Let’s put on our leg warmers and take a trip to 1980s-ville, shall we? The year is 1987, and George Michael’s I Want Your Sex had just hit the airwaves. The Flagship Censorship was in overdrive. Meanwhile, tweens (before they knew they were tweens) were singing “Sex is natural, sex is good. Not everybody does it. But everybody should!” Sung, of course, without really understanding what it all meant.
The result of George Michael’s romp on the airwaves? A certain segment of impressionable minds, now aged like fine wines, subconsciously can’t help but remember that “sex is natural, sex is good, not everybody does it, but everybody should.” But are other age groups still getting some? About 75 percent of teenagers have intercourse by the time they turn 20. Within a marriage, 44 percent of couples are “fully satisfied with their sex lives.” Further, those who are 65 and older are still getting down and dirty between the sheets.
So people are doing the deed in droves. And the good news that just keeps getting better? There are many reasons to spend even more time between the sheets.
1. Sex helps relieve pain.
Sex releases the fun-time hormone, oxytocin. And as WebMD reports, “as the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. So if your headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms seem to improve after sex, you can thank those higher oxytocin levels.” Beats taking a double dose of pain reliever any time.
2. For the ladies! Semen may be an anti-depressant.
Sex produces phenylethylamine, a love chemical that ups your mood. Also, a study from the State University of New York shows that women who were directly exposed to semen were less depressed. Though as study lead Gordon Gallup points out, “I want to make it clear that we are not advocating that people abstain from using condoms.” After all, getting an STD or experiencing an unwanted pregnancy is not going to lift up anyone’s mood.
3. For the gents! Sex may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Via WebMD, Australian researchers report that frequent ejaculations among 20-something men downs the risk for prostate cancer in later years by as much as a third. Get busy, get healthy!
4. Sex is a good workout.
Contemplating a move under the covers as opposed to a move under dumbbells? Think about spending your workout in bed. Some experts claim that an hour of sex can lead to almost 400 calories burned. Want to know exactly how many calories you are burning while doing the deed? Check out this handy estimator.
5. Sex can help keep colds at bay.
You’ve tried Vitamin C, Echinacea, and zinc supplements. Now try sex. Researchers have shown that people who have sex more than twice a week get a kick to their immune system. Immunoglobulin A fights colds in our bodies, and sex raises its levels in our bodies. See? A kiss really can make it all better.
6. Sex helps you sleep.
After you’ve made use of the bed for more than sleeping, you’re going to want to sleep. Why? It’s that oxytocin again. The oxytocin released during an orgasm is going to help your brain and body wind down for a good night’s sleep. So considering turning away the Ambien and turning towards your loved one.
Image: Light Speed Photography