Sarkozy's Secret: Exercise Improves Sex Life

Jan. 22, 2009— -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy might have stumbled onto one of the least well-kept secrets in the fitness world: What you do in the gym has a direct effect on your performance in the bedroom.

Personal trainer Julie Imperiali has led Sarkozy through an exercise regimen in the past 10 months that has helped him shave nearly nine pounds from his frame and drop two pants sizes, according to a Jan. 21 article in the U.K. paper The Telegraph.

But Imperiali reportedly told The Telegraph that the French head of state has also reaped fringe benefits in the form of improved sex, thanks to her Tectonic method of exercise that targets muscles in the pelvic floor.

When contacted by ABCNews.com, Imperiali declined to comment further.

"The subject is currently over-exploited (and wrongly exploited) and we do not wish to give any other interviews in the next few months," Imperiali wrote in an e-mail, which was translated from French.

But if the Telegraph's accounts of Sarkozy's workout regimen are true, exercise experts said it is little surprise that he is enjoying fringe benefits from his workout in the form of improved sex.

Cedric Bryant, chief science officer for The American Council on Exercise, said that Sarkozy's trainer is likely recommending "the same pelvic floor exercises that many pregnant women are familiar with that their obstetricians will have them do.

"Most people have probably heard of Kegel exercises. ... These could certainly help with sexual function," he said. "It is not shocking that he would do this as an adjunct to a normal exercise routine to provide this adjunct benefit."

Pelvic floor activation has other benefits as well, ABCNews.com fitness contributor Stefan Aschan added. "Building your pelvic floor activation to create a stable environment, you create a strong platform to execute movement correctly without injuring yourself," he said.

It might not be just pelvic floor exercises that can lead to better sex. Bryant said that a number of studies have explored the links between exercise in general and enhancing sexual performance.