10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

So you think Sex is only Good Fun – Well think again! Sex has so many health benefits that are only now being discovered. Having a healthy sex life can be so good for your physical and psychological state. Sex can be a very enjoyable pastime, many people indulge but it is probably safe to say that very few people are thinking about its benefits as they copulate. However sex has many benefits other than the obvious good fun factors. Did you know that there has been research which suggests that sex can boost your immune system? And if you do it with a little bit of vigor then it can help maintain a healthy weight, it could also be classed as a mildly aerobic exercise to help keep you fit.

Joy Davidson, PhD, is a New York psychologist and sex therapist and says that many people are surprised to hear about all of the benefits having sex has. She says, "Of course, sex is everywhere in the media. But the idea that we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked at in some cases with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment. So to really take a look at how our sexuality adds to our life and enhances our life and our health, both physical and psychological, is eye-opening for many people".

In Davidson’s opinion, along with other experts, sex can be beneficial for your body in a number of ways. All of the benefits here have withstood academic scrutiny and are much more than just stories or feelings.

Let’s start with something that is talked about everywhere nowadays, controlling weight. Sex burns calories, and there can’t be too many more enjoyable ways to do that. An average of 85 calories is used during a 30 minute period of sex. Well sex is good fun so why stop at 30 minutes, if you can remain active for an hour then you have lost 170 calories. You would have to be on the exercise bike pedaling relatively energetically for 15 minutes to use up that number of calories. What would you rather be doing?