These Amazing Health Benefits of Sex Will Get You Back in the Sack

For many women, sex after childbirth or menopause can be a very scary proposition. Not only has your physical body changed, fluctuations in your hormonal levels can also cause a massive shift in the way you think and feel.

But there's good news. Sex comes with some seriously cool health benefits that can help you feel amazing again, and not just on a physical level. Here are some of the ways sex can make you feel fantastic, inside and out.

The Mental Health Benefits of Sex

Sex Helps You Maintain Healthy Self-Esteem

One South African survey found that a lack of sex was linked to depression and low self-esteem. And it makes sense. Sex is fundamental to basic human needs like love and belonging. Without that connection, it's not difficult to imagine how a person could feel down.

Sex Reduces Your Stress

According to evidence published in the Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, intimacy between partners reduced the levels of daily salivary cortisol (the stress hormone) in couples and even suggested 'a buffering effect of intimacy on work-related elevated cortisol levels'.

Less stress at home and work? Yes, please.

Sex Makes You Feel Younger and Sexier

Exploratory research indicates that regular sex can make both men and women look five to seven years younger. Awesome, right? Sex also strengthens your libido and improves blood flow and lubrication to the vagina. In other words, sex begets sex.

Sex Makes You Smarter

No, really. Researchers from Rutgers University measured brain activity during the female orgasm and found that during climax, every part of a woman's brain is activated. Every time you have an orgasm, you get an influx of oxygen and nutrients delivered straight to your brain. And that's not all. A 2016 study found that women who had more frequent sex had better word recall results, indicating that sex can do more for your memory than any Sudoku puzzle ever could.

The Physical Health Benefits of Sex

Sex Reduces Pain

From headaches and arthritis to period cramps or any other kind of chronic pain, sex can offer relief. The oxytocin and endorphins released during sex are the same hormones that help women get through the pain of childbirth. So yes, sex has some serious healing power.

Weight Loss Benefits

The exact number of calories you lose during sex is a hotly debated topic. One of the most commonly referenced studies found that people who identify as men burn up to 100 calories during sex, while those who identify as women burn up to 69 calories. At the end of the day, sex is a physical activity. And it might just be one of the most enjoyable kinds of exercise there is.

Reproductive Health Benefits

Sex not only improves vaginal laxity and dryness, it also helps strengthen the pelvic floor. That's because when a woman orgasms, the muscles in her pelvic floor contract and release — just as they would in a Kegel exercise. Sex can be a huge help to the 40% of women who suffer from pelvic floor problems such as pelvic pain and weak bladder control.

Immune System Benefits

According to a study by Wilkes University, college students who were having sex once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA, an antibody that helps protect your immune system against colds and other common illnesses. How's that for a natural preventative?

Healthy Sex, Healthy Relationships, Healthy You.

Perhaps the most obvious, yet often overlooked health benefit of sex is that it improves the quality of your relationship — and that in itself has a big impact on a woman's overall health.

Going from zero sex to regular sex is a big leap to make. But there are tools that can help. Our own study found that 89% of women experienced increased confidence with sex after using vFit.

Ready to feel like you again? Find out how vFit can help.