Valentine’s Day: Get Your Love Jones At The Gym– Literally

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Valentine’s Day is the day of love, and it is a great opportunity for women, whether in a relationship or not, to consider getting their Love Jones at the gym or through exercise.  Valentine frame background

 

A new study by the Center for Sexual Health at Indiana University concludes that many women interviewed experience orgasm with physical exercise.  According to this report, these “corgasms” are linked to exercises for the abdominal muscles.  The research, directed by Debby Herbenick, relied on online surveys to gather data and included responses by “124 women who had experienced exercise-induced orgasms and 246 women who reported exercised-induced sexual pleasure.” [1]  The majority of the respondents were between the ages of 18 and 63, with an average age of 30.  Most reported that they were either married or in a relationship, and 69 percent stated that they were heterosexual.

This study is significant for healthy green living because it gives women another really great reason to exercise, in addition to weight control, mood enhancement, prevention and management of a variety of health problems and mood enhancement.  Also, sexual health is an important component emotional, mental and social well-being.  A keyboard with a pleasure key - social concept

It is important to note that not all types of exercises were linked to the experience of orgasm.  The study results indicate that 45 percent of the women stated that their first sexual experience while exercising was linked to abdominal exercises; 19 percent experienced orgasm with biking/spinning; 9.3 percent with climbing poles; and 7 percent with weightlifting and running.  The remainder mentioned orgasm experienced with yoga, swimming, elliptical machines, and aerobics.  More women stated that they felt sexual pleasure as opposed to orgasm phenomenon.  The important takeaway here is that exercise can provide a healthy avenue in which a woman can learn to love herself, embrace her sexuality and cherish her body.

Love and sports

When one stops and ponders this concept, maybe it is not that unusual.  After all, if you have ever taken any classes at a gym, think about how engaged the female instructors tend to be, particularly in the spin classes, weight training and both the water and step aerobics.  I distinctly recall the level of excitement by the instructor in the Zumba classes approaching that of an old-time revival.  We all recall the recent uproar at Wimbledon whereby female tennis players grunted and shrieked during matches, prompting the tennis associations to launch campaigns to ban such behavior.  [2]  Just maybe these women are responding to exercised-induced sexual pleasure.  Of course, this would not be considered by the largely male executives of this sport, who probably would never give credit to any sexual pleasure to a source other than a man.  Finally, take a trip to a Baltimore sports event, such as an Orioles or Ravens game.  Even with the singing of the National Anthem, notice the crowd, especially the ladies, scream “O” with the last stanza.  Maybe, just maybe the exhilaration of the sporting event is teasing their sexual pleasure.

Christian Grey has nothing on us.

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you are at least somewhat familiar with the book and just-released movie, Fifty Shades of Grey.  As I write this article, thousands of women are in line or online purchasing tickets to see this movie.  Well ladies, now you know you do not have to pay money and sit on the sideline letting Christian Grey be the stimulus for your sexual pleasure.  Spend your money on a gym class, a pair of running shoes or weights and take charge of your own orgasm or sexual pleasure.  Share exercise routines with your husband or significant other to enhance your relationships.  For the men– if you are still out there looking for that great Valentine’s gift, consider the gift of a gym membership or a commitment to exercise together to improve the romantic aspect of your relationship.  Diverse Hands Holding The Word Exercise

Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time to celebrate love and life.  Hopefully, it will serve as a time for women to love their bodies, embrace their sexuality and strive for good health through exercise.  To do so is to live green, be green.

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[1]  http://www.livescience.com/19145-exercise-induced-orgasm-sexual-pleasure.html.
[2]  http://www.bustle.com/articles/29044-why-do-female-tennis-players-grunt-as-wimbledon-approaches-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about.

Valentine’s Day– Celebrate Green

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Today is Valentine’s Day and we hope that each of you will celebrate green.  Many of you reading this post have not finalized your plans for Valentine’s Day celebrations.  Although some people procrastinate in making plans until the actual day, this year is different.  The severe weather occurrences with heavy snow and ice storms over most of the United States for the past week considerably hampered many people’s ability to get out and shop.  A lot of families are still snowed in with no power.  Additionally, gifts that were supposed to be delivered by mail may not come in time for the holiday.

Credit: www.designbolts.com

Credit: www.designbolts.com

The most important thing to remember is that Valentine’s day is about love, and materialism is not necessary to convey love.  While Valentine’s Day often is criticized as being a man-made holiday, it still is important to us as humans.  As we journey towards sustainable lifestyles, we learn that while investment in the environment is important, it is crucial that we include the investment in human lives as essential to achieving full sustainability.

