AGENCIES: There’s really nothing better for your health than exercise — and that applies to your sex life’s health too.

“Men and women who are healthy tend to have better sexual function,” said Dr Lauren Streicher, the medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine. “Because almost any medical illness can impact normal sexual response.”

Aerobic exercise is especially good at improving cardiovascular fitness, which stimulates blood flow throughout the body, including the genital area.

In women, blood flow is “crucial,” said Berman, “because it’s the fundamental component that creates lubrication. So better blood flow helps with engorgement, sensation and lubrication in women as well as erections in men.”

“Anything that supports the cardiovascular system is going to support a man or woman’s sexual response,” said sex therapist and educator Laura Berman. “The healthier your blood flow, the better your arousal.”

In women, blood flow is “crucial,” said Berman, “because it’s the fundamental component that creates lubrication. So better blood flow helps with engorgement, sensation and lubrication in women as well as erections in men.”

Just how much exercise is needed to keep you healthy? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week. Brisk walking or light biking are two examples of moderate exercise; vigorous movement would be jogging, fast cycling or participating in a basketball or soccer game.

Now, a new study published in the August volume of the Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests higher levels of aerobic exercise may further improve sexual performance, stamina and desire in men and women.