Tracey Cox reveals how to be a true sexual athlete 

We’re used to eating ‘clean’ and hitting the gym to look good enough to attract a partner to have sex.

But if you want to have a truly extraordinary sex life, you need to do more.

I’m not just talking about bettering your technique (though that’s never a bad idea), I’m talking about working from the inside out.

Get enough sleep, for starters – one study showed women who’d had a good night’s sleep were far more likely to want sex the next day. Eating well, living healthily, reducing stress – all are also crucial to helping keep you sexually active and interested.

But what if you want to take it even further – become a bona fide sexual athlete?

Get him to do penis push-ups with a towel while you make peace signs inside your vagina, of course!

I will explain.

But let’s start with the simplest but most effective sex fitness tip of all.

SQUEEZE FOR BETTER SEX

Pelvic floor exercises don’t just produce a tight vagina (which, by the way, isn’t just for his pleasure, it increases your sensitivity as well) they boost sexual desire, intensify orgasm and can help you become multi-orgasmic.

Sounds good? Here’s how to start squeezing.

Find your PC muscle by stopping yourself peeing. The aim is to squeeze that muscle WITHOUT using your abs. Put a finger inside your vagina to test you’ve got the right one: you should be able to feel the muscles tightening around it, albeit faintly. To stop your abdomen literally muscling in on the action, take a deep breath and exhale fully, then squeeze.

PC exercises should include long, held squeezes as well as short, quick squeezes. Remember to fully relax or ‘let go’ of the muscles after each squeeze.

Start with 10 long squeezes, holding each squeeze for 10 seconds, followed by 10 short squeezes.

Repeat at least three times a day. It takes a while to see improvement – between three and five months; after that, maintain by doing them once a day.

That’s your basic exercise but if you really want to make a difference fast, this routine gets brilliant results.

Tracey also gives her top tips on how to keep vaginas and penises in tip top shape, from having sex regularly to quitting smoking 

Supersex the workout

· Lie down or sit on the edge of the bed or chair and insert two fingers inside your vagina, up to your second knuckle. Squeeze your PC muscle around your fingers.

· Spread your fingers apart to make a ‘peace’ sign but keep them relaxed. Now contract your muscles and try to bring your fingers together, using just the muscle.

PENIS PUSH-UPS

Women aren’t the only ones who’ll benefit from doing PC exercises: strong PC’s mean firmer, healthier erections.

Men find their PC muscle the same way we do: by stopping urine mid-stream. Then, again, it’s a case of squeezing and holding the muscle on a regular basis.

Want to see results fast? Get him to do his penis ‘push-ups’ using a towel.

Drape a hand towel over his erect penis and get him to squeeze and release his PC muscle. Ideally, he’ll see his penis move up and down each time he squeezes the muscle.

Start with ten repetitions and work up to around 40 a day, three times a day.

The better he gets at it, the bigger and heavier the towel he lifts with his penis (go from a hand towel to a normal size towel etc). When he’s a real pro, he can use wet towels.

The pay-off for all this hard work? Stronger erections and maybe even a bigger penis.

The penis has smooth muscle tissue which grows when stressed – the way muscles elsewhere in your body do after a workout.

His PC muscle is also responsible for the contractions he feels in his pelvis and anus during orgasm, so he’ll feel orgasms more intensely, too.

Taoists (and others) believe if he strengthens this muscle enough, he can also have multiple orgasms – just like us.

TEST FOR TESTOSTERONE

If you’re over 40, it’s worth getting your testosterone levels checked as well. Once you hit 30, our bodies see a one percent decline each year. The hormone is responsible for sex drive, heart health, stronger bones, muscle tone and improved mood.

If yours is low, using a testosterone gel or skin patch can work wonders to increase desire for sex – though, be warned, it can also increase other male behaviours like competitiveness and aggression.

I used Testogel for a while, when my testosterone levels were low and nearly killed myself at the gym, determined to beat the 20-year-old on the spin bike next to me. I stopped using it but other women I know say they were thrilled when it brought back a long-lost libido.

POP A SEX SUPPLEMENT

I’m always nervous recommending supplements for anything because it’s very hard to scientifically prove their effectiveness.

But if you want to give them a whirl, nutritionists tend to recommend the following.

Good for women’s arousal: Evening Primrose Oil (for PMS and to maintain a high sex drive), bee pollen and royal jelly (also boosts sex drive); catuaba bark (heightens sexual arousal), chasteberry (regulates hormones).

Good for men’s libido and blood flow: Siberian Ginseng, Yerbe Mate (herbal tea), Sarsaparilla and saw palmetto all help keep his penis blood flow healthy and libido high.

The amino acid L-arginine helps with blood flow to the penis. Yohimbe bark is another alternative.

WHAT ELSE TO PUT IN YOUR MOUTH

There’s always been a link between food and sex but quite apart from its obvious hedonistic pleasures (eaten, smeared), it’s the nutrients in food which are more essential for good sex.

The better your diet, the more energy you have for sex. The better your body image, the more inclined you’ll be to show it off.

We all know to eat clean – but you should ‘eat sex’ as well. Some nutrients are linked to sexual health more than others. Add the following to your shopping trolley to keep everything in a tip-stop sexual state.

Zinc

The most important mineral for sexual behaviour and fertility, zinc helps create enzymes which govern taste and smell – both crucial for sexual arousal.

Eat shellfish, seafood, eggs, cheese, lamb, chicken, turkey, lentils, brown rice.

Magnesium

This keeps your sex hormones nicely balanced, aids sexual stamina and is vital for sexual sensitivity, arousal, ejaculation and orgasm. Tuck into green leafy vegetables, nuts, cheese, bananas and low sugar cereal.

Calcium

We need it for nerve transmission and muscle contraction associated with male erection and female orgasm. Dairy products, green leafy vegetables, beans, prunes, nuts and dried fruit are all high in calcium.

Arginine

This is an amino acid derived from protein foods and it’s necessary for all growth and sexual development. Eat all animal foods, dairy, popcorn (not joking).

Vitamin C

Not just to guard against the common cold, it boosts your sex drive and strengthens the sex organs. Boost your levels by eating berries, citrus fruit, mangoes, potatoes, broccoli.

Visit traceycox.com to find her books, weekly podcast, product ranges and blog.