THE hectic pace of 21st-Century life, soaring stress levels and long working hours have taken their toll on the nation's sex life.
We don't have the time, energy or inclination to make love any more.
Less than a third of British women have the national average amount of sex - at least twice a week - and 43 per cent suffer from problems such as low libido or inability to climax.
Psychologists have even identified a new breed of couples called DINS - Dual-Income, No Sex - hard-working, fast-living professionals who are too exhausted for regular sex.
Meanwhile Relate has reported a 240 per cent increase in the number of people seeking counselling on sexual matters. And they fear this is just the tip of the iceberg.
When their love lives are in the doldrums, most women bury their heads in the sand. Deep down, they know the situation should be tackled, but it seems like too much bother.
In other words, we are just too lazy to work at good sex.
Now a new book, featured exclusively in The Daily Mirror, promises to change all that. The Lazy Girl's Guide To Sex is aimed at women who want great sex with the minimum of effort.
Expert Anita Naik gives short cuts to good sex whenever you want it so you can experience earth-shattering orgasms every time. She suggests simple positions which guarantee results and explains how even the least motivated person can get things sizzling again.
"Common complaints in the bedroom include gripes about lazy lovers, sexual boredom and the inevitable no-show orgasms," says Anita. "It's little wonder considering most of us can't be bothered to give 100 per cent between the sheets.
"Sex only gets boring if you get boring. Even the laziest girl can boost her sexual satisfaction by arming herself with the right knowledge."
FIVE BEST LAZY GIRL WAYS TO AN ORGASM
BELIEVE us, these positions will have you screaming "yes, yes, yes" every time.
CAT
THE Coital Alignment Technique (CAT) is ideal because it gets your clitoris in on the action.
Lying on top of you, he lines up his pelvis over you. This means he lies higher up your body than usual, resting on elbows so that when he enters you, he's riding high. He will then press against your pubic bone and clitoris as he thrusts.
You push up with your pelvis as he pushes down. Press against each other and keep your pace steady, then hey presto!
G-SPOT ORGASM
A GOOD way to stimulate the elusive G spot - around two inches inside your vagina on the front wall - is the old sex-on-a-table routine.
Lie down with your back completely straight. Hook your legs over your partner's shoulders and get hi`m to hold on to your hips as he enters you. Once he starts thrusting, his penis will hit your G-spot area.
THE PELVIC CLENCH
IF you tone the muscles in your vagina, you can enhance your orgasms and make them so powerful, you can cause your man to come. To build them up, just stop the flow of urine when you're on the loo for 10 to 15 seconds and release. Do this regularly and it will boost your sex life tenfold.
The best position for testing these muscles is the woman on top. Try moving in small circles as you lift up and down. When he can't bear any more teasing, bear down and clench your Pelvic Floor muscles so he can feel you gripping. Get him to make good use of his hands, focusing on breasts and clitoris - and lie back.
THE BACK BEND
HAVE your partner sit on a sturdy chair and climb on to his lap, facing him. Hook your thighs over his and slowly lean back. The aim is to practically lie on his lap and let your head and shoulders hang off the edge of his knees. You should then hold his hips and literally pull yourself towards him as he enters you.
THE QUICKIE
THE quickie gets a bad press but it can be just as satisfying as a long drawn-out session. Do it anywhere (just pull your knickers aside) and stop the rot of sex in bed.
20 SURE-FIRE WAYS TO REALLY IMPROVE YOUR LOVE-MAKING
THE definition of great sex is different for everyone. But there are simple things we can all do to boost our in-bed moments.
1. KISS him. Take the initiative and go back to some heavy kissing. It makes sex last longer, strengthens affection and arousal.
2. DON'T gossip about your sex life.
3. MINIMISE distractions. Forget about what your mates are up to.
4. TURN off the TV. It has been voted the biggest libido killer. Watching TV in bed hypnotises you into wanting to sleep and kills off your sex life.
5. CONTROL yourself. Use the pelvis floor muscles (the ones you use to pee) to grip his penis.
6. PLAY hunt the G-spot. Insert a finger into the vagina and move it up the front vaginal wall.
7. TRY a body-to-body massage. He lie on his front and you lie on top. Rub your body up and down his.
8. GET oral with him. Don't make a face or act as if you're doing him a favour.
9. EAT a banana in bed. A rich source of vitamin B they enhance sex and orgasm by promoting the flow of blood to your sex organs.
10. DON'T be rough. There's no need to yank.
11. GO slow with the oral. Start by using the flat of your tongue, not just the tip.
12. HEAT things up with some ice. Keep an ice cube in your mouth when you give oral sex.
13. LET him tie you up. Then feign helplessness while naughty things are done to you.
14. DON'T freak about no-shows. Erections are not under his total control. One man in seven has erection problems at least four times a year.
15. ASK for more oral. It's a myth that men don't like it and it's a guaranteed orgasm.
16. TOUCH yourself - his hands can't be everywhere at once!
17. FORGET statistics. It is not a competition.
18. HAVE sex with your clothes on. One study showed that 64 per cent of women love to get down and dirty with a half-clothed man.
19. FAKE it to make it. An American theory says if you start faking an orgasm by breathing rapidly etc, you'll end up having one.
20. DON'T take sex too seriously - it's fun.
20 SPECIAL WAYS TO SPICE THINGS UP
1 - Dress up.
2 - Dress down.
3 - Talk dirty.
4 - Pay him a surprise visit at work.
5 - Role-play a situation together.
6 - Instigate a quickie sex session.
7 - Drag him under the bushes in the park.
8 - Buy him some sex toys for his birthday.
9 - Ask him about his favourite fantasies and act them out for him.
10 - Tie him to the bed when he's not expecting it and start having sex with him.
11 - Drop some naked pictures of yourself into his lap.
12- Bring a friend to bed (if you dare).
13 - Make a blue movie together.
14- Tell him you're not wearing knickers.
15 - Indulge in some phone sex together.
16 - Experiment with a vibrator
17 - Buy some handcuffs.
18 - Bring some whipped cream and ice cream to bed.
19 - Go on a sex-starvation diet where all you can do is talk about it all week.
20 - Spend a whole weekend in bed together - you'll be amazed at where it will take you both.
10 REASONS WHY GOOD SEX WORKS WONDERS
1. People who have sex at least three times a week, lower the risk of heart disease by 50 per cent.
2. Two or more orgasms a week significantly increases life expectation.
3. Regular sex raises the levels of oestrogen in the body, boosting the strength of bones, and easing PMS symptoms.
4. A study of 3,500 people at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital found that those who looked the youngest had the most vigorous sex life.
5. Men and women who have sex often when they are young do so when they are older.
6. Regular sex helps raise levels of the sex hormone DHEA which lowers cholesterol and causes weight loss. It also burns calories.
7. It lowers blood pressure which makes your heart beat more efficiently.
8. Orgasms help you sleep better because levels of the hormone oxytocin are five times higher than normal during orgasm.
9. It brings you closer to your partner because of the intimacy you share.
10. Orgasm produces a rush of endorphins which lift your mood and enhances well-being.
