So maybe you’ve been married for a while. You are comfortable with your “routine” in the bedroom…but maybe it just doesn’t happen as much as you’d like it to. You push the thought to the back of your mind, telling yourself that you seem happy enough, and so does your partner. But are you, though? The benefits of sex are real. And they are fantastic. Since you already know the how of sex, we want to tell you the why of sex – with 8 simple reasons.
The extensive research of Dr. David Weeks, clinical neuropsychologist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, revealed that older men and women with an active love life looked five to seven years younger than their actual age. He also found that quality was just as important as quantity, with the anti-aging benefits increasing if the sex was considered “loving.” It smoothes out wrinkles. YEP! Thanks to estrogen being released during sex, those fine lines will be plumped in no time. Vigorous sex pumps oxygen throughout your body, which increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the skin. What does that mean? Fresh cells are being pushed to the surface, making your skin look healthier. Making love keeps you thinner! Our bodies produce cortisol when we are stressed, which causes us to have cravings and gain weight in our mid-sections. Not good news. However, cortisol levels are lowered due to lovemaking! PLUS you can burn around 200 calories in a 30 minute session of active sex. That’s no small amount! Bedroom time with spouse? Check! Working out? Check!
So how fun is it to be desired by someone…sexually? All at once, two things happen: 1) We feel better about ourselves. 2) We become more attracted to them! Crazy how that works! Reminding your partner that you want ’em is a sure-fire way to make them feel younger, smarter, stronger, and closer to you. In fact, a recent survey undertaken from the University of Texas revealed that couples who had sex regularly felt more confident about their bodies! Just like any exercise that raises your heart rate, sex causes your brain to release “feel-good” chemicals which boost your levels of serotonin (“the happy hormone”). This happy hormone is the body’s key antidepressant chemical and one of the major reasons people smile and get in a fabulous mood right after sex…so keep on pulling that trigger! Knowing this, it’s no surprise that when a study by psychologist Gordon Gallup in the American Archives Of Sexual Behavior did a study on nearly 300 women, he found that sexually active women in long-term relationships are also less likely to feel depressed than women who go without sex. Confident people usually wake up ready to conquer their day. Scientist Dr. Debby Herbenick found that adults who made love first thing in the morning were not only more upbeat for the rest of the day, but they also had a stronger immune system than those people who went for just the normal breakfast before heading out the door. In other words – why wait until tonight? You’ll be happier throughout the WHOLE day, more confident, and less prone to depression.
Not only that, Laura M. Brotherson, a certified sex therapist, created a fantastic resource for women to help them better understand their sexuality. Make sure to check out her Sexual Wholeness for Women Course if this is an area you want to improve! (Plus, she’s an AMAZING and experienced therapist that knows her stuff!) If you loved this post, you are should definitely check out our Sexy Gift Guide, try out the Game of Love, or give our Ultimate Intimacy Pack a whirl!
