You know that getting it on feels sooo good — but it's also good for you. Check out the healthy side effects of hitting the sheets.
1. Sex burns fat.
A moderately active booty session reportedly torches around 85 calories per half hour; that’s roughly the same number of calories in two Oreo cookies. Plus, when you’re busy in the bedroom, you won’t be stuffing your face in the kitchen.
2. It banishes aches and pains.
Studies suggest that the hormone oxytocin and natural opiates called endorphins that are released during sex raise your pain threshold so you aren’t as aware of headaches, back pain, and other discomfort.
3. It helps you chill out.
Research shows that sex lowers your levels of the stress hormone cortisol, soothing tension and banishing a bad mood. One recent study found that men and women who had just finished boinking had lower baseline blood pressure levels, and blood pressure is an indicator for anxiety.
4. It can keep you from getting sick.
People who do the deed once or twice a week have significantly higher levels of an antibody that improves immunity to colds and the flu.
5. It helps you fall and stay asleep.
You already know that guys are prone to nodding off immediately after sex. But booty is a natural sedative for women too. Both men and women release oxytocin just before orgasm; as this feel-good hormone pulses through your system, it promotes feelings of relaxation and sleepiness.
6. It relieves menstrual cramps.
Many women say that period pain diminishes if they do the deed during a cramp attack. One theory why: The muscle contractions that occur when you reach peak relieve tension in the muscles of your uterus, which are the ones that cause menstrual cramps.