Sex doesn’t just feel great, it helps us live healthier lives.

Looking at sex through numbers and averages may not be doing the activity justice, but it can help us understand some of the associated norms.

As North Americans, our life expectancy is now somewhere around or over 80 years, which leaves us plenty of time to get in-between the sheets. The average person (men and women combined) has sex 5,778 times throughout their life. They will also fall in love about six times, have an average of eight partners and break-up five and a half times. That certainly seems like a lot of sex, which most of us would view as a good thing – and it is!

Having sex is great for a lot of reasons. It feels good, makes us happy, helps us connect and boosts our confidence, but did you know that having sex is, in fact, a vital part of living a healthy life?

Sex Reduces Stress

It’s no secret that our daily lives have the unfortunate effect of really piling on the pressure.

From work to finances, to sitting in traffic, stress has become ingrained in our psyches and can be tough to let go of. Tension and stress are two things that sex has an amazing, positive effect on.

Sex is one of the best stress relievers out there, meaning the more you’re having, the less stressed you’re likely to feel. When we have sex with a partner – no, masturbation alone doesn’t count – our brains increase the body’s levels of endorphins and a hormone called oxytocin. This compound works to fight against the “stress hormone” cortisol, which has negative effects on many aspects of our health.

Reduced Risk of Heart Disease

Studies have shown that having sex twice a week can reduce a male’s risk of heart disease by half. That’s incredible and if you really needed another reason to have sex – now you have it!

Sex fights against heart disease by increasing circulation to help decrease homocysteine levels in the body. Homocysteine is a chemical that is a known trigger for cardiac issues. Regular sex has also been shown to lower systolic blood pressure.

Sex is also a great form of cardiovascular exercise.

Reducing Erectile Dysfunction

It seems the saying “use it or lose it” has a very distinct connection with a man’s sex life.

Science has shown that not having sex regularly could lead to an increased possibility of developing erectile dysfunction in the future. Contributing factors include reduced circulation, reduced blood flow to the genitals, lower libido and the loss of the pelvic muscles responsible for maintaining an erection.

If you aren’t having enough sex, masturbating can help but is not as effective as the real thing.

Lubrication & Libido for Women

While women don’t run the risk of erectile dysfunction, their vaginas can be affected by reduced lubrication caused by abstaining from sexual intercourse. Regular sex increases blood flow, vaginal elasticity and maintains proper lubrication, making for better, pain-free sex.

Not having regular sex is also thought to play a factor in the reduction of estrogen levels, which already normally decline as a woman ages.

Lowered libido is also a side effect of not having enough sex, something that affects both men and women. Loss of libido from not having sex is more prevalent in women, and those who abstain from sex for long periods of time are at risk of experiencing problems with arousal or reaching their climax.

Regular sex keeps the body hungry for more and will improve the enjoyment of having sex.

Better Bladder Control

Thirty percent of women will experience some form of incontinence as they age. This is because the muscles of the pelvic floor work to control the bladder, and can become weakened by age or lack of use.

Having sex, and orgasms is a great workout that helps keep these muscles strong.

Brain Stimulation

It’s a no-brainer that sex stimulates your body and brain. What you probably didn’t know, however, is that studies have shown sex to have a positive effect on visual acuity and fluent speech. This could have to do with the boost of emotions and stimulation that sex provides, so people having sex regularly performed better in these areas of testing.

Another study performed by the Cambridge and Oxford Universities showed lab rats produced new brain cells after mating. Whether the same is true for humans is unknown, but anything to help our brains as we age is a welcome addition.

An Immune System Boost

When we have regular sex, our bodies produce more immunoglobulin A, an antibody that helps your immune system fight off illness. Having sex a minimum of twice every week results in a thirty percent increase and helps your body maintain its immune system and get sick less.

Reduced Risk of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a very real risk and studies have shown that men who ejaculate more than twenty times per year have a thirty-three percent lower risk of prostate cancer. In this case, it doesn’t matter if ejaculation occurs from sexual intercourse with a partner or from masturbation. Either way, twenty times a year? That doesn’t sound too difficult, does it?

Sex the Pain Fighter

Next time you feel like reaching for an Aspirin, maybe try some sexual stimulation instead.

Yes, you read that correctly. Orgasms and sexual stimulation can block pain, such as discomfort from arthritis, back pain or headaches. Pain relief from sexual stimulation is especially true for women, as many have found that the act reduces pain caused by menstrual cramps and more.

It may be a case of taking the mind off the pain, but either way, if it works, go with it.

Sleep Better

We all know how important getting the right amount of “good” sleep is for our minds and bodies. Unfortunately, proper sleep can be difficult to achieve at times when stress, anxiety or something else keeps us up at night.

Again, sex can come to the rescue, as having an orgasm causes our bodies to produce a hormone called prolactin. Prolactin promotes relaxation, feelings of well-being, and sleepiness to help let us get the rest we need.

The Human Connection

Last but not least, sex with a partner facilitates feelings of intimacy and human bonding. This not only makes us feel good, but it boosts our mental and physical health.

The mind-body connection means that when you’re feeling good emotionally, chances are you’re feeling good physically too.

A healthy sex life is important in many ways, from stress relief and mood elevation to making our bodies healthier physically. It’s like a wonder drug with no side effects.

Knowing that sex isn’t just about pleasure, but beneficial to our health should have us all rushing to have more of it.