How having sex improves health, wellbeing and mood – and banishes the winter blues

Forget Valentine's Day...things are heating up this January
Shutterstock / gpointstudio
Amy Harris23 January 2019

We've almost made it through January, but the days aren't getting any warmer and our bank balances aren't getting any perkier.

Still, there are plenty of ways to heat things up - if you know what I mean.

Sex is a simple, yet effective way to invigorate your mood, health and relationship.

Plus, it's freezing outside so getting cosy with your significant other seems like the ideal solution right now.

Here, pleasure expert and writer at jodivine.com Megan Barnett, shares seven reasons why sex can help you beat the blues.

1. The other O

Yes, orgasms feel good, but the O you should be focusing on is oxytocin. Oxytocin is the feel-good hormone produced in the brain that creates a general sense of wellbeing and happiness. While oxytocin levels can be increased through sex and orgasms, simply cuddling up with your partner can do the job too. Oxytocin is also known as the love hormone, as it helps people bond, build trust and deepen intimacy.

Photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash

If you’re self-conscious about your post-Christmas body, increased levels of oxytocin can boost your esteem as high oxytocin levels mean a high outlook on life. This, in turn, is going to increase your libido as when we feel good about our bodies, we’re more likely to want to show them off.

2. Set the alarm

When we feel lethargic or are generally down about things, it’s more than tempting to bury our heads in the pillows and try to ignore the world, but actively waking up earlier for a morning romp can put you in a good mood for the rest of the day. This is because sex can increase the production of serotonin, a natural mood stabiliser linked to our happiness levels. What’s more, that fantastic “I’ve just had sex!” feeling will last with you all day, so that’s definitely something to smile about.

3. Lower stress = lower blood pressure

Good sex puts us in a better mood, lowering our stress levels, which in turn does wonders for our blood pressure. A Scottish study (2006) found that, over a fortnight, 24 women and 22 men who reported having PVI (penile-vaginal intercourse) had a better stress response to those having other or no sexual behaviours.

Another study, published in the same journal, found that diastolic blood pressure, aka the bottom number of your blood pressure, was lower in people who live together and have sex often.

Best sex toys - in pictures

1/18

4. Boost your immunity

That’s right: having regular sex has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. The study, carried out by scientists at Wilkes University in the United States of America studied 112 university students, who kept records of how often they had sex and also provided saliva samples for the study. Those who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA.

5. Fight the slump

Social, financial and environmental factors all play their part in making us feel down during January, and having sex could be the key to boost our moods.

CoolStays

The American Archives Of Sexual ¬Behavior (2004) found that the 300 sexually active women in their study who were in long term relationships experienced less depression than women who were sexually inactive. “You’ve got to use it or lose it” is a fairly common trope when it comes to sex, but it really does make a difference: making the effort to have sex can lead you to wanting more.

6. Complexion perfection

The cold weather can wreak havoc with our skin, but sex can give you a glowing complexion that will make you feel fabulous. That clever hormone oxytocin also has anti-inflammatory qualities, which help to repair skin cells. Having sex also promotes oestrogen levels, improving skin elasticity and dryness. Sex also increases our circulation, which gives you that post-sex glow.

A study conducted by Dr David Weeks, the former Head of Old Age Psychology at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital (2013), found that regular sex can make you look younger too.

7. Get creative

In 2014, a study published in The Journal of Sex Research found that of the 1,040 sampled, nearly half of the participants were interested in one or more types of sexual behaviour that had previously been conceived as anomalous.

In plain speak? 45.6 per cent of those surveyed were interested in experimenting with fetishised sexual acts. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to raid your local DIY shop and buy all the cable ties and ropes they have to offer; play out your ultimate fantasies with your partner. Role play is not only great fun, but it’s also a great way to get more than just your creative juices flowing.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in