On the way to mobility...

...or how getting a mobility scooter improved my sex life.

Sex with disabilities is tricky. I've been chronically ill 13 of my 18 years of marriage and it has not always been an easy road. Creativity supplants flexibility. Being in love with your partner helps.

In the past few weeks, I've been using a mobility scooter for the first time. My feet are the most problematic part of my disability and I've used a cane almost full-time for about 6 years now. I was becoming increasingly homebound and not liking it at all. I got the scooter for to not be in pain when I walk and to reserve my energy so I can do more in a given day.

I did expect to see some results in the bedroom. For example, I expected that I would be more willing and more energetic if I wasn't worn out from activity.

But a little extra happened and I couldn't be more delighted!

You see in order to put the scooter in and out of the car, I have to disassemble/reassemble it. The consists of lifting 4 different components, weighing 10 to 30 lb parts. I bend my knees and try to use good form when doing this. I have good upper body strength so this has not been problematic for me and I have turned it into a nice little routine that is reminiscent of my weight training days. Well, after a couple of weeks of this, my upper body and my abdomen have become stronger. Where did I notice this first? Well, hubby notices in bed. Sure enough having stronger upper body muscles seems to be translating into better sex. And now I know why weight trainers everywhere emphasize "those all important abdominals." Who would have guessed?

So I'm not only more active! I'm really more active!

Maybe the scooter companies should pick up on this and do viagra type commercials. Good Morning! Good Morning!

It's Official: Not Only Is Sex Healthy, Lack of It Is Less So

LifeScript has put together an article on the health effects of sex. As it turns out, intimate relations play an active role in bolstering the physical well-being of the participants. While there are caveats (including the usual risks associated with such activity), there is a substantial health gap that can occur between those who are having sexual contact and those who aren't.

Noteworthy aspects of the material summarized in the article:

* The risks of avoiding contact are present for males and females alike.

* Orgasm played a significant part in the equation: less enthusiastic contact didn't suffice in certain respects.

* The pattern holds from culture to culture and across international boundaries.

* Having a partner works better than going it alone.

* The effects were not "merely" psychological: numerous tangible physical benefits are present.

* The "exercise benefits" did NOT make up the larger part of the positive health effects.

On a related note, a common criticism of clinical writing concerning sexuality is that it tends to be, well, overly clinical. However, I do enjoy seeing a certain amount of scientific acumen brought to bear on health issues, particularly on a topic about which there is so much outright falsehood accepted as unvarnished truth in popular discourse. "Science," especially the culture of science, has its drawbacks, but I still embrace the possibility that it can be a generally effective antidote for bullshit.