
4. A good exercise program is central to overall health and sexual fitness in your senior years. Doctors recommend thirty minutes of aerobic exercises four or five times a week to maintain cardiovascular fitness. You support your body with your arms during sex, so push-ups or weight exercises help prevent fatigue. Squats and knee bends help to support you during various sexual positions. Sit-ups, crunches, and leg raises strengthen the muscles of the abdomen and lower back and improve pelvic flexibility.
5. If you’re having problems with erectile dysfunction, don’t forget magic pills such as Cialis and Viagra. The most common cause of ED in older men is atherosclerosis, which narrows the blood vessels. ED drugs increase blood flow to the penis and create a firm, long-lasting erection. All of these pills are safe and only prohibited for men who have coronary artery disease and are taking medicines like nitroglycerine. Taking ED drugs is not a sign of weakness, so feel free to pop a pill, knowing that it is safe, effective, and often life-changing.
Dudley Seth Danoff, MD, FACS, is president and founder of the Cedars-Sinai Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, a Diplomate of the American Board of Urology, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and the author of The Ultimate Guide to Male Sexual Health.