London - Keen to put the spark back into your love life? Forget candelit dinners or romantic music – and give yoga a try.
The ancient Eastern practice could be the solution for women suffering from a dip in their libido, according to research.
Scientists studied women aged between 30 and 60 who had weight-related health problems and had seen their sex drive fall.
Those who completed a 12-week course of one-hour yoga lessons reported a significant improvement in their levels of desire.
The researchers believe the breathing, balance and control involved in yoga can improve the health of blood vessels and bolster blood flow, increasing arousal.
Its stress-relieving qualities may also play a part.
Scientists at Suwon Catholic University in South Korea studied 41 women with a condition called metabolic syndrome.
Patients with this condition suffer from a collection of symptoms, such as being overweight, having high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and excess levels of blood sugar that put them at increased risk of conditions including type two diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Twenty participants were assigned to the yoga course. All the women completed questionnaires to measure their levels of desire at the start of the 12 weeks and after.
The results, published online in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, showed a significant improvement in the women who completed the yoga course, but little or no change in the other group.
The study also found blood pressure dropped significantly in the yoga group.
The researchers said: “These findings suggest yoga may be an effective treatment for sexual dysfunction in women with metabolic syndrome.” – Daily Mail