7 Fool-Proof Ways to Get in the Mood

Too wiped to do it after a long day of doing, well, everything else? Try this.
Too wiped to do it after a long day of doing, well, everything else? Try this.

1. Dress to impress yourself.
When you start your day by slipping on an outfit that makes you feel sexy, your brain realizes you're prepping for what scientists call a "mating opportunity" and begins pumping the pleasure hormone dopamine into your bloodstream.

Related: The Sexiest Way to Burn Calories

2. Switch on your senses.
Your pout is an easy-to-stimulate erogenous zone, says sex therapist Gloria Brame, Ph.D., author of Sex for Grown-Ups. She suggests gently teasing your lips with your fingertips throughout the day, imagining your fingers are your partner's lips.

3. Do your "choreplay."
That would be the dishes, the laundry... It may sound silly, but leaving household tasks undone can add to your stress load -- and according to research from the University of Texas at Austin, chronic stress and anxiety can dampen your body's arousal response by up to 30%, even when you want to be turned on.

Related: 15 Things Men Never Notice About Women

4. Take a lunchtime yoga class.
In a Korean study, women who did yoga for 12 weeks reported easier arousal and better lubrication, on average, than those women who didn't do the exercise. Yoga can increase blood flow to your genitals, while cultivating mindfulness can help you be more in the moment during sex.

5. Find literary inspiration.
Dipping into the latest bodice-ripper during a break or on your commute home gets your brain and body ready for sex, explains New York City sex therapist Ian Kerner, Ph.D., author of Sex Recharge. For a red-hot library, log on to obooko.com, which lets you download as many free romance e-books as your, um, heart desires.

Related: Married? Do NOT Do These 6 Things

6. Get steamy in a hot shower.
The heat will improve circulation and relax your muscles, says New York City internist Holly Phillips, M.D. It also brings blood to the skin's surface, which will make it more receptive to touch.

7. Chow down on libido-boosters.
Salmon, spinach and nuts all contain arginine, which increases blood flow, says nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, R.D. Vino helps, too: Italian researchers found that women who drank one to two glasses of red wine reported higher levels of sexual desire and vaginal lubrication than those who didn't have any at all or had more than two glasses of wine or other alcoholic drinks. And nibble on chocolate for dessert: It stimulates the release of endorphins.

- By Annie Daly

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