GOOD sex is the key to happiness as you age, a study insists.
Those who felt fulfilled in the bedroom had higher levels of life satisfaction in middle and older age, researchers found.
AlamyQuality sex is the key to happiness in later life, according to a study[/caption]
Feeling desired by your partner may help improve how you feel about your sex life as well as ageing, they say.
Professor Andre Hajek, of Hamburg Center for Health Economics, said: “There is a clear link between sexual satisfaction and ageing satisfaction. Such knowledge may assist in maintaining satisfaction with ageing.”
The researchers looked at data from 5,418 people aged 40 and over to see what their attitudes towards sex and ageing were over time.
Participants were asked to rate their sexual satisfaction on a one-to-five scale ranging from very dissatisfied to very satisfied.
Those aged 45 to 64, as well as the over-65s, were more likely to rate their life satisfaction higher if they also felt sexually fulfilled.
Prof Hajek added: “One way to explain the association is the importance of sexual life for one’s own life. This is worth noting because the association holds true for middle-aged as well as for older adults.
“Also, the feeling of being desired by the partner — in terms of emotional components — could reflect a high sexual satisfaction and could contribute to ageing satisfaction.”
The study featured in Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.
Previous research has shown having a good sex life is good for your health, protecting against heart disease and reducing stress levels.
It can also help maintain memory.