Post 50erectile dysfunctionLove Post50fifty

Dr. Christiane Northrup On Improving Your Post50 Sex Life

Tips For Improving Your Sex Life
Lauren Rosenblum and Evan Allis
Open Image Modal

For many post50s, sex at midlife is a concept sure to trigger fears of declining physical attraction and panic over new challenges as old certainties are left behind. As a result, couples often find themselves struggling to ignite a waning flame in the bedroom, or worse, resigning themselves to a sexless relationship.

Noted author and physician Dr. Christiane Northrup wants post50s to know that, regardless of what society says, the excitement and passion that once defined your sex life does not have to be a memory relegated to the past -- midlife can be a time of unmatched sexual expression and emotional fulfillment.

Following a career as a practicing physician in obstetrics and gynecology for over 25 years, Northrup has dedicated the second half of her life to exposing everything that can go wrong with the female body to illuminate everything that can go right.

Huff/Post50 recently caught up with the good doctor to talk about spicing things up in the bedroom and get her advice on how couples can open the doors to the most pleasurable, life-enhancing and sexually fulfilling period of their lives.

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

5 Ways Post50s Can Improve Their Sex Life
It's Not Over(01 of05)
Open Image Modal
Everything in our culture makes people, and women in particular, feel that after the age of 40, they're no longer sexually attractive, and this belief gets internalized. But researcher Gina Ogden, in conducting her famed Isis study (a national survey of sexuality and spirituality), found that women in their 60s and 70s were having the best sex of their lives -- people need to understand that the brain is the most important sex organ in the body! (credit:Alamy )
Hardware vs. Software(02 of05)
Open Image Modal
Men and women get into sexual patterns in their teens, 20s and 30s that never change. So in recognizing this, we need to say, "the hardware is going to stay the same, but we can update the software." And you can update the software by trying different things, but mostly by getting to know yourself. (credit:Alamy)
Practice, Practice, Practice(03 of05)
Open Image Modal
If your body is an instrument, then you're only going to get better by practicing. And quite frankly, from a health standpoint, there isn't a better use of your time. Men take erection-enhancing drugs to increase nitric oxide in the penile blood vessels, but they can increase nitric oxide themselves by improving their sex lives either on their own or with a partner. Orgasms trigger a huge burst of nitric oxide, which balances the neurotransmitters in your body -- the same neurotransmitters that people take drugs to balance. It's a shame because antidepressants lower one's ability for full sexual expression, so the one thing that could really decrease depression is the one thing that the drugs quiet down. People don't realize that you can turn on chemicals in your own body without importing unnatural drugs to do it for you. (credit:Alamy)
Get Fit(04 of05)
Open Image Modal
If you're fit, you're much more likely to have a satisfying sex life. Being and feeling healthy and being and feeling sexy are synonymous. I just spoke to a 70-year-old friend of mine -- a total fox -- who's trying his luck on eHarmony. So we talked about what people in his demographic are looking for, and we both agreed -- health! When you're healthy and your hardware is working the best it can, you can focus on downloading new software. (credit:Alamy)
Take Your Time(05 of05)
Open Image Modal
Women need to understand that they are far more complicated sexually than men are. For men, the focus is in the genitals. But with women, sex is like a martial art, and women need to master that art and have the ability to move sexual energy around, manipulate sounds and focus on certain areas. The beauty of being over 50 is that you have more time to practice this. Women need 45 minutes to get fully turned-on. Do you know how long the average couple spends making love? 15 minutes. Slow down! Take time! (credit:Alamy)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip