Sexual wellness is just as important for both men and women as any other aspect of health. In fact, sexual health often ties into many other areas of your life, including both your physical and emotional health. If you neglect your sexual health, you may discover that your health begins to suffer in other areas, as well. You may already know that engaging in more sexual activity--whether with a partner or through masturbation--can boost your libido, making you more eager to engage in sexual activity in the future. You may not, however, be aware of the other benefits of overall sexual health.
1. Regular sex can boost your calorie burn and increase endorphins
In short, sex counts as exercise! While it's not the same as a heavy sweat session at the gym, a steamy round of sex can burn an average of five calories per minute. You won't want to use sex as your primary form of exercise, but it can be a great way to get in a little extra calorie burn -- or a way to boost your mood after a rough day, when you just don't want to put in the effort to head off to the gym. Regular sex can also exercise some of the muscles you use in the process, from your thighs and glutes to your arms, depending on your position. You may also discover that those sex sessions help increase flexibility and just generally make you feel better--a win all the way around!
2. Sex with a partner can improve your blood pressure
Do you struggle with high blood pressure? While sex might not be a substitute for blood pressure medications, it can decrease your systolic blood pressure. Keep in mind that in order to experience this benefit of sex, you'll have to have a partner: masturbation just doesn't have the same benefits. It doesn't, however, have any disadvantages, so if you're between partners or if your sex drive and your partner's just aren't matching up, break out your MysteryVibe vibrators and spend a little solo time focusing on you.
3. Sex actually strengthens your immune system
Have you found yourself getting sick more often, taking an increasing number of sick days at work or struggling with catching every illness that makes its way through your workplace? You may already have tried to improve your immune system through a wide range of methods, but none of them were quite as much fun! Individuals who had sex one or two times per week had higher levels of immunoglobin A in their saliva: a sign of a healthy, well-functioning immune system. Individuals who had sex more than three times per week, on the other hand, had the same level of immunoglobin A as individuals who had sex less than once per week. Researchers suggest that increased stress levels could make the difference.
What does that mean for you? If you've discovered that your immune system is struggling, check up on your sexual wellness. If you haven't had sex in a while or you and your partner aren't connecting as regularly as you once did, it might be time to shake things up in the bedroom and see if it makes a difference in your overall health.
4. When you have a healthy sex life, you will frequently sleep better
When you reach orgasm, your body releases a rush of oxytocin, the "love hormone." It's the same hormone released in moms during breastfeeding: the one that helps them bond with their babies--and it makes you feel even more bonded to your partner. You will also get that great endorphin rush that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable, which can help send you off to dreamland. The combination of those factors can make it much easier for you to fall asleep post-orgasm. Even if you choose to fly solo instead of engaging in sex with a partner, regular orgasms can help ease your way to falling asleep each night--and it's a fun way to pass the time while you're waiting to fall asleep. Who needs to count sheep? Better sleep can also:
- Improve your immune system
- Decrease headaches and other common ailments
- Provide better mental focus the next day
5. Regular sex can decrease your heart attack risk
By having sex one to two times per week, men, in particular, can drop their heart attack risk by as much as 50%. Estrogen and testosterone, the sex hormones, are better balanced when you have sex on a regular basis. When those hormones are out of whack, they can cause your overall health to deteriorate, including putting more strain on your heart. By having sex regularly, on the other hand, you'll find that your heart health increases -- and not just because of the exercise.
6. Sex decreases your perception of pain
Whether you're dealing with serious menstrual cramps that are making it difficult for you to function or you live with chronic back or leg pain, sex can decrease your perception of that pain. When you reach orgasm, the endorphins may temporarily block pain--which means the old "I have a headache" excuse isn't really a reason to avoid sex, but more a reason to jump in the sack (or to use one of your MysteryVibe vibrators to achieve orgasm on your own). Even genital stimulation without reaching orgasm can help decrease your pain. So instead of reaching for popular over-the-counter pain relievers, consider a bracing sex session instead.
7. Having sex can decrease your stress levels
During particular stressful sessions, you may withdraw from your partner, isolating yourself and avoiding sex. You may feel like sex takes too much effort, or you might feel as though catering to your partner's desires will take more effort than it's worth.
That, however, could be the worst thing you can do for your sex levels.
Touching and hugging often naturally ease your stress levels. Sexual arousal activates the pleasure centers in the brain, which then expect you to be rewarded. When you reach orgasm, you'll get flooded with endorphins, which can lead to overall lower stress. In fact, while sex won't restore your emotional equilibrium on its own, it can help make you feel calmer. It's not a substitute for therapy, but it can certainly help! There's a very good reason why people often turn to their sexual partners when they're in the middle of an emotional storm: by engaging in regular intercourse, you can feel more bonded to your partner and less adrift.
8. Sexual dysfunction can disrupt your emotional equilibrium
Having regular sex can also help restore your emotional stability -- or at least offer a short-term fix that helps you feel better even during the most difficult times. Sexual dysfunction, on the other hand, can disrupt your emotional equilibrium and leave you struggling to feel connected to your partner, or even destroy your sense of self-worth. If you're struggling with sexual dysfunction, you could face:
- Increased levels of depression
- Increased anxiety
- Difficulty focusing or concentrating in other areas of your life
9. Sexual health can have a significant bearing on your overall self-confidence
When you know your body and know what you like, you'll discover that your self-confidence improves right along with it. Confident, sexy individuals often know themselves very well. They take the time to explore what they like, both with a partner and through solo sex. That confidence can translate to a lot of different areas. When you're confident in the bedroom, you'll be more confident with members of the opposite sex in general--and you may find that you're also more confident at work and in your interactions with family members and other loved ones. That sexual confidence is so much more than just confidence in bed. It's confidence in every aspect of your life.
10. For men, regular sexual activity can decrease the risk of prostate cancer
It takes a significant amount of sex to decrease prostate cancer risk in men, and there are a lot of factors that can play into it. Regular orgasm--defined as 21 or more orgasms per month--can, however, cause the risk of prostate cancer to dip.
11. For women, regular sexual activity can improve pelvic floor function
Do you struggle with bladder weakness or other pelvic floor issues? As a woman, you may wonder if there's anything more you can do - especially something that doesn't include more Kegels. As it turns out, there's an exercise that's even better for your pelvic floor than Kegels: sex! Masturbation, including masturbation with your Crescendo vibrator, can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which can in turn decrease issues with incontinence.
Your sexual health is incredibly important--and luckily, you can take matters into your own hands or with a little help from a partner or vibrator and improve your overall sexual health and functionality.
