How Regular Sex keeps you Healthy

Today we're giving you more reasons to have sex regularly...even though something tells us you don't need them. But it doesn't hurt to know that sex has several health benefits. Adds to the motivation, don't you think? It’s a circle of life - Being healthy and staying fit, leads to better sex. Regular sex is important for mental and physical wellbeing and all round health. Apart from the obvious physical benefits that sex provides such as the fact that it’s a great workout, we’re talking about the ancillary benefits of having regular sex. Here they are...

Improve your stress response – and your blood pressure. Sex certainly has the power to take the edge off. The process of arousal and orgasm lets loose an elixir of natural painkillers and relaxers. Research has shown that a partner’s touch – whether curling up under the sheets or simply passing in the hall – initiates the release of oxytocin, which in turn can lower blood pressure and heart rate. The effect goes for so-called cardiovascular reactivity, the response of the cardiovascular system to stress.

Cuts the risk of cardiac – related deaths. The unique closeness of sex can have more consequential impact in the cardiovascular realm. In a 20-year long study, researchers followed more than 900 men and found that having sex twice or more a week decreased a subject’s risk for a fatal heart attack – by more than 50%.

Get some pain relief. Sex can offer a temporary respite especially when it comes to pain. Both arousal and orgasm trigger the production of oxytocin, which then initiates a sensational rush of endorphins and corticosteroids – both fairly potent painkillers.

Steady your cycle. Physicians prescribe the birth control pill left and right to women who have irregular menstrual cycles. Regular sex might present a more enjoyable alternative for that particular purpose. Women who have sex with male partners once a week or more, research has shown, are more likely to experience consistent menstrual cycles and (as a result) have fewer fertility problems than women who had sex less often or abstained entirely.

Frequent sex with the same partner over several months or more can also “prime” a woman’s body for a healthy, full term pregnancy. Research at the University of Adelaide in South Australia said that women who engaged in frequent sexual activity with their committed partners, had higher rates of conception and fewer incidences of miscarriage, preeclampsia, and high blood pressure.