Health

30 Benefits of Keeping Intimacy Alive In Your Relationship

Intimacy is no longer about mere procreation. In generations past, physical intimacy between couples was a “necessary evil” to have children. Women were raised with the… Simi - October 14, 2018

Intimacy is no longer about mere procreation. In generations past, physical intimacy between couples was a “necessary evil” to have children. Women were raised with the idea that making love was a duty they had to perform to keep their husbands happy. Many young ladies got married with no understanding of what awaited them. The physical liberation of women meant that, for the first time, they began to consider it as a pleasurable experience. Satisfaction from this act was not reserved for men alone. This type of connection was meant to be mutually pleasurable. Women were able to express their physical needs and desires. The revelation of the female pleasure spots and climax took the world by storm. Men began to learn about the increased satisfaction they could gain from pleasuring their partner.

A new generation of men and women emerged. They had an appreciation of the physical and spiritual connection a physical encounter could cause. The term lovemaking is now used as a way to describe a meaningful physical engagement. Men and women were equal partners in this type of physical contact. Considerate lovers were concerned about the pleasure of their partner. Today, this type of intimacy in couples is not a taboo subject to be whispered about in dark corners. It’s regarded as a regular part of a committed relationship. Not only is mating a pleasurable experience, but doing it regularly is good for you! One or two sessions a week have been proven to be beneficial to your overall health and well-being.

30. It’s great exercise

Forget going to the gym or walking the long road to nowhere on your treadmill. Take advantage of your partner’s readiness and willingness to make love as a great workout opportunity.

Lovemaking burns a significant number of calories. In men, it burns 100 calories. In women, it burns 69 (no kidding). It’s the equivalent of a 10-minute sustained jog. This is based on a 30-minute vigorous lovemaking session.

Surely not all physical encounters are the same. Those of you who are prepared to try some of the more challenging positions from the Kama Sutra will burn quite a few more calories. You’ll be toning some hard-to-reach muscles as well! Many couples report that a lovemaking session lasts longer than 30 minutes (as well as it should).

The longer you’re at it (so to speak), the more calories you’re burning. That’s not to say that lovemaking is a better calorie burner than jogging. However, you can sometimes substitute a jog with a bedroom gymnastics session. It beats running around the block any time!

29. Lovemaking is good for a woman’s heart

A study indicates that women who enjoy a couple of lovemaking sessions each week stand a smaller chance of developing heart disease. That’s in comparison with their counterparts who indulge in the physical act only once a month. While men didn’t form part of this study, it’s easy to predict that the results would be the same.

No one is quite sure why this is the case. We do know that raising one’s heart rate is good exercise for the heart. The heart is a powerful muscle that needs strength to pump blood through the body.

It’s likely the biweekly workout is just what the heart needs to keep it in top form. Once a month, it would appear, isn’t enough to make your heart stronger. A stronger heart works better and lasts longer. Such a heart is less prone to deterioration and disease.

If you’ve been looking for a good reason to get intimate with your partner more regularly, do it for your heart. After all, you don’t want to have a heart attack, do you?

28. Not tonight, I have a headache

There are dozens among us who have used this well-worn excuse when we’re not up for a session between the sheets. A headache is a great excuse to get out of having lovemaking if you’re not in the mood.

Well, you can lay that excuse to bed (literally) because it just isn’t true. Studies demonstrate that lovemaking can relieve the pain caused by migraines and cluster headaches.

Get ready for some astounding statistics. 70% of migraine sufferers reported moderate to complete relief after engaging in sexual activities. 91% of cluster headache sufferers reported the same result. 60% of respondents said there was an improvement in pain levels for migraine attacks. 37% of cluster headache respondents said the same.

The improvements they report when taking painkillers aren’t nearly the same. It’s time to accept that a headache isn’t a reason not to have intercourse. It is a reason to let loose and get into the groove. Not only will you feel amazing afterward, but your headache will be history too.

27. Lovemaking relieves stress

We are bombarded by sources of stress all day long. Stressors from work follow us home. Stressors from home follow us to work. There seems to be nowhere on the planet we can go to get away from stress.

Or is there? The answer to your need to temporarily escape all the stress in your life is not too far away. It’s a simple walk down the hallway to your bedroom, or anywhere else the mood takes you.

