An Active Sex Life Reaps Surprising Benefits for Women, but There's a Catch

You need to hear this ladies, sex is not only good for your emotional wellness, but also for physical health. In addition to lowering blood pressure, it can also improve bladder control. (This last point is particularly relevant to our mothers or anyone who experiences urinary incontinence for whatever reason.)  

Other benefits of sex include:

• Preventing Future Discomfort During Intercourse with regularity
• Reduced Stress Hormones 
• Intimacy Releases Endorphins to Alleviate Headaches and Aches 
• Better Heart Health
• Lower Risk of Developing Heart Issues Later in Life
• Deeper, Better Sleep (Better Sleep Supports Weight-loss.)
• Increased, Ongoing Vaginal Lubrication (Regularity Matters for This Point)
• A Stronger Immune System because of increased immunoglobin A (IgA) levels
• Healthy Engagement Improves Relationships and Thus Benefits Health
• A Stronger Pelvic Floor
• Increasing Your Desire for Sexual Intimacy Overall (libido)
• Maintaining Cognitive Ability (i.e., a healthy brain) in Old Age
• Those Who Stay Sexually Active Later in Life are Better at Word Recall
• Intimacy buffers any biological (bodily) reactions created in response to stress caused by our thoughts or moods. *Super useful.
• A Greater Sense of Self-Esteem and Confidence
• You’ll Burn Enough Calories To Cover Maybe, a Cup of Black Coffee and a Banana…
• Less Likely to Physically Respond to Stress
• Accelerated Recovery from Stressful Experiences

The Catch

Remember that catch we mentioned earlier? The frequency of sexual activity does not determine health benefits, it's the quality that matters. Yup— you read that right, we said it has to be good, by your standards, not your partners. Better yet, it should meet both you and yours, standards. Even after the deed is a precious time to bring you both closer together: talking and cuddling can help form deeper connections. 

As humans, we really crave those connections and intimacy, but they can’t solve all your problems. Keep in mind all of these benefits are null if the sexual activity becomes an emotional crutch or is a replacement for communication. It simply can’t fill all the voids, and you shouldn’t want it to. If you feel like your partner and yourself need to spend some time having focused conversations then don’t allow either of you to brush it under the table by sliding under the sheets. 

There is some good news; for those partnered with someone who isn’t able to get them off (or if you are flying solo) a lot of the benefits we listed above can also be experienced through self-pleasure. Yes, masturbating is good for your physical and emotional health. We said what we said.