December 2021 – Page 7

Physical Benefits of Increased Sex

It's fairly intuitive to understand how sex improves emotional health, but there are a number of physical benefits from sex as well. Some of these include: Better physical fitness: Sex is a form of exercise. According to the American Heart Association, sexual activity is equivalent to moderate physical activities, like brisk walking or climbing two flights of stairs.7? The motion of sex can tighten and tone abdominal and pelvic muscles. For women, improved muscle tone improves bladder control.Enhanced brain function: Preliminary studies on rats found that more frequent intercourse was correlated with better cognitive function and the growth of new brain cells....

Sex benefits

Psychological Benefits of Sex

There are many emotional and psychological benefits of making love. Sex is strongly linked to a better quality of life. Some of these benefits include: Better self-image: Sex can boost self-esteem and reduce feelings of insecurity, leading to more positive perceptions of ourselves.Higher rates of happiness: According to a 2015 study conducted in China, more consensual sex and better quality sex increases happiness.4?More bonding: Brain chemicals are released during sex, including endorphins, which decrease irritability and feelings of depression. Another hormone, oxytocin (the "hug drug") increases with nipple stimulation and other sexual activity.5? Oxytocin helps foster a sense of calmness...

Sex benefits

Sex in long-term relationships can be hot, passionate, and plentiful.

Sex in long-term relationships can be hot, passionate, and plentiful. Ditch the assumptions you have about what couples' sex lives look like over time. A 2018 study found those narratives about "passion decay" in long-term relationships actually became self-fulfilling prophecies: that is, people who believed passion would decline in their relationships over time really did experience lower commitment levels. So don't fall into the trap of believing sexual desire will automatically fade as your relationship goes on. Desire and sex don't need to decrease in long-term relationships. Plenty of people in long-term relationships have super-hot, wonderfully satisfying sex lives years and years...

Sex benefits

Having Sex More Often

In a supportive relationship, there are many benefits to having more sex. Higher rates of sexual activity are linked to positive changes, such as lower blood pressure, reduced stress, greater intimacy, and even a lower divorce rate.1 ? While there are no one-size-fits-all rules when it comes to an ideal sex frequency, here's some insight from the latest research. Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell Ideal Frequency for Having Sex A 2015 study found that general well-being is associated with sexual frequency, but only to an extent.2? Relationship satisfaction improved progressively from having no sex up to having sex once a week but did...

Safe Sex

Understanding Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention

To prevent getting a sexually transmitted disease, or STD, always avoid sex with anyone who has genital sores, a rash, discharge, or other symptoms. The only time unprotected sex is safe is if you and your partner have sex only with each other, and if it's been at least six months since you each tested negative for STDs. Otherwise you should: Use latex condoms every time you have sex. If you use a lubricant, make sure it's water-based. Use condoms for the entire sex act. Condoms are not 100% effective at preventing disease or pregnancy. However, they are extremely effective if used properly. Learn how to use condoms correctly.Avoid sharing towels or...

Better Sleep

17 Proven Tips to Sleep Better at Night

A good night’s sleep is just as important as regular exercise and a healthy diet. Research shows that poor sleep has immediate negative effects on your hormones, exercise performance, and brain function. It can also cause weight gain and increase disease risk in both adults and children. In contrast, good sleep can help you eat less, exercise better, and be healthier. Over the past few decades, both sleep quality and quantity has declined. In fact, many people regularly get poor sleep. If you want to optimize your health or lose weight, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the...

Sleep Benefits

Sleep benefits

Good quality sleep can ward off many short-term issues such as fatigue and trouble concentrating. It can also prevent serious long-term health issues. The benefits of good sleep include: Reduced inflammation. Sleep loss may cause inflammation throughout your body, leading to possible cell and tissue damage. Long-term inflammation may lead to chronic health issues such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Improved concentration. People who get adequate sleep are more productive and experience better performance, memory, and concentration than people who are chronically sleep deprived.Eating fewer calories. Sleep loss and deprivation upset the chemicals responsible for regulating appetite. This can lead you to overeat and possibly gain weight, so...

Dreaming

Dreaming and REM Sleep

We typically spend more than 2 hours each night dreaming. Scientists do not know much about how or why we dream. Sigmund Freud, who greatly influenced the field of psychology, believed dreaming was a “safety valve” for unconscious desires. Only after 1953, when researchers first described REM in sleeping infants, did scientists begin to carefully study sleep and dreaming. They soon realized that the strange, illogical experiences we call dreams almost always occur during REM sleep. While most mammals and birds show signs of REM sleep, reptiles and other cold-blooded animals do not. REM sleep begins with signals from an...

Sleep

What Is Sleep: A Dynamic Activity

Nerve-signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters control whether we are asleep or awake by acting on different groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Neurons in the brainstem, which connects the brain with the spinal cord, produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine that keep some parts of the brain active while we are awake. Other neurons at the base of the brain begin signaling when we fall asleep. These neurons appear to “switch off” the signals that keep us awake. Research also suggests that a chemical called adenosine builds up in our blood while we are awake and causes drowsiness....