Physical intimacy is not a regular occurrence for every married couple in America, according to recent survey data. The findings show that nearly one third of married adult respondents reported having no sex during the previous year.

Data from the General Social Survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, found that 32.5% of married adult respondents said they had not had sex "at all" during the last 12 months. Meanwhile, just 4.1% said they have sex more than three times a week.

Dr. Anna Elton, a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical sexologist in Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital that sexual frequency differs among couples. However, she said the national standard is about once a week.

Elton defines a "sexless marriage" as one in which a couple is physically intimate 10 or fewer times per year. She noted that declining intimacy can have a range of causes, including busy family lives and hormone imbalances.

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In most cases, however, Elton said the original spark that brought a couple together has faded. The author of "The Formula of Desire" offered exercises and tips intended to help couples restore intimacy in the bedroom.

For couples struggling with their marriage or sex life, Elton suggested beginning with the parts of the relationship that are working well. Resentment, she said, can create a barrier that makes physical closeness difficult.

"If there are too many resentments built up, the wall is too high," she said. "And then partners can't just be intimate. They need to start with emotional connection."

Everyday communication can also become dominated by routine household matters rather than meaningful connection. "A lot of conversations in long-term relationships end up being just logistics," she said. "So, think about [avoiding] the neutral conversations or negative conversations."

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In her practice, Elton said she has worked with many women who reported having no desire for intimacy because of stress and a lost connection with their partner. Regular personal check ins and expressions of appreciation helped change those relationships.

"When they started checking in, expressing gratitude, it actually shifted the climate of the relationship," she said. That shift requires partners to make deliberate choices about how they spend their time together.

"You need to find time, you need to be intentional, because unfortunately, we always find time to be on our phones, to play little games, to scroll on social media, but we don't find time to be with our partners."

Couples experiencing intimacy problems often identify the same missing element when comparing their current relationship with its earliest days, according to Elton. That element is fun.

"If we don't have fun, what's the point?" Elton asked. "We need to bring fun back into the relationship ."

Elton suggested introducing novelty into dating through activities based on letters of the alphabet. The letter A could stand for axe throwing or an art gallery, while B could mean bowling or visiting the beach.

Fun can also make room for flirting, which Elton said commonly fades over the course of a relationship. Because an attempt at flirting can be misunderstood, she suggested that couples create a new shared language for communicating their intentions.

Changes in self desire can present another obstacle as people grow older. Elton said that changing bodies, aging and stress can affect how some women feel about themselves and how they respond when a partner expresses interest.

"With women, [with] changing bodies and aging and stress, sometimes we don't feel our best and we may think, ‘I don't know why my partner wants me. I don't want myself,’" Elton said.

Elton also recommended small physical steps that she said can help produce oxytocin, described as the love and bonding hormone. These include a 20 second hug or a six second kiss with a partner.

Small personal care rituals can also help people reconnect with themselves, according to Elton. Applying lotion or following a skin care routine are among the examples she shared for encouraging that personal connection while couples work to restore closeness at home.