Yes, it is midweek and the average worker
is gradually preparing for weekend, which
commences on Friday evening. Weekends
are those glorious times of the week
when we take care of those things we
have pushed off — including, ahem, séx
— during the week because of the
pressure of work and also because of the
need to wake up early and sleep late.
Now that the weekend stares each of us
in the face, it’s also necessary to have a
rough idea of what we will do in order to
stay focused, healthy and totally revved
up to meet the demands of the new week
One physical activity that can help in this
regard, researchers say, is getting down
to the real ‘business,’ not necessarily to
make babies, but really to unwind and let
your partner feel your presence the right
way all over.Many long-married couples
seem to miss out on the benefits of sex,
which they, more often than not, push to
the back of family agenda, especially
when they are no longer trying for babies.
Yet, scientists insist that séx has so many
advantages that affect our health
psychologically, mentally, physiologically...
name it, and there you are. This part of
our social life is so necessary to our
overall well being that researchers
counsel us to indulge in it for up to three
times in a week.
Scientists caution, though, that too much
séx can also be detrimental to health.
They warn that having séx more than
thrice a week can weaken the immune
system and make us susceptible to
infections.
Again, researchers warn that only those
in healthy, loving monogamous
relationships could hope to reap all the
health benefits of séx. They say having
risky séx with lots of partners will
definitely do more harm than good.
Now, what are the advantages derivable
from this physical gratification? Here…
Boosts circulation, brain power
Scientists at the Royal Australasian
College of Physicians note that more
blood moves through the blood vessels
when you have séx, expressly cutting your
risk of heart attack or stroke as a result.
The researchers enthuse that sex releases
certain feel-good hormones such as
dehydroepiandrosterone and oxytocin,
both of which play a huge role in pair
bonding. In fact, because of its
importance in love-making, oxytocin is
variously referred to as the “love
hormone,” or “cuddle hormone” because
it is released when people snuggle up or
bond socially.
Cuts blood pressure and stress
For some of us, the time of stress is also
the period we refrain from séx. Yet, a
study by some scholars at the School of
Sciences, University of Paisley, Scotland,
reveals that séx not only lowers blood
pressure, it also reduces stress.
The scientists argue that séx can improve
mood and combat anxiety by reducing
stress signals in the brain. They counsel
that when you have séx, it lowers the
levels of cortisol — the hormone that
indicates high stress levels.
Relieves pain
A séxuality researcher at Rutgers
University, Professor Emeritus Beverly
Whipple, assures that good coition can
relieve physical pain. The magic hormone,
again, is oxytocin, which she describes as
a natural chemical in the body that surges
before and during climax. Again, she
says, “the endorphins released during
climax block pain signals from reaching
the nervous system and thus are critical
to maintaining optimum health.”
Goodbye to colds!
A bout of colds can make you miserable
for days. Not to worry though,
researchers at Wilkes University in
Pennsylvania, United States of America,
found that “having séx once or twice a
week increased the production of the
immune-boosting antibody —
immunoglobulin — by a third. Again,
German scientists say copulation
increases the white blood cells. The white
blood cells are the cells of the immune
system that are involved in defending the
body against infectious diseases and
foreign materials.
Heart attack? No more!
In 2002, British scientists carried out a
study of large population of men, and
concluded that frequent séxual
intercourse can “shield you from fatal
coronary events.”
Researchers say men who have regular
séx are about “45 per cent less likely to
develop life-threatening heart conditions
than men who have séx once a month or
less.”
Another research by scientists at the New
England Research Institute in
Massachusetts and published in the
American Journal of Cardiology, shows
that “men who made love at least twice a
week were much less likely to have heart
disease than those whose séxual
encounters were limited to once a month
or less.”
So, in addition to healthy eating, rev up
your health with this other therapy and
you are good to go!
Banish prostate cancer
Experts at the America-based National
Cancer Institute counsel that men who
successfully conclude a séxual activity at
least five times a week were much less
likely to get prostate cancer.
A reproductive endocrinologist, Prof.
Oladapo Ashiru, says prostate cancer is
the single most common cancer in men;
while urologists warn that it’s also the
second deadliest cancer, next only to lung
cancer. Yet, experts say a simple act of
regular séxual intercourse can serve as a
preventive measure.
According to a study in the Journal of the
American Medical Association, men who
have séx at least thrice a week reduce by
15 per cent their prostate cancer risk.
Takes care of headaches
It’s not all about men, as women also
stand to benefit from this benevolent act.
Researchers enthuse that the endorphins
and corticosteroids released during séx
have analgesic effects on the body,
relieving the pain of headaches, arthritis,
cramps and body aches.
“Endorphins are a natural painkiller,” the
researchers say; while “the production of
oestrogen (which is also released during
séx) in women may also ward off period
pain.”
Improves sleep
Those who find it difficult to sleep may
also try this therapy, as experts say séx
induces sleep as a result of the oxytocin
that is released during the act. Of course,
when you are able to obtain a restful
sleep, your mental and physical health
will improve.
No more incontinence
Incontinence is the inability to control
urination. And although urinary
incontinence affects both men and
women, physicians say women are twice
as likely as men to develop incontinence.
But then, you can guard against this
embarrassing phenomenon by having
séx. Scientists say this is achievable
because the muscles that regulate the
bladder receive a “workout” whenever you
have séx, as the entire pelvic floor
muscles contract while the exercise lasts.
Again, experts advise post-menopausal
women to guard against vaginal atrophy
by having regular séx. It will prevent likely
complications and urinary tract infections,
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