Sex is one of the most amazing things that the human body is capable of experiencing. Actually, all creatures have the ability to have sex but it is the humans that tend to do it for reasons other than reproducing. Couples enjoy engaging in sexual activities for the physical and emotional pleasure it brings. It is also the ultimate declaration of romantic love for another person.

Something else that sex can do is help people stay healthy. While it may surprise many people, the fact is that there are various health benefits associated with having sex. In fact, doctors recommend having sex at least three times weekly.

Following are 10 of the top health benefits of sex:

  1. Stress reduction: Having sex is shown to relieve stress by reducing blood pressure. Research has documented that sexually active people deal with stress much better and aren’t as nervous when presented with difficult tasks as those people that don’t have sex very often.
  2. Improves the heart: Older people may believe that the efforts spent in having sex can lead to a stroke or a heart attack. This is simply a myth. Frequent sex is not the cause of a stroke or a heart attack. Rather, sexual intercourse decreases the risk of having a fatal heart attack. Therefore, you should feel thankful the next time you have the chance to engage in a vigorous sexual encounter.
  3. Pain reliever: It seems as if the singer Marvin Gaye knew what he was talking about with the song “Sexual Healing.” Studies show that there are various types of pain that can all begin to improve following sex. These include such things as arthritis and PMS symptoms. Oddly enough, having sex also relieves headaches. That sort of puts a stop to those “Sorry, not tonight. I have a headache” excuses. The reason for the healing is through the release of oxytocin hormones as well as increased endorphins.
  4. Strengthens pelvic floor muscles: Women that engage in Kegel exercises will understand that sex offers this particular health benefit. The movements can be the same as the exercises only they are more effective in strengthening this area and offers more pleasure in the process.
  5. Boosts immunity: Couples that have sex at least twice weekly have been found to have good levels of antibodies known as immunoglobulin A or IgA. These are the antibodies that protect against such health issues like colds and other infections.
  6. Burns Calories: For people watching their weight and counting calories, sex is a great way to burn some of those unwanted calories. It has been found that 20 to 30 minutes of sexual activity burns over 85 calories.  These facts support the theory that sex is an excellent form of exercise and should be incorporated into any weight loss program.
  7. Lowers prostate cancer risk: Studies document that men having frequent ejaculations of 5 or more times weekly while in their 20’s have less risk of developing prostate cancer later in life than those men that don’t.
  8. Nature’s sleeping pill: People that find themselves unable to sleep at night should try having sex. It has been proven to be more effective that those over the counter sleeping aids. Orgasms release oxytocin, which promotes good sleep.
  9. Better than Midol for women’s cycles: Menstrual cramps have been known to be relieved by having sex. Having sex during a woman’s cycle has long been considered taboo but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. In fact, it is better than taking pain relievers for those pesky, painful cramps.

The next time that you start to question whether or not you’re in the mood to have sex, think back to this list of health benefits provided just by doing something that is fun and feels amazingly good! You just might change your mind.

Keep sex a vital part of your relationship. Use our Sex Agreements to spice up your sex life and maintain intimacy.