OK, so that New Year’s Resolution to start exercising and get in shape never amounted to anything. Maybe you just need some added incentive. How about this? Regular cardiovascular exercise will improve your sex life.

In a study at the University of California, San Diego, 78 sedentary middle-aged men (their average age was 48) did aerobics every other day for an hour. After nine months they made love 30 per cent more often and masturbated 50 per cent more often.

That’s because exercise not only relieves stress, relaxes you, increases your energy and stamina, and improves self-esteem and self-confidence (all very sex-positive), working yourself into a big, smelly sweat actually also makes you randy. Cardiovascular exercise elevates endorphins in your bloodstream and increases adrenaline and testosterone (in women too) — all the things your brain needs to make you want to say, “Do me!”

There are other sex-specific benefits from exercise. For women, regular exercise keeps your genitals nice and fit. Like other muscles in your body, the ones around your vagina get flabby with age leading to incontinence or a prolapsed uterus. As fun as all that sounds, regular exercise can help to avoid these problems.

And guys, you’re not always going to be the studly young things you are now. Men’s levels of arousal and their ability to maintain erections wane as you age. Regular exercise will keep your blood pumping … everywhere.

Also, a good set of butt and lower back muscles will give you stamina and keep you from collapsing while you’re doing the deed.

Abs of steel, strong thighs and a decent set of shoulders don’t hurt either, and that goes for men and women.

Finally, sex in itself can be a good workout. During a good session of sex (the kind that leaves your legs rubbery and your head light), your heart rate multiplies as much as three times, and your breathing is almost twice as fast.

You can also burn between 200 and 300 calories. And a good, toe-curling orgasm helps tone every muscle in your body. Most cardiovascular fitness routines recommend that to get and keep fit you need to raise your pulse and keep it an increased rate for 20 minutes, two or three times a week. So if you can’t afford a gym membership…

Josey Vogels is a sex and relationship columnist and author of five books on the subjects. For more info, visit joseyvogels.com.