Sex Improves Your Health and Wellbeing
When I feel deeply connected to myself and my partner, when my sex needs are met, my entire outlook on life improves. There's a noticeable boost in my mood. I feel relaxed, happy, and resourceful. Confident. Supported. And supportive. Vibrant. Powerful. Magnetic. Creative AF. Resourced. Compassionate. I can take on the world. 💪🏼
When the sexual aspect of a relationship feels satisfying, it acts like the glue that holds the relationship together. It creates a special bond. A sense of good will that helps us through our challenges. 🎉
On the other hand, when the sexual aspect of my relationship feels unsatisfying, I find myself trapped in a quicksand of dissatisfaction. Disappointment. Tension. Frustration. Anger. Resentment. Blame. I feel dead inside because that part of my creative fire isn’t getting any - or enough - fuel. I feel more and more disconnected from myself. And my partner.
When the sexual aspect of a relationship is unsatisfying, even if all the other parts of the relationship are amazing, it can become a huge problem that drives a wedge - spoken or unspoken - between couples. And that really sucks. And not in a good way. 😉 We begin to feel disconnected. From ourselves and our partners.
Our health suffers. Our wellbeing suffers.
And so does the health of our relationships.
Sex improves your health and wellbeing
In my early days of grad school, I helped Dr. Pepper Schwartz teach her undergraduate course called Sociology of Sex. This was a popular class with 700 students. Even though I was a teaching assistant, I felt very much like a student. I felt fascinated by all the different things I learned. Like how a vagina becomes lubricated. 🤯 That oxytocin is hormone that creates bonding. 💕 And the Kinsey Scale that’s used to assess sexual orientation - from homosexual to heterosexual - and that sexual orientation is dynamic. 😳 As a heterosexual woman in my mid-30s, I learned a lot about sexual function. And about how conditioning impacts our sexuality.
In the 1930s, Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey - who created the Kinsey Scale - pioneered the field of research on sexuality and sexual behavior. Since then, there have been many researchers who've studied sexuality, sexual function, and things like the relationship between sex and wellbeing or sex and health. The overall consensus is that sex can improve both health and wellbeing.
By sex I mean satisfying sexual activity. Intercourse. Masturbation. Oral sex. Other types of sexual intimacy. Between consenting adults.
Here are some of the health and wellbeing benefits that can happen when we have a satisfying sexual relationship with our partners:
🌟 Experience pleasure
🌟 Deeper bonding
🌟 Increased life satisfaction
🌟 Increased relationship satisfaction
🌟 Increased self-esteem
🌟 Increased happiness
🌟 Increased gratitude
🌟 Improved moods
🌟 Increased fun
🌟 Fewer and less frequent symptoms of depression
🌟 Increased sexual function
🌟 Improved cardiovascular health
🌟 Improved immune system function
🌟 Better sleep
🌟 Relief from headaches
🌟 Pain relief in general
Check out this quote from a research study that explored whether or not sexual activity improves health.👇🏼
“...satisfactory and frequent sexual activity should be prescribed as a medicine to...improve both general and sexual health.”
Mic drop. 🎤
“Sexual activity should be prescribed as medicine” - this guy gets me!
🎉🎉🎉
Rethinking the importance of sex
Sex is important for health and wellbeing. From better sleep and moods to feeling more connected through bonding and experiencing pleasure, cultivating a satisfying sex life with your partner is one of the best things you can do for your health.
And it’s important to our relationships - it’s the glue that keeps relationships together, creates a sense of good will and positive regard for each other, and helps us navigate the challenging times.
So, no more using headaches as an excuse to not have sex. 😉 If you legit have a headache, sex might actually help relieve it. In my experience, orgasm specifically also helps relieve twitchy legs and muscle cramps. Just sayin’.
If you’re anything like me, you want a thriving sex life. With your partner. Not just your sex toys. No judgment here - sex toys can be an important part of sexual health.
You can improve your health and wellbeing, and the health of your relationship, by prioritizing your sex life. 🔥
Although I’m a doctor, I’m not a medical doctor so I can’t prescribe sexual activity as medicine. But, my husband always jokes that I can write descriptions. So my description is this: improve your health and wellbeing by prioritizing your sex life.
Even though we know certain things can improve our health and wellbeing, like regular exercise, eating foods that honor our bodies, doing our spiritual or devotional practices - we still might not do them.
The same is true for sex.
So, what gets in your way?
Your intimacy host,
Heidi
Learn more about me here: About Me