The History of Valentine’s Day

In reality, this “lovely” holiday evolved from a very violent history.  Valentine’s Day is named after a Roman priest under Emperor Claudius II during the third century.  In this tumultuous era, the Roman Empire was divided into three competing states, with constant threats of invasion by one faction or another.  The survival of the Empire became so threatened that Claudius struggled to maintain war power.  Under the belief that unmarried soldiers fought better than their married counterparts, Claudius banned marriage among young people.  However, the priest Valentine, held high marriage as a God-given sacrament and began officiating these unions in secret.  He eventually was discovered, imprisoned and then beheaded.  Later Valentine was martyred by the Church for giving up his life to perform the sacrament.  Thus, Valentine’s Day is about love– love of God and love for each other.

St-Valentine-Kneeling-In-Supplication. Credit: en.wikipedia.org

St-Valentine-Kneeling-In-Supplication. Credit: en.wikipedia.org

Celebrate the spirit of Valentine’s Day.

The true spirit of Valentine’s Day should be reflected in our celebratory choices, and sustainability should be a driving concern in making these choices.  Why buy chocolate candies produced by workers who are underpaid and treated unfairly when we can purchase guaranteed fair trade products?  Why buy cut flowers that wilt and die in a matter of days when we can purchase potted plants and flowers that can be maintained in containers or  transplanted outside to thrive and be enjoyed for years to come?  Why spend long hours working to make money to buy “stuff” that creates clutter, especially when most families are starved for time together?

Emotionally-drained-love-valentines-day-ecards-someecards. Credit: someecards.com

Emotionally-drained-love-valentines-day-ecards-someecards. Credit: someecards.com

Green is the way to go.

So as you ponder ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, please be sure to remember that the day is about love and sustainability.  Celebrate a green Valentine’s Day.  To do so is to live green, be green.

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Resources for this article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/13/valentines-day-bloody-history_n_4768652.html

Show You Care With Green Valentine Gifts

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Happy Valentine's Day...

Happy Valentine’s Day… (Photo credit: Јerry)

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and we here at LGBG wanted to offer a few suggestions for green Valentine’s Day celebrations that show how much you really care.  With a little imagination, you can plan a celebration that is romantic, affordable and more exciting than that usual annual Hallmark moment, complete with a card, cut flowers and large crowds and long lines at restaurants that are anything but intimate.

For starters, a written expression of love is a must.  It does not have to be a store-bought card.  It could be a letter, a poem or a list of all the things you love about the person receiving the gift.  It could be a handwritten IOU for a special event upcoming in the future.  Your special person definitely will appreciate the personal touch, thoughtfulness and creativity.  If you must give a store-bought card, make sure it is made from environmentally friendly recycled paper.

Flowers are perhaps the gift given most often on Valentine’s Day.  This year, break out of the box and try something different.  Rather giving “toxic” cut flowers that will die in a few days, choose a potted plant that will continue to grow for a long time (if cared for properly).  A perusal of websites on environmentally friendly plants reveals a lot of suggestions.  One of my favorite sites is:  http://www.thenewecologist.com/2009/07/top-10-natural-eco-friendly-and-anti-pollutant-houseplants/.  There you can find beautiful and often colorful houseplants that also are eco-friendly and anti-pollutant.  This gift could mark the start of a special activity in your relationship that fosters intimacy.  It also is a great gift for children, creating a learning opportunity on caring about nature.

Next, who doesn’t like chocolate, particularly on Valentine’s Day?  This year, try organic chocolate.  This is a great time to shop from fair trade vendors, who guarantee their products are organic and were made by workers who were treated fairly. Organic chocolate is made from cocoa beans that have not been treated with fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.  Additionally, the other ingredients in the mix also are grown by organic methods– sugar, nuts, spices, etc.  Domestic organic chocolate are clearly labeled as such with a USDA Organic seal and with an organic percentage of 70% to 98%.  To earn this seal, this product must be free of preservatives, artificial color and GMOs.  Organic chocolate is more expensive than conventional chocolate, but the quality shows that you care.

If jewelry is on your list this year, consider antique jewelry or something retro that has very special meaning.  This presents another great opportunity to shop from fair trade vendors.

To cap off that romantic Valentine’s Day celebration, celebrate with organic wine.  Organic wine is made from grown with 100% organic ingredients that have been monitored closely throughout the growing process.  Domestic organic wines carry a USDA seal.  A great website with brands of organic wines is: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/latest/best-organic-wines#slide-1.  Also, when I visited my local spirits shop, the salesperson was eager to “educate” me on organic wine, and I left the store with a great bottle of reasonably priced vino.

We hope you find something interesting to try in  these suggestions for a green Valentine’s Day.  Every little step towards a greener lifestyle helps to reduce our carbon footprint.  Use the opportunity of this upcoming Valentine’s Day to celebrate love, life, the earth and to live green, be green.