Sex not only feels good. It can also be good for you. Here’s what a healthy sex life can do for you. 1. Helps Keep Your Immune System Humming “Sexually active people take fewer sick days,” says Yvonne K. Fulbright, PhD a sexual health expert. People who have sex have higher levels of what defends your body against germs, viruses, and other intruders. Researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that college students who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of the a certain antibody compared to students who had sex less often. You should still do all the other things...

Beyond individual benefits for you and your partner, regular sex supports a healthy relationship in a number of ways. For instance, the oxytocin released during sex enhances a sense of bonding and improves emotional intimacy.14 Sex in a monogamous relationship increases your level of commitment and emotional connection with the other person. Expressing love through sex increases the likelihood of couples staying together. As a result, sex is positively associated with a lower divorce rate.

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....

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 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...

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...