Sex counts as exercise as it burns calories, strengthens muscle tone and increases your heart rate, according to Justin Lehmiller, of the department of psychology at Purdue University and author of “The Psychology of Human Sexuality.” Men burn about 101 calories per session, while women average 69 during a 25 minute session, according to Lehmiller.
“If you have sex for a longer period of time, you can have even more of those calorie-burning benefits.”
After an orgasm, the body releases a relaxation hormone called prolactin, said Kristin Mark, the director of the Sexual Health Promotion Lab at the University of Kentucky.
“If you’re not feeling particularly tired beforehand, having sex and reaching orgasm may certainly help you nod off a little more quickly than you would have otherwise.”
“One of the benefits of regular sex is better blood pressure control and better stress management overall. Sex not only lowers people’s perceived levels of stress, but it also appears to help them handle stress more effectively,” according to Mark.
Regular sex benefits the cardiovascular system in other ways.
“People who have more sex are less likely to die from heart disease. Sex helps regulate hormones like estrogen and testosterone, which impacts all kinds of systems in the body, including the heart,” said Mark.
Some studies have suggested that men who ejaculate more frequently may have a reduced risk of prostate cancer, and women who have sex at least once a month are less likely to develop breast cancer.
Sex stimulates the immune system and provides protection from the common cold. Regular sex, once or twice a week, produces more immunoglobulin A (IgA), an antibody that helps fight off viruses, than not having sex. However, too much sex can also lead to lower levels of IgA.
The cliché of women opting out of sex because of headaches is probably not a wise decision. Endorphins released during orgasm, as well as increased blood flow to the genital area, play a role in sex’s pain-relieving power, said Mark.
“Pain sometimes has to do with blood flowing to one particular area, like the head, and sex can take some of that pressure off by redirecting the flow.”