Exercise can keep your heart healthy, your body slim and your psyche sound, and now comes the news that it can act as an aphrodisiac too. Although you may not feel so sexy after a sweaty workout, don't be surprised if you find yourself feeling in the mood for love.

Research now suggests that along with all of the other health benefits exercise confers, it can also give a big boost to your sex life. The reason has less to do with getting stronger than with the release of endorphins in the brain (as a result of physical exertion) that influence how we feel.

These are the same neurochemicals responsible for a "runner's high" or the sense of exhilaration that comes from skiing down a mountain or after an intense aerobics class. It turns out these brain chemicals may also be linked to the release of hormones that power the sex drive. Research has shown that women who exercise regularly tend to have more active sex lives, are more easily aroused, and reach orgasm more quickly than those who don't work out.

Less vigorous Eastern forms of exercise take another approach. Instead of stimulating brain chemicals to rev up the sex drive, yoga and tantra provide postures designed to help resolve specific sexual problems. Some are said to work by stimulating blood flow to the genital area while others are directed toward maximizing sexual performance and satisfaction. While there's no scientific proof that these ancient exercises add up to effective aphrodisiacs, practitioners seem pleased with the results.

If exercise has no appeal, then twirling around on the dance floor can get the juices flowing just the same. In fact, whether the music is a minuet or mambo, moving to the beat is an age-old, socially sanctioned mating ritual. Whatever your preference — from the treadmill to the dance floor — it seems clear that the more you move your body, the better your sex life can be.