When your body is stressed, the adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol. This is the so-called “stress hormone.” It stimulates our fight, flight or fright responses. Continuous stress means your adrenal glands are always at work.

The body is designed to absorb doses of cortisol for brief periods of time. Prolonged exposure to cortisol isn’t what your body was designed for. So many hormones are at work (and play) in your body during the act. Cortisol is not one of them. Let the other hormones take over and give your body’s cortisol production a break!

26. Frequent Intercourse results in longevity

Longevity has nothing to do with the length of anything in the bedroom! It has to do with how long you live. Our bodies have a lifespan. Stress, poor diet and lack of exercise affect the lifespan of our organs.

This brings D-Day a little closer. D-Day is the time when our organs will cease to function, and we die. Regular physical involvement with your partner is good exercise for the body. It also reduces stress. Both of these factors indicate that your life gets prolonged.

In a study conducted with a follow-up after ten years, the sexual habits and lifespans of men were studied. It was found that men who had frequent orgasms had a 50% lower mortality risk than those who did not.

Gentlemen, this means that your very existence is reliant on frequent orgasms! And frequent means twice a week. The next time your partner is giving you the brush-off, all you need to do is remind them that your life depends on it!

25. Intercourse sharpens your mind

That’s right; making love with your partner is a physical and emotional experience. It’s a mental one, too. Making love regularly sharpens the mind and keeps the brain fit. A recent study showed that people over the age of 50 who have indulged in regular love-making act could recall numbers and basic mathematics better than those who didn’t. There was an improvement in both men and women.

On the whole, however, men showed the most significant improvement. The reason for this is that lovemaking gets linked to the production of new brain cells. As we approach the autumn years of our lives, we need all the brain cells we can get to help us remember everything!

Brain exercises like crossword puzzles and Sudoku are good for you. They stimulate your mind and challenge the brain. They’re nowhere near as much fun as a stint between the sheets, though.

Perhaps it’s the reason so many people survive their crazy partying 20s. They have enough regular intercourse to produce brain cells to replace those they killed by drinking too much!

24. Love-making makes you happy

It’s true that making love with your partner makes you happy at that moment. Studies suggest, however, that your happiness can be more long-term if you have it regularly.

They warn that this increased happiness relates only to people in committed relationships. It doesn’t apply to those who embark on one-night stands or even friends with benefits. The emotional connection between two people in a relationship is augmented by making love. It is this factor that brings on their happiness.

Exercise in general releases endorphins and “feel-good” hormones into your body from the brain. The most common one is serotonin. It’s what makes you feel exhilarated after exercise or lovemaking.

You feel like you have a bit of a buzz and then a great sense of satisfaction with the world around you. It puts a smile on your face and gives you a sense of well-being. That feeling is one you tend to enjoy and want to feel again and again. Mmmm … how to achieve that? A-ha, regular lovemaking is the answer!

23. Lovemaking strengthens a relationship bond

The physical act of love releases a hormone called oxytocin into the body. This hormone is what makes us feel close and bonded to another human being. It stimulates affection and a willingness to be intimate.

In a deeply committed relationship, lovemaking becomes less about the physical connection and more about the emotional bonding. The bond you have with a friend is not the same as the bond you have with your partner.

You may enjoy yourself and have fun with your friends, but this doesn’t release that particular hormone. That hormone comes from engaging in the most physically intimate act of all: lovemaking. Sex makes a relationship stronger. Couples who don’t have regular physical act complain that their partner is more like a friend. They think it’s the passing of time that wears away at intimacy.

It’s not the passing of time. It’s the wasting away of their physical life. A lot of marriages and relationships break down because of intercourse or lack thereof. It’s not the act itself that’s the problem. It’s the loss of intimacy not having it causes.

22. Getting Physically Intimate trims off the extra pounds

Getting involved in a physical act is like a cardio workout. It gets the heart rate up, and that stimulates the body to convert the fat that gets stored into energy. It is also like a strength-training workout. It requires muscular control and power.

Intercourse is also like an endurance training workout. You need to be able to “go the extra mile” without giving up. Now, think about your exercise goals. You want your body to convert stored fats into energy. That helps you lose weight.

You want to tone and strengthen your muscles. You want to be able to withstand the effects of prolonged exercise. Are you connecting the dots yet? That’s right! Lovemaking is a great way to augment your exercise regime.

It has the same effects as working out. Rather see it as an enhancement to your exercise regime. It’s a “specialized” exercise that helps to keep your body lean and fit. And it has the advantage of not being limited to the opening and closing times of your gym!

21. Intercourse is good for your overall mental health

A serotonin imbalance is often the cause of conditions like depression. Other chemicals that may cause distress if there’s an imbalance is noradrenaline and dopamine. The release of serotonin during intercourse can help a depressed person feel better. Production of other “feel-good” chemicals is also stimulated.

It’s not going to make the depression go away, but it will feel less intense for a while. The problem is that when you have depression, you probably don’t much feel like being physical. You don’t feel like doing much at all. Your self-confidence is down.

Many people with depression report a reduced or non-existent libido. This makes you feel even more depressed. And so, you enter the depression cycle. You can’t do things that will make you feel better. So, you wind up feeling worse.

The solution may be a patient, creative partner who can get you in the mood and ride the serotonin super-highway without delay! If you’re depressed and not feeling up to it, focus on the end goal: That sweet, natural high!

20. Lovemaking can ward off the common cold

Regular lovemaking once or twice a week can make sure you don’t succumb to the common cold. An important antibody is needed to fight off an attack by the bacteria that gives you the common cold. It is called immunoglobulin, or IgA. It is what protects you from sniffles and sneezes.

A study done into the IgA levels of physically active showed people who have had physical contact with each other more than once a week had higher levels of IgA. Their levels were 30% higher.

No one enjoys the onset of a common cold with all the symptoms that accompany it. You feel dreadful with a sore throat, stuffy nose and non-productive cough. We take Vitamin C tablets and other supplements to keep our immune systems functioning.

Now, you can add regular intercourse to your first line of defense. Persuade a reluctant party that it’s not just for mutual satisfaction. It’s for mutual protection from the common cold!

19. Lovemaking act can put insomnia to bed

The oxytocin hormone released in your body during intercourse has many benefits. Among them is the fact that it helps you go to sleep. The hormone is released in both partners’ bodies shortly before orgasm. It rushes through your body, giving you a sense of enjoyment, pleasure, and relaxation. The latter is what helps you to go to sleep more easily after making love.

If you struggle with insomnia, it can wreak havoc in your life. Being sleep deprived affects your ability to concentrate at work. Insomnia also makes you crabby and irritable.

Your tossing and turning affect the quality of your partner’s sleep, as they are always aware of you still being awake. Regular physical involvement is well worth a try if it’s going to get you to dreamland more quickly.

Monitor your sleep patterns on the nights you make love and compare them with the nights you don’t. Your statistics will show your partner how important lovemaking is for both of you to get a good night’s sleep.

18. Regular Intercourse may lower your risk of breast cancer

A study published by Australian researchers in 2003 showed that women who have regular vaginal intercourse have a lower risk of breast cancer. This is in comparison with those that are not much into lovemaking. The leader of the research stated that further research into the causal link is necessary.

Some believe that the reason regular physical indulgence might lower the risk of breast cancer is the hormonal balance it brings. Hormones are necessary for us to have a strong immune system and proper metabolism.

The hormone oxytocin released before orgasm counteracts the stress hormone cortisol, which brings your levels into a balanced state. Cancer researchers say that steady energy may help your body keep cancer cells at bay.

The overall sense of satisfaction and happiness lovemaking brings about can help you achieve this state. Some believe that the boost intercourse gives to your immune system helps it to fight off the free radicals in the body that may cause cancer.

17. Regular Intercourse may prevent prostate cancer

The same study that examined the reduced incidences of breast cancer in women looked at the incidences of prostate cancer, too. They found that men between the ages of 20 and 50 are less likely to develop prostate cancer the more they ejaculate.

Another study conducted by the National Cancer Institute found that men who ejaculated five times a week had a reduced risk of prostate cancer. It found that the ejaculation itself was the connection. There was no difference noted between ejaculation using intercourse or masturbation.

The basic idea behind the findings is that it is unhealthy for men to store semen for too long. The more often they ejaculate, the more they stimulate the production of fresh sperm.

It’s believed that holding onto sperm that’s reached its “sell-by” date might increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. Male partners will be happy to hear this good news. They can remind their partners it’s for their long-term health that a VERY regular lovemaking act is required.

16. Making Love to your partner boosts your self-esteem

Many people don’t feel good about themselves. Their self-esteem is low, and this affects their self-confidence. They prefer not to talk about it and keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves.

Bottling these negative feelings up is not good for your body. The feel-good sensation the release of oxytocin promotes lasts long after the encounter itself. In the initial period after the act, the sense of intimacy it gives you is essential.

It makes it easier for you to communicate with your partner. This is the ideal time to share your thoughts and feelings. An inability to express your thoughts and feelings is called alexithymia. People who struggle with this will benefit from regular lovemaking with a partner in a committed relationship.

There is the added benefit of knowing you have someone in your life who loves you. They want to express their love for you by being physically intimate with you. This can give your self-esteem the boost it needs.

15. Intercourse can lower your blood pressure

A good round of bedroom antics might help people who battle hypertension (high blood pressure). Studies conducted in Scotland and by Brigham Young University in the U.S. found that frequent lovemaking act was linked to lower blood pressure.

Your blood pressure might rise during intercourse as your pleasure is heightened and the physical activity reaches its peak. However, the quiet time after the act may lower your blood pressure.

Your body is in a state of perfect relaxation, which is the ideal situation to reduce blood pressure. Another reason is that the oxytocin hormone released during intercourse before orgasm counteracts cortisol. Cortisol, the stress hormone, raises blood pressure as its function is to help manage your instinctive responses to stress.

If you have chronic high blood pressure, don’t go off your medication in favor of regular lovemaking. Feel free, however, to make use of regular intercourse in combination with your medicine to keep your blood pressure under control.

14. Regular lovemaking may strengthen your bones

In post-menopausal women, the lack of estrogen in the body can compromise the integrity of their bones. Their bones lose density. This results in a condition called osteoporosis. As osteoporosis develops, it weakens the bones to the extent that they can become brittle. This results in simple falls causing broken bones and more extended recovery periods.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander in this regard. Men benefit from the increased levels of testosterone present in the body before, during and after the act.

It strengthens their bones and protects them from male osteoporosis. This condition is equally devastating for men and women. Osteoporosis tends to develop around the time of male and female menopause.

The benefits of regular lovemaking can keep older couples healthier. Many people lose interest in the act around the time of menopause. However, a happy love life with regular intercourse is a choice that can benefit both parties.

13. Regular Love Making can boost your fertility

Getting involved frequently is especially important for the quality of a man’s sperm. The more often a man performs the act, the better the quality of his sperm becomes. Studies indicate that a man’s sperm quality is higher two days after making love. This is in comparison with the quality of sperm after ten days of abstinence.

It comes down to the principle of refilling the tank on a regular basis. Sperm that has spent too much time in the testes before ejaculation is not fresh, and therefore less potent. For couples trying to conceive, making love only around the time of the female partner’s ovulation is not an effective technique.

Not making love prior to ovulation, the man’s sperm quality will be reduced. For women, regular physical involvement has been shown to balance their hormones. This results in a more regular menstrual cycle. A stable menstrual cycle is an integral part of a successful conception.

12. Lovemaking can help with menstrual cramping

Many women experience pre-menstrual cramping. Others have severe cramps at the onset of their period. The cramps are caused by tension and spasms in the muscles of the uterus. Intercourse during this time can cause the pain to ease, many women report.

Some say that lovemaking act does more to relieve menstrual cramping than any medication available. Making love during menstruation is a sensitive matter. In many cultures, it is frowned upon. In others, it’s strictly forbidden.

Engaging in the act during menstruation is a decision you and your partner need to be comfortable with. The taboo may have been inculcated in you from the time you were a teenager. There were a whole bunch of taboos that accompanied that one. You’ve broken most of those at least once.

Why make making love during menstruation an exception? Although, intercourse helps with pre-menstrual and menstrual cramps to reach the level of excitement that relieves the tension in the uterine muscles.

11. You can combat incontinence with regular intercourse

Many women experience incontinence as they age. It is usually caused by the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles control your orgasm. They also control the flow of your urine. They are essential for powerful orgasms and for reducing urine leakage and incontinence.

The pelvic floor muscles are weakened by childbirth and the passage of time. Pregnancy and menopause have a profound effect on your pelvic floor muscles. They can result in the development of stress incontinence and prolapse.

The first thing prescribed for bladder control is pelvic floor exercises. These strengthen the muscles, which means that bladder control is improved. Pelvic floor exercises become part of the daily routine of women. They’re not exciting. The good news is that intercourse helps to reinforce your pelvic floor muscles.

Reaching orgasm is like doing pelvic floor exercises. Let’s face it, a good session between the sheets is far more fun than pelvic floor exercises! And it has the added benefit of preventing incontinence.

10. Regular Intercourse can prevent a heart attack

It was previously thought that vigorous lovemaking act could bring on a heart attack. Subsequent studies have shown that this couldn’t be further from the truth. A study at Queen’s University in Belfast found that doing the regular physical act three times a week can halve the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Problems in the circulatory system cause heart attacks and strokes. A blood clot causes a stroke in an artery that travels to the brain or heart.

It can be fatal or have life-changing implications. Heart attacks are caused by the buildup of fats and plaque in the arteries. They restrict the flow of blood to the heart. When the restriction is total, a heart attack follows.

Like a stroke, a heart attack can be fatal. One of the reasons regular intimate act in bed may prevent strokes and heart attacks is the increased blood circulation that intercourse causes. During the act, blood is flowing from the body at a faster rate than usual.

9. Fine lines and wrinkles are affected by lovemaking

Once they reach a certain age, women start developing fine lines and wrinkles on their faces. They spend a lot of money on creams to make them go away or slow down their progression. The products make outlandish promises they seldom deliver on.

Once a woman reaches the menopausal phase, her skin is more dehydrated. This brings on wrinkles. It is the result of decreased levels of estrogen.

Regular intercourse during menopause raises a woman’s estrogen levels. It can counteract what menopause is doing to her estrogen levels. An American study found that the estrogen levels of menopausal women who were active with their partners in bed were higher. Their levels were up to two times higher than the levels of women who were abstaining.

In the immediate aftermath of lovemaking, a woman may notice that her wrinkles are not as noticeable as they usually are. The boost in estrogen can plump up the skin and make the wrinkles less obvious.

8. Regular Intercourse does give you a glowing look

A lot of women are told they’re glowing, and look healthy and well. What is their secret? It’s a rather simple one: making love regularly.

The Royal Edinburgh Hospital has conducted some research into this potential benefit of regular lovemaking. Their study showed that the aerobic nature of the exercise that intercourse promotes causes skin renewal. This means that vigorous physical involvement promotes better blood circulation. An increased flow of blood to the skin brings it extra nutrients.

It also pushes new, fresh skin cells to the surface. This alone makes the skin look healthier. Sure, regular aerobic exercise at the gym might have the same effect, but that’s nowhere near as much fun!

That healthy, happy glow makes you look and feel good about yourself. This leads to an improved sense of well-being. After all, when you look good, you feel good.

7. Regular Intercourse can boost your energy levels

Any exercise boosts your energy levels. Regular intercourse is no different. People who do not exercise tend to be lethargic and feel lackluster. They don’t want to exercise.

One of the most important things you need to do when you start an exercise program is to overcome procrastination. Many people keep putting it off until the next day. The idea of getting up and exercising makes them feel tired before they even begin.

Once they finally start, they feel an immediate boost in their energy. It sounds strange: expending energy gives you more energy. That’s exactly how it works. Your metabolism gets stimulated by exercise. It starts converting stored fats into energy. This energy lasts beyond your workout.

There is a certain sense of satisfaction you feel after a workout. It’s the endorphins and “feel-good” hormones that exercise releases. Making love is no different. If you want proof that exercise gives you more energy, engage regularly.

6. Regular Intercourse can boost your immune system

Our bodies face daily assault from bacteria, viruses and fungi. They are around us, and there’s nothing we can do to avoid them. The pollutants in the air also have the potential to harm our bodies. What stands between us and the effects of these harmful substances? Our immune systems.

Several essential vitamins and minerals and amino acids are needed to form a healthy immune system. Something few people know is that our bodies also produce hormones and steroids that create a part of the immune system.

One such hormone is DHEA. It is known as an anti-aging hormone that helps you stay fitter for longer. However, it also acts as a powerful combatant in the immune system. Once people pass age 30, their bodies produce less DHEA.

During intercourse, DHEA releases into the bloodstream in significant quantities. Orgasm results in additional secretion of DHEA into the body. After an orgasm, the levels of DHEA in the blood can be up to five times higher than the commonly accepted levels.

5. Lovemaking is good for your future, older self

Developing a pattern of making love regularly is not only good for you when you’re young. It helps you during your middle age and later years. People who tend to have regular physical intimacy when they’re younger continue to do so when they get older.

The benefits of regular lovemaking are as significant in later life as they are when you’re young. The overall sense of well-being and happiness in the act helps you to be a happier person when you’re older. It also enhances your quality of life.

The health benefits of regularly indulging in lovemaking become more important the older you get. Your body is more susceptible to different diseases and conditions because it’s older. Regular lovemaking can mitigate these risks to some extent.

Getting intimate with your partner is more important than ever when you get older. Lovemaking on a regular basis becomes more about the emotional connection than the physical one. Let’s face it: couples who sleep together, stay together.

4. Your libido is driven by regular Intercourse

Your libido is your desire to participate in sexual activity. In adulthood, your libido can be affected by several issues. Stress and insomnia can hurt your libido. Certain medications can impact your libido.

As life becomes busier, people tend to put lovemaking on the back burner. This is not a good idea. The lower your libido, the less likely you are to want to do it.

Partners with different libidos may struggle to settle into a regular lovemaking pattern. A lot of it is about compromise. If your libido is low, it will continue to remain low for as long as you don’t engage in it regularly.

Regular intercourse drives your libido. You and your partner can develop more compatible libido levels if you engage frequently. Simply put, making love makes you want to have more and more. Practice makes perfect, as your mother told you when you were a child. Put the same principle into action in your love life.

3. Regular Intercourse helps you become pregnant

When you’re trying to conceive, there’s a tendency to become obsessed with the female partner’s cycle. People do a lot of research on this. They determine what time intercourse should take place, the position and the frequency. In this case, the physical act starts seeming like a duty rather than a pleasure.

A lot of couples struggling to conceive are so obsessed with falling pregnant that they forget to enjoy it. A regular lovemaking pattern should be in place, regardless of where the woman is in her cycle.

It improves the quality of the man’s sperm, and it primes the woman’s body for pregnancy by raising estrogen levels. Calculations of ovulation dates are not always accurate.

The best way to conceive is to have plenty of it. It gives you a better chance of being in the right place at the right time. While the desire for a baby may be high, don’t let it detract from the enjoyment and intimacy regular intercourse provides.

2. Wounds heal faster

That’s right, a graze on your knee will heal faster if you’re physically active. Even more so, perhaps, a graze on your knee caused during the act! The hormone oxytocin is released into your body while making the act has many healing properties. One of them is the ability to heal sores.

Even the most stubborn of sores heal faster if you engage regularly with your partner. Several experiments have been done to determine if this is true. Even slow-healing sores such as those people with diabetes get can benefit from the regular physical act.

The reason seems to be that oxytocin promotes the regeneration of skin cells. This means that new skin cells are made to replace those that were damaged when the wound occurred.

So, don’t use a wound as an excuse not to make love. It may take some creativity to work around certain wounds, but the benefits will outweigh the effort. Not only will you have a pleasurable experience, but your wound will be on the mend as well.

1. Regular Intercourse makes men less aggressive

We’ve all seen an aggressive man and thought that he needs to get some. It’s true. He does. An aggressive, angry man has high levels of testosterone in his body. If he can release some of that testosterone, he’ll feel calmer and more in control.

What’s the easiest way to get rid of all that testosterone? Regular lovemaking, of course. It’s not all about biology, though. When men feel loved and accepted by their partner, it makes them calmer and less likely to be aggressive.

Given that men control much of the world, it comes as no surprise that the world is a violent place. What a beautiful place it would be if its leaders were less angry and frustrated!

To the partners of the leaders of the world, you have an added responsibility. You need to involve more with your partner so that peace and freedom can reign!

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