New York, March 4 (IANS): Apart from timely medicines, regular walks and some quality time with grandchildren, add some sex to stay happily married in your silver years.

Men and women who were sexually inactive or engage in very little sexual activity reported lower levels of marital satisfaction, showed a research.

"Couples who had more frequent sexual encounters (including any sexual act, not just intercourse) had happier, more positive marriages," suggested researchers Adena Galinsky and Linda J. Waite from the University of Chicago.

To understand this, the researchers interviewed 732 couples aged between 57 and 85 years about sexual frequency, psychological health and marital satisfaction.

As sexual frequency increased, so did marriage quality. The study linked better physical health with better marital quality.

"These results suggest that to protect marital quality in later life, it may be important for older adults to find ways to stay engaged in sexual activity, even as health problems render familiar forms of sexual interaction difficult or impossible," said the study published in the Journals of Gerontology: Series B.

They suggested that caregivers should refer older adults to specialists and sexual therapy if their life is lacking sex.

Galinsky said the study should inspire researchers about what factors enable some couples struggling with poor health to find energy and creativity to stay sexually engaged.