Having Sex Can Keep Us Healthy

For most people, sex is just plain wonderful. It is sensual, it is frisky, it is playful, it is sexy and it is, usually, pure ecstasy. We think about it, we dream about it and most of us fantasize about it. One thing we may not have been aware of is the fact that, along with all this, sex has many surprising health benefits. We may have been aware that it increases our heart rate and brain functions, but many may not know that it is also capable of warding off physical ailments.

Many a man/woman has fended off an overzealous lover with the classic sex-avoidance excuse that goes something like this: “Sweetie, I would love to, but this headache is just killing me. I’m hitting the hay a little early tonight,” or some variation of this. However, many do not realize that sex can actually act as a type of pain reliever and cure that annoying headache. Whenever a person has sexual relations, a hormone named oxytocin gets unleashed within one’s body. Once this occurs, hormones called endorphins also get released. These chemicals act almost like morphine to the body. As a person’s excitement and arousal mount, the oxytocin levels rise which, in turn, helps to alleviate pain stemming from a headache, menstrual cramps or any other achy type feeling.

As mentioned earlier, having sex causes the heart rate to increase which in turn gets our blood pumping at a brisker pace. This causes an increase in the blood flow to our brains. This quicker blood flow can result in an enhanced performance, and not only in the bedroom between the sheets. Increased blood flow essentially provides fresh and healthy oxygen to the body’s organs and helps the body eliminate waste, resulting in a system that has been cleansed.

We all know stress can cause a string of ailments in addition to making us feel depressed and lethargic. Results from a recently released survey found that those people who had more sexual relations felt happier and more stress-free than those who do not report having sex as frequently. When a person orgasms during sex, he/she instantly feels calmer and relaxed. Because of this, that person usually has a much better night’s sleep and wakes up feeling more refreshed. Having a good night’s sleep helps people deal with stress better on a day-to-day basis.

For those of us who may be packing on a little extra baby or holiday weight, having sex actually burns calories; in fact a sexual session can burn up to 150 calories each 30 minutes. If you have sex about 4 times a week, then you could burn up to 600 calories off each week. After all, anybody who wants to lose weight knows it is better to burn calories than to eat calories. Add these burned calories to any cardiovascular activity you already do and you should be on your way to your ideal weight before you know it. On top of that, when we are having regular sex, we tend to want to look our best since we’ve got to be naked at least part of the time. Just a little more incentive to keep us looking our best!