10 Reasons To Have Séx

It probably won't take much convincing to follow this general rule, but you should know it, anyway—the more séx you have, the healthier you'll be.

Not only can it help your general mood (thereby reducing stress), but studies show there are tangible ways séx slows down the aging process, fights disease and even heals wounds.

Here, a full breakdown of the ways getting it on can save you a trip to the ER.

1. Séx promotes heart health.
A study in the American Journal of Cardiology suggests that men who have séx twice a week have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than men who have less frequent séx.

Research found that a low frequency of séxual activity predicted new cardiovascular events.The psychical capacity to have séx might be a marker for overall health, or the physical exercise from séx might directly protect against CVD. Or it might be that men who have regular séx enjoy improved health through stress reduction from a supportive relationship. Whatever the reason, it appears that séx is good for your ticker.

2. Doing it burns calories.
Due to its brévity, having an orgásm fries only two or three calories. But the prelude can burn quite a bit more, depending on your weight and the length and vigor of the lovemaking session. For example, a raucous romp uses about 5 METs (metabolic equivalents), a system for gauging the intensity of physical activity. (Sitting quietly, for comparison, is equal to 1 MET.) So, a 190-pound man would burn 413 calories in an hour of vigorous séxual activity. But since the average lovemaking session is about 20 minutes, you're talking about only around 150 calories. Still, that's more than double the caloric expenditure of sitting alone on the couch.

3. Séx is a natural sleeping pill.
As women know all too well, orgásm is a rather effective sleep aid for most men.

4. Séx stifles stress.
Séx, like exercise, releases anxiety, lowers stress hormones, and can help people cope with mental pressure for at least a week. In the study, 46 men and women were put in a stressful situation involving speaking and working math problems in front of a tough audience. Participants were also asked to keep a diary of their séxual activity for two weeks prior to the test. Those who had séx were the least stressed out, and their blood pressures returned to normal faster after the public speaking test. "People who had pénile-váginal intercourse did twice as well as people who only masturbatéd or had no séx at all," says psychologist and lead researcher Stuart Brody.

5. A roll in the hay keeps the doctor away.
Research shows that people who have séx once or twice weekly have stronger immune systems than people who have séx less than once a week.

6. Good love is better than a bandage.
Researchers at Ohio State University Medical Center inflicted minor blister wounds on the arms of 45 married couples during 24-hour visits on two different occasions. On the first visit, the couples were prompted to engage in a positive, supportive discussion. Two months later they returned and new wounds were administered, the couples were prompted to argue. Results showed that wounds healed nearly two times faster after the positive interaction.

7. More séx may turn back the clock.
Can having séx keep wrinkles away? British neuropsychologist David Weeks, MD, of Royal Edinburgh Hospital believes so. In a 10-year-long study, he interviewed 3,500 adults in England and the United States, and found that people who reported having séx four times a week looked about 10 years younger than they actually were. Pleasure derived from having loving séx releases hormones, including human growth hormone, that are crucial in preserving youth, he says.

8. Frequent orgásms may protect against cancer.
Several studies have suggested that frequent éjaculation over many years may decrease risk of prostate cancer. In one US study, 29,000 men, ages 46 to 81, were asked their history of séxual intercourse and másturbation between the ages of 20 and 49. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute analyzed the data and determined that the group of men who reported 21 orgásms per month was much less likely to have prostate cancer than men who averaged seven or fewer éjaculations per month. The researchers speculated that several protective factors may contribute: éjaculation may clear the prostate of carcinogenic secretions and the stress-reduction benefit from orgásm may limit potential harmful substances that could trigger cancer.


9. Love longer, live longer.
An Irish study published in the British Medical Journal in 1997 tracked the mortality of 1,000 middle-aged men over the course of a decade and concluded that séxual activity may have a protective effect on health. By comparing men according to age and health, researchers found that men who had the highest frequency of orgásms had a death rate 50-percent lower than men who did not éjaculate frequently.

10. Men who have more séx are—surprise—happier!
An Australian survey of 5,000 people showed that married men are 135 percent more likely to report happiness than single men, while only 52 percent of married women are happier than unmarried women. Could it have something to do with the fact that séx is easier for cohabiting couples? According to a national séx survey conducted by the University of Chicago, séxual activity is 25 percent to 300 percent greater for married couples compared to non-married people, depending on age