Your Love Life & Your Health

The Health Benefits of Your Love Life

By: Susie Michelle Cortright

Use It or Lose It

Quick quiz: Would you rather run 75 miles or make love three times per week for a year?

Research shows that both activities burn the same number of calories. (7,500, to be exact.)

We often think that something that feels good can't possibly be good for us. Now it's time to think again.

The love life in a loving, intimate relationship has numerous health benefits. In women, for example, the sexual act triggers the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin promotes feelings of affection and triggers that nurturing instinct.

In men, making love encourages the flow of testosterone, which strengthens bones and muscles and helps transport DHEA, a hormone that may be important in the function of the body's immune system.

Paul Pearsall, Ph.D., author of Superimmunity, also maintains that an active love life in a loving relationship helps the immune system by increasing the flow of certain chemicals in the body.

Hugh O'Neill, editor of Men's Health magazine, recently listed some health benefits of an active love life, as well. Regular sex is regular exercise and has similar benefits, including improved cholesterol levels and increased circulation.

Men's Health also reported that men who make love at least three times each week may have a decreased risk of developing prostate problems.

Your love life, like exercise, releases endorphins. Endorphins contribute to the runner's high and diminishes pain levels.

An active love life may help us live longer, too. Dr. David Weeks, a clinical neuropsychologist at Scotland's Royal Edinburgh Hospital, conducted a study of 3,500 people ranging in age from 18 to 102. Weeks concluded that sex actually slows the aging process.

Sexual therapists remind us that frequent sex is a form of exercise. And feeling secure in a relationship leads to feeling happier, which could lead to greater health - and a younger look.

In fact, these studies indicate that intimacy plays a key role in the health benefits of your love life.

A promiscuous relationship may actually produce an opposite effect by introducing a sense of anxiety and fear.

In spite of all these health benefits and the sheer pleasure of the act, Americans may still need a boost. At least one-third of American couples report "inhibited sexual desire," according to The Masters and Johnson Institute.

Therapists say sex acts on the principal of "use it or lose it." So, for your heart, mind, and soul, the best advice may be to "Just do it!"

Susie Michelle Cortright is the author of several books for women, including Rekindling Your Romance After Kids, and is the founder of the award-winning Momscape, a website designed to help busy women find balance.

Visit Momscape today and get Susie's free courses-by-email 6 Days to Less Stress and Rekindling Your Romance After Kids.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be taken as medical advice.