Sure, there are obvious things a woman can do to indicate she’s interested in more than just your personality, like finding excuses to brush up against you at the bar. But what about the more subtle signs that let you know she means business? Here are five surprising things that boost her arousal, and how you can take advantage of each one.
1. ROLLER COASTERS
Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Research from the University of Texas shows that people who have just stepped off a roller coaster find the opposite sex more attractive. The study found that symptoms of physiological arousal, like heavy breathing and increased heart rate, tend to linger without our knowledge after any adrenaline-pumping activity, intensifying perception of attractiveness.
Make it work: luckily, you can harness the power of “excitation transfer” without hanging out at Movie World all day. A simple Netflix binge at home can do the trick. Fire up your favourite jump-in-your-seat horror movies and keep some massage oil handy. “Add some caring touch into the equation and the bonding hormone oxytocin also blends into the mix,” adds intimacy expert Dr Sheri Meyers.
2. YOUR SHIRT COLOUR
Seeing red? In a University of Rochester study, women found men who were either wearing red or surrounded by the colour to be more attractive and sexually desirable. Researchers attribute some of the connection to the historic use of the colour as a symbol of wealth and power.
Make it work: you probably know where this one is going: “Wear red! It’s that simple,” says Dr Yvonne Fulbright, author of The Better Sex Guide to Extraordinary Lovemaking. Too bold for your button-downs? “Consider making it the colour of your boxers or briefs,” she says.
3. YOUR DANCE MOVES
A recent study in Biology Letters found that women consider large, varied and fast movements like head-nodding and torso-twisting most arousing on the dance floor, because they signal strength, suppleness and vitality. The study suggests women prefer “vigorous and skilled” males, and dancing ability perhaps signals physical condition. (Hey, we’ll take the researchers’ word for it!)
Make it work: shuffling around with your hands stuffed in your pockets won’t cut it. “Take her dancing and don’t be afraid to let go on the dance floor,” suggests Fulbright. But you’ll have to do better than the sprinkler: “Take dancing lessons together, and allow the experts to teach you how you can best move together.”
4. YOUR LACK OF DEODORANT
Skip the cologne – according to research from the University of California it’s your natural musk she’s after. Scientists found that a pheromone in male underarm sweat causes a spike in women’s levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with arousal and brain activation. The result? Your pit stains can improve women’s moods and increase sexual arousal. Hallelujah!
Make it work: work up a sweat – together. “Plan to go for a hike,” suggests Fulbright. If you go in for a hug and she complains that you stink, “it’s a good indicator that you may not be the best match, at least reproductively speaking”. But if she digs it, consider yourself in.
5. RED WINE
If she picks a cabernet on the first date, it bodes well for the rest of the night. According to a study from the University of Florence, women who drank one to two glasses of red wine a day had higher levels of sexual desire than non-drinkers. Researchers also found a correlation between moderate wine consumption and higher levels of lubrication.
Make it work: drunk and sloppy isn’t the goal, so keep it classy. “Invite her to a tasting at your local wine store,” suggests Meyers. But proceed with caution – Meyers warns that more than two drinks actually constricts bloodflow to the genitals.
