For better quality of life as you age it’s important to keep the fire burning, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.
Researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging at UC San Diego looked at data from 1,235 post-menopausal women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study. The women were asked questions about their health, both physical and mental, as well as sexual activity and functioning.
Though aging was associated with an expected decline in physical health and sexual frequency, overall sexual satisfaction did not decline with age. Additionally, having a satisfying sex life was also associated with indicators of successful aging and high quality of life.
“Feeling satisfied with your sex life—whatever you levels of sexual activity—is closely related to your perceived quality of life,” says Wesley K. Thompson, co-author of the study. “While we cannot assess cause and effect from this study, these results suggest that maintaining a high level of sexual satisfaction may positively reinforce other psychological aspects of successful aging.”