Men's Fitness

Improve your orgasm: you may have thought your sexual pleasure was the one thing that couldn't get any better. Think again - Sexual Fitness - physiology

Woody Allen once said about orgasms, "My worst one was right on the money." Though you may not get to bed the likes of Julia Roberts and Mira Sorvino--as the Woodman does in his movies--it's safe to say that most guys are pretty happy with the way sex feels. And yet, if we told you there are ways to make it feel significantly better, wouldn't you want to know about them? We thought you would.

Practice the following, and while we can't quite promise you'll double your pleasure, you will definitely notice a difference. You'll be happy, your partner will be happy--just about everybody will be happy except the people in the apartment next door. Just remember: Increased pleasure may lead to a faster climax at first, which can be a problem (well, probably more for her than for you). But once you've harnessed the power of your newfound sexual sensitivity, your sex life--and hers--will be better than ever before.

Boost your brain chemistry. While many brain functions combine to help you feel sexual pleasure, one of the most important roles is filled by the neurotransmitter dopamine. In fact, new erection-boosting medications currently in development work by enhancing the way dopamine behaves in the brain. But dopamine levels can also be raised naturally. Eat plenty of protein as well as antioxidant-packed fruits such as blueberries. Don't do drugs and cut down on alcohol, as these substances stimulate dopamine receptors--hence the pleasurable feelings you get from them--but over time desensitize your brain to its own dopamine, so that you need more of it to get the same effect. (Heavy drinking can also eventually harm your nerves, decreasing sensitivity, although by that point, sex may be the least of your problems.)

The best news of all? Studies have found that exercise increases both your dopamine levels and the number of dopamine receptors in your brain--meaning that your workouts will foster your ability to have more pleasure now, without lessening your pleasure in the future.

Exercise your Kegels. Often used by practitioners of tantric sex as a way of retaining their precious bodily fluids during orgasm, Kegel exercises are thought to increase sexual sensation. To do them, simply hold the muscles that control urination. Perform five to 10 contractions for 10 seconds, three to five times a day. The longer you do this, the firmer your contractions will become. After a while, you may find you're having stronger orgasms--and as a welcome side effect, you may have more control over your erections as well.

Hold back. Most guys already know this technique works; they don't do it because, well, who wants to? But once you see how much more pleasure you get from postponing the inevitable--and you start getting compliments on your staying power--you may find that a little restraint goes a long way.

There are several ways to increase the amount of time you can last before climaxing. Perhaps the best is to involve your partner; let her know when you get dose, so you can slow or even stop the movements and allow your arousal to subside. Another is to practice slow, deep breathing to keep your excitement from building too quickly. And if you've been doing your Kegels, you can alternately hold and let go of that same muscle to achieve what Kerry and Diane Riley, authors of Sexual Secrets for Men, call "pumping the prostate": "Providing you begin pumping well before a peak is reached, and you pump frequently and firmly, your climax can be delayed as long as you wish."

What's not recommended is the ancient technique of attempting to think of something nonsexual, like baseball box scores. While this may help you last longer, it could also cause you to lose your erection. Besides, for most guys, the image of A-Rod fouling out doesn't exactly enhance the sexual experience.

Grease up. Proper use of a sexual lubricant will "definitely enhance sex," says Marry Klein, Ph.D., a northern California sex therapist and the author of Ask Me Anything. While they're often thought of as a woman's product, lubricants can increase sensation so much that some men who try them once never go without them again. Just remember never to use a petroleum-based product (such as Vaseline) or vegetable oils with a condom, unless you want to see what happens when latex dissolves. A few good water-based brands are AstroGlide (originally developed for NASA!), Probe, Slippery Stuff and KY Liquid (not to be confused with the original KY Jelly).

You don't have to walk into Le Smut Shoppe to buy good lubricants; they're usually available in the condom section of chain drugstores. If you find them messy, go to a gourmet store and get one of those oil misters used for nonstick cooking; fill it with lubricant, then spray where needed without touching the stuff.

Use a pleasure-boosting condom. Isn't technology great? Scientists have been working day and night to improve rubbers, and they've done a pretty good job. The Pleasure Plus, the InSpiral, Trojan's Ultra Pleasure and Durex's Intense Sensation all have pleasure-enhancing designs, some of which feature baggy tips to rub you the right way. You can also find a wider variety of sizes than ever before, ensuring a snug but not-too-tight fit. Don't try to increase your pleasure by doing without the condom, unless you find sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies equally pleasurable.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group
 

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