There are two types of people: those who lament the death of their youth with every passing birthday, and those who believe that age is just a number, and continue to stay young at heart. According to a new study, it's the latter who have the best sex life. The research found that people who view aging negatively are more likely to rate their sex life poorly, compared to those who refuse to act their age.

In the study, published online in The Journal of Sex Research, scientists from the University of Waterloo in Canada found that individuals who view aging in a negative light have less sexual satisfaction and interest in having sex. However, this negative attitude didn’t seem to have an effect on the frequency that individuals had sex. The results suggest that one’s views on aging may have a greater influence over their sex life than we knew.

Read: 'Sex Drive Doesn't Exist,' Psychologist Says; More Women Experience 'Responsive Desire'

"For people in mid to later life, feeling young at heart actually appears to make a difference in the bedroom," researcher Steven Mock told The NY Daily News.

For the study, the team looked at data from 1,170 individuals, half of whom were in their 40s and the other half in their 70s, to better understand how views on aging affected sex life. The team were interested in how the volunteers' attitudes towards aging affected three factors of their sex life: frequency, satisfaction, and interest in having sex.

"It's important to consider all of the different psychosocial and biological factors that might influence a person's sexuality," said Amy Estill, lead researcher of the study. "While feeling younger didn't have an impact on how much sex people are having, it was quite clear that feeling older does impact the quality of the sex you're having."

These results are not surprising as past research has shown that one's attitude has a bigger effect on their sex life than their hormones. Many believe that falling sex drives and plummeting sexual satisfaction with age is a result of changes in hormones. While it's true that some hormonal changes associated with aging can affect your sex life, such as the vaginal dryness and discomfort that comes with menopause, or the drop in testosterone that can affect some men, these aren't the most important factors, The Globe and Mail reported. Rather, it’s relationship happiness and couple communication that play the biggest roles in sexual satisfaction as we age. In addition, the belief that sex is important is also critical to preserving one's sex life.

Source: Estill A, Mock SE, Schryer E, Eibach RP. The Effects of Subjective Age and Aging Attitudes on Mid- to Late-Life Sexuality. The Journal of Sex Research . 2017

See Also:

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Male Sex Drive: Is The Mighty Testosterone Alone Responsible For Libido?