When you're in the mood, it's a sure bet that the last thing on your
mind is boosting your immune system or maintaining a healthy weight. Yet
good sex offers those health benefits and more.
That's a surprise to many people, says Joy Davidson, PhD, a psychologist
and sex therapist. "Of course, sex is everywhere in the media," she
says. "But the idea that we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked
at in some cases with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment.
So to really take a look at how our sexuality adds to our life and
enhances our life and our health, both physical and psychological, is
eye-opening for many people."
Sex does the body good in a number of ways, according to Davidson and
other experts. The benefits aren't just anecdotal or hearsay - each of
these 10 health benefits of sex is backed by scientific scrutiny.
Among the benefits of healthy loving in a relationship:
1. Sex relieves stress
A big health benefit of sex is lower blood pressure and overall stress
reduction, according to researchers from Scotland who reported their
findings in the journal Biological Psychology. They studied 24 women and
22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. Then the researchers
subjected them to stressful situations - such as speaking in public and
doing verbal arithmetic - and noted their blood pressure response to
stress.
Those who had intercourse had better responses to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviours or abstained.
Another study published in the same journal found that frequent
intercourse was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure in
co-habiting participants. Yet other research found a link between
partner hugs and lower blood pressure in women.
2. Sex boosts immunity
Good sexual health may mean better physical health. Having sex once or
twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called
immunoglobulin A, or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and
other infections. Scientists took samples of saliva, which contain IgA,
from 112 university students, who reported the frequency of sex they
had.
Those in the "frequent" group - once or twice a week - had higher levels
of IgA than those in the other three groups - who reported being
abstinent, having sex less than once a week, or having it very often,
three or more times weekly.
3. Sex burns calories
Participating in 30 minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not
sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570
calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop
that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.
"Sex is a great mode of exercise," says Patti Britton, PhD, a Los
Angeles sexologist. It takes work, from both a physical and
psychological perspective, to do it well, she says.
4. Sex improves cardiovascular health
While some older people may worry that the efforts expended during sex
could cause a stroke, that's not so, according to British researchers.
In a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community
Health, scientists found frequency of sex was not associated with stroke
in the 914 men they followed for 20 years.
The heart health benefits of sex don't end there. The researchers also
found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal
heart attack by half for the men, compared with those who had sex less
than once a month.
5. Sex boosts self-esteem
Boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex, according
to researchers who published the list in the Archives of Sexual
Behavior.
That finding makes sense to Gina Ogden, PhD, a sex therapist and
marriage and family therapist, although she finds that those who already
have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better. "One
of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about
themselves," she reports. "Great sex begins with self-esteem, and it
raises it. If the sex is loving, connected and what you want, it raises
it."
6. Sex improves intimacy
Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, the
so-called love hormone, which helps us to bond and build trust.
University researchers evaluated 59 premenopausal women before and after
warm contact with their husbands and partners ending with hugs. They
found that the more contact, the higher the oxytocin levels.
"Oxytocin allows us to feel the urge to nurture and to bond," Britton says.
Higher oxytocin has also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So if
you're feeling suddenly more generous towards your partner than usual,
credit the love hormone.
7. Sex reduces pain
As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase and pain declines.
So if your headache, arthritis pain or PMS symptoms seem to improve
after sex, you can thank those higher oxytocin levels.
In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and
Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapour and then had their
fingers pricked lowered their pain sensitivity by more than half.
8. Sex reduces prostate cancer risk
Frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may reduce the
risk of prostate cancer later in life, Australian researchers reported
in the British Journal of Urology International. When they followed men
diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without, they found no
association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the
men reached their 30s, 40s and 50s.
However, they found men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while
in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a
third.
Another study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical
Association, found that frequent ejaculations, 21 or more a month, were
linked to lower prostate cancer risk in older men as well, compared with
less frequent ejaculations of four to seven monthly.
9. Sex strengthens pelvic floor muscles
For women, doing a few pelvic floor muscle exercises during sex offers a
couple of benefits. You will enjoy more pleasure, and you'll also
strengthen the area and help to minimise the risk of incontinence later
in life.
To do a basic pelvic floor exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic
floor, as if you're trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three,
then release.
10. Sex helps you sleep better
The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, according to research.
Getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things,
such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure. This is
something to think about, especially if you've been wondering why your
partner can be active one minute and snoring the next.
At least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). 
An equivalent mix of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
every week (for example two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of fast
walking), and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work
all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and
arms). 
Babies should be encouraged to be active from birth. Before your baby
begins to crawl, encourage them to be physically active by reaching and
grasping, pulling and pushing, moving their head, body and limbs during daily routines, and during supervised floor play, including tummy time. Once babies can move around, encourage them to be as active as possible in a safe, supervised and nurturing play environment. For more ideas, see Birth to five: keeping active.
Children who can walk on their own should be physically active every
day for at least 180 minutes (3 hours). This should be spread throughout
the day, indoors or outside.
Children under 5 should not be inactive for long periods, except when
they're asleep. Watching TV, travelling by car, bus or train or being
strapped into a buggy for long periods are not good for a child’s health
and development. There's growing evidence that such behaviour can
increase their risk of poor health. All children under 5 who are overweight can improve their health by meeting the activity guidelines, even if their weight doesn't change. To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, they may need to do additional activity and make changes to their diet.
