Furthermore, six significant health advantages of sex
Sex and stress are connected in a number of ways. When a particularly stressful week or two saps our sex drive or when we successfully utilize sex to reduce stress, the majority of us instinctively know this and feel it unambiguously. These instincts are supported by scientific research.
Stress and anxiety can be reduced by sex by releasing “feel-good” hormones like oxytocin. These hormones aid in promoting calm and reducing anxiety.
Sex not only increases hormone levels and other brain chemicals, but it also lowers stress hormone levels.
It’s crucial to remember that having sex with a partner isn’t your sole choice. Sex alone frequently reduces stress and has additional health advantages.
How Sex Alleviates Anxiety and Stress
Your body can relax during orgasm and produce a number of hormones that are beneficial to your general health and well-being. Similar to how sex increases dopamine,
A neurotransmitter that promotes pleasure is sometimes referred to as the “feel-good chemical.”
A rise in oxytocin
Because it is released during physical contact, such as during affectionate caressing and sex between adult couples, as well as during pregnancy, birth, and lactation, oxytocin is referred to as the “love hormone.”
During sex, physical proximity and climax both release oxytocin. Among its many beneficial benefits, this hormone can reduce pain, and stress, and boost mood and trust.
Higher Endorphin Levels
Although endorphins are not hormones but rather neurotransmitters, they are also released during sexual activity (as well as other physical activities, such as running, and in response to pain). They can lower stress and elevate mood, much like oxytocin.
Reduced Cortisol
Sexual activity appears to lower levels of adrenaline and cortisol, also referred to as “stress hormones,” just as it might increase chemicals with favorable benefits. These energizing hormones are produced by the body in response to stress, and high levels can trigger a “fight or flight” reaction. In a short-term emergency situation, this may be required and beneficial, but having too much cortisol all the time is bad for your body and brain.
By lowering cortisol, sexual engagement appears to be one method for relieving stress. In one study, women’s heart rates and cortisol levels were used as a gauge of their stress response, and it was discovered that following “good physical contact” with a partner, they showed less of a stress response. Just providing emotional support did not have the same impact.
These results imply that having sex can reduce the stress response in difficult circumstances, which is a desirable thing.
6 Health Advantages of Sex
Sex provides a lot of additional significant health advantages in addition to flooding your body with hormones that can help you feel less stressed, anxious, and worried. Some aspects of sex that help with stress management include:
A Mood Booster: Sex
Positive distractions like sex can help you put anxious thoughts out of your head. In turn, this can lift one’s spirits both now and in the future. For instance, a study of
married couples discovered that having sex was linked to feeling well the next day at work.
Yet it also found that stress and conflict in the workplace-family environment decreased the likelihood of sex. If you often have conflicts between your personal and professional lives, you might want to be aware of this.
You might wonder if sex, which improves mood, might also help manage depressive symptoms. Although both depression symptoms and its therapies can contribute to a decrease in libido, the connection between sex and depression is complicated.
Notwithstanding the need for further study, a study from 2021 did indicate that those with active sexual lives during the COVID-19 pandemic scored much lower on tests of anxiety and despair.
Sex for Improved Cognitive Function
Sex may assist in keeping your mind sharp in addition to benefiting your body and mood. According to studies, older people who had sex more regularly performed better on memory tests.
Sex to Strengthen a Relationship
Also, having sex deepens the intimacy you experience with your spouse, which lowers stress and elevates your mood. Individuals tend to manage stress better, live longer, and have better overall health when they have a supportive social outlet, which may include a solid personal relationship.
Sex as Exercise
Depending on your level of enthusiasm, you can burn a lot of calories while having sex and also benefit from exercise’s stress-relieving properties. According to studies on the energy costs of sexual activity, it is moderately intense and burns between 150 and 200 calories per hour. Walking, swimming laps, and downhill skiing are akin to it.
Sex to Improve Sleep
According to research, sexual activity helps people sleep better. Specifically, having sex may make it easier for you to nod off and improve the quality of your sleep. Once more, hormones might be involved. Both sexual activity and better sleep are related to raised levels of oxytocin, prolactin, and cortisol (which can surge after an orgasm).
Another way that sexual activity helps people reduce stress is by increasing sleep. Sex can assist in reversing the effects of chronic stress, which can interfere with sleep.
Cardiovascular Health and Sex
Sex may also improve your heart health, which is another perk. Men who have sex twice a week are less likely to acquire cardiovascular disease, according to research.
Is having sex safe if you have heart issues? According to the American Heart Association, having sex should be safe as long as you are able to exercise without experiencing any cardiac issues for three to five metabolic equivalents (METs). Mets are a unit of measurement used to calculate the amount of energy needed to complete an activity.
Always consult your doctor before engaging in sexual engagement or strenuous physical activity if you already have cardiovascular issues.
When Should You Have Sexual Contact?
How frequently must you have sex to experience these health benefits? Weekly? Daily? Each person’s ideal level of sex frequency is different, however, once per week is frequently recommended.
A Statement From Well
You probably aren’t surprised to learn that having sex feels nice and helps relieve stress. But since it has so many advantages, knowing more about how and why sex can relieve stress might give you a few more reasons to engage in it.
It’s critical to concentrate on stress management if it’s affecting your ability to have or enjoy sex with your partner or your connection with them. That could entail individual or couple’s counseling, where you can develop a stronger bond and discover constructive methods to deal with stress and conflict.