Perhaps it does encourage some people to want to age by calling the time after retirement the Golden Years — gold is the most valuable metal and capitalism is the law of the land. But, for many, the idea of aging is not so attractive. These days, snow can come on the mountains quite early, and the desire to sit down and take a rest grows ever stronger. Being old means being tired. What is there left to look forward to? When you’re young, life is still full of possibilities. By the time you’ve been there, done that and got the T-shirt, you have little to expect other than failing eyesight and poor reflexes. Except here come the Boomers. They’re not going to be intimidated by age. They were the first generation to be really alive, claiming independence from authority figures in the sixties, and never really shaking off that spirit of rebellion. Their liberated approach to age is not going to mellow.

According to research out of Finland, this attitude to life from the Boomers is excellent news. The study followed one-thousand men, aged between 55 and 74, for five years. The results make interesting reading. Men who were sexually active at the start of the period were less likely to develop erectile dysfunction. Indeed, the more active they were, the better their sexual performance stayed. Put the other way round, the men who only managed to have sex once a week or less were the most likely to develop problems. The difference between the best and worst performance was a factor of four. This is yet more evidence in support of the old saying, "use it or lose it". But for this study to show the likelihood of losing erectile function as being four times that of a man who has regular sex is genuinely surprising.

So what is it about sex that benefits from practice? Well, the main cause of erectile dysfunction is a failure in the muscle walls of the arteries to dilate and contract when they should. Thus, we are looking at two important factors: muscle tone and blood flow. The first is maintained if not improved by a general willingness to exercise. This is not just sexual activity, but reasonably vigorous exercise improves muscle tone, builds stamina and strengthens the heart. With blood pressure under control, sex is improved and a more positive mood maintained. Changing diet also helps to reduce deposits on the walls of blood vessels which lead to a narrowing and hardening of the vessels. Put all this together and you have a recipe for a good quality of life after retirement. Diet and exercise will keep you a healthy weight. The risk of diabetes and heart disease will not trouble you. Regular sex lifts your mood and keeps you positive. Life should stay good for you.

Indeed, this research confirms that men were enjoying successful and happy sexual relationships well into their seventies. If the mind and body is willing, there’s no reason why sex should not continue. For those who give into old age too young, there’s always cialis. Taken as needed, it will enable men to produce good sexual performance in response to sexual stimulation for up to thirty-six hours. For those men lucky enough to be in a stable relationship, the once-daily version of cialis recaptures the attitudes of the young - sex whenever the opportunity arises.