Putting quality time, awareness, and energy toward a sex life in our 50+ years can do even more than reap emotional and erotic rewards. Experts agree that having sex also comes with an important bonus: good health and fitness! So if weights and treadmills get you down and yoga doesn’t fit the bill, try three squares, eight glasses of water–and sex.
Here are eight significant health benefits of sex that you may not have thought about:
- Losing weight
Sex is exercise. It burns calories, a little over four of them a minute–the equivalent of four Hershey’s kisