Is Daily Sex Good for Health?

Introduction

Did you know that a healthy sex life can benefit you in many ways? Besides being a way to make love with your partner, it can positively affect your overall health. Not only does it offer reproductive benefits, but healthy sex could improve your physical, mental, emotional, and social life too¹. 

In this article will provide you an insight about the health benefits of a good sex life and answers questions around how to improve your sex life. We’ll also look into a common query about frequency of sex and if making out everyday has special benefits. 

Potential Health Benefits of Regular Sex

A healthy sex life means understanding your partner well in bed and seeing what he/she wants the most. This will improve your sexual intimacy by making your sex life more interesting, and intimacy should always be consensual. Here are some health benefits of healthy sexual intercourse: 

1. Promotes Good Sleep

Intense sex makes your body release happy hormones called oxytocin and endorphins that boost intimacy and the urge to do it repeatedly¹. These neurohormones aid in better sleep quality and a good sleep can help keeps you energetic through the day and boost your immune system. 

2. Lowers Stress

Sex reduces stress by increasing endorphin hormones that are responsible for boosting mood. It is a form of exercise that can help lower stress and keep you calm².  Yet, remember there are other methods (e.g., exercise, meditation, therapy) too that are effective for relieving stress and often more practical. 

3. Reduces Risks of High Blood Pressure

Excessive stress can contribute to elevated blood pressure. Sex helps by countering stress thereby avoiding the risks of developing a high blood pressure². Masturbation can also temporarily reduce stress and lower hypertension risk, although there’s no direct evidence that it works in long-term. Further studies are needed to corroborate these findings. 

4. Makes You Look Younger

Sexual activity may help reduce stress hormones in both men and women and thereby help in reducing stress. Since stress is directly affects ageing, regular sex can have indirect benefits for skin appearance³. This coupled with the happiness of a healthy relationship and positive thinking can give your skin a radiant glow. 

5. Relieves Period Pain

Having sex during your period can actually ease the pain. Orgasms during sex can relieve menstrual cramps by releasing endorphins and causing uterine muscle relaxation, but this varies between individuals. It could be an uncomfortable feeling to do so, but it does help, and there are fewer risks of getting pregnant⁴. 

6. Increases Sexual Desire

The more sex you have, the more it naturally increases your sexual pleasures and desires. More sex aids in a longer, healthier, and stress-free life. But remember, a healthy relationship and good understanding are important factors in love-making, so pay attention to your partners needs and ques for a good sex life^1,2.   

7. May Improve Heart Health

Regular sex may help lower the risks of heart diseases such as stroke and high blood pressure. Moderately frequent sex can be a form of cardio activity and may strengthen the heart and make it function better^1,2. However, sex may have only temporary effect and is not equivalent to sustained aerobic exercise, which is more effective for long-term heart health. More large-scale studies can help confirm this benefit. 

8. Burns Calories

Regular sex can help you lose weight!. Yes, daily sex is a natural way to burn calories. You can burn an estimated 3.6 kcal/min of sexual activity performed at moderate intensity⁵. 

9. Longer Life Span

A healthy lifestyle, which includes regular sexual activity, contributes to improved well-being and possibly a longer life span. But sex is not the primary determinant of longevity and factors like diet, exercise, and genetics play a larger role⁶. 

10. Hormonal Balance

In general, men have more testosterone and less oestrogen, the opposite is true for women. Regular sex boosts the production of both these hormones in males and females⁷. This results in better sex drive, and possibly  a stronger musculoskeletal system, and better heart health 

11. Lowers Risk of Depression

One of the benefits of regular sex, similar to that of regular exercise, is that it helps stave off depression. Sex releases hormones like dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, as well as oxytocin which are the feel-good hormones that help to increase your happiness quotient and lower your risk of going into a depressive state.  A note, however, is that a sudden lack of stimulation or reduction in sexual activity may lead to temporary mood changes or frustration for some. It’s important to deal with these positively^1,2. 

12. Associated with Better Memory and Concentration

According to some studies⁸, regular sex is shown to help in nerve regeneration and memory function. It can stimulate the hippocampus, which is a part of your brain involved in memorization and learning, and negate the effects of chronic stress. Further studies are needed to prove this association. 

NOTE: Getting an orgasm or masturbating can also aid in the above-mentioned benefits! 

So, taking about the ideal frequency of sexual intercourse, the more it is, the better it is for your health and overall well-being! However, it’s important to understand that for a good sex life, more than the frequency, it’s the quality that matters. Frequency can be daily, once a week or even once a month, whatever both the partners are comfortable with.  

How To Improve Sex Life?

A good sex life is determined by prioritizing your partner’s needs over yours. That’s the very first step to a successful relationship. Once you’ve got this, you can follow certain sex-boosting hacks to get the best out of you and your partner. 

• Emotional Bonding: An emotionally sound relationship with mutual trust and respect can help lay a firm foundation towards healthy physical intimacy. 
• Practice Foreplay: This involves using your hands and fingers to get your partner in the mood. 
• Research about it: Do your homework before getting into bed with your partner. This will enable you to get the best out of your positions and understand the most suitable way to make love. 
• Get physical: In times when you are stressed, tired, or in no mood to do anything, try getting close to your partner. You may start by kissing, touching, or just looking at each other in the eye. This will help connect better and boost your sex drive. 
• Change sex positions: A constant change in different sex positions boosts libido and will make you better at what you are doing. Positions get you in the mood and thus you need to understand what position will make you and your partner feel better. 

Bonus tip: Talk to your partner about your feelings: This is one way to get you both in the mood. Feel free to talk about your sexual desires to your partner and know his/her side of it too. 

Conclusion

Regular sex can have several health benefits, including relieving stress, burning calories, lowering risks of hypertension and heart disease, and boosting libido (sex drive). Despite the potential benefits, it is important to understand that the frequency of sex is not a measure of the love or happiness you share in your relationship. The ideal frequency is the one that is comfortable for both partners. It is important to discuss your and your partner’s sexual needs and desires to have a fulfilling sex life and reap its health benefits. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

1. Gianotten WL, Alley JC, Diamond LM. The Health Benefits of Sexual Expression. Int J Sex Health. 2021 Sep 25;33(4):478-493. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10903655/ 
2. Liu H, Waite LJ, Shen S, Wang DH. Is Sex Good for Your Health? A National Study on Partnered Sexuality and Cardiovascular Risk among Older Men and Women. J Health Soc Behav. 2016 Sep;57(3):276-96. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5052677/ 
3. Hewitt G, Jurk D, Marques FD, Correia-Melo C, Hardy T, Gackowska A, Anderson R, Taschuk M, Mann J, Passos JF. Telomeres are favoured targets of a persistent DNA damage response in ageing and stress-induced senescence. Nat Commun. 2012 Feb 28;3:708. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3292717/ 
4. Mollazadeh S, Sadeghzadeh Oskouei B, Kamalifard M, Mirghafourvand M, Aminisani N, Jafari Shobeiri M. Association between Sexual Activity during Menstruation and Endometriosis: A Case-Control Study. Int J Fertil Steril. 2019 Oct;13(3):230-235. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6642425/ 
5. Frappier J, Toupin I, Levy JJ, Aubertin-Leheudre M, Karelis AD. Energy expenditure during sexual activity in young healthy couples. PLoS One. 2013 Oct 24;8(10):e79342. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3812004/ 
6. Adaikan PG. AB59. Can sexual health contribute to longevity? Transl Androl Urol. 2014 Sep;3(Suppl 1):AB59. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4708348/ 
7. Prasad A, Mumford SL, Buck Louis GM, Ahrens KA, Sjaarda LA, Schliep KC, Perkins NJ, Kissell KA, Wactawski-Wende J, Schisterman EF. Sexual activity, endogenous reproductive hormones and ovulation in premenopausal women. Horm Behav. 2014 Jul;66(2):330-8. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4127088/ 
8. Leuner B, Glasper ER, Gould E. Sexual experience promotes adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus despite an initial elevation in stress hormones. PLoS One. 2010 Jul 14;5(7):e11597. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011597. PMID: 20644737; PMCID: PMC2904381. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2904381/

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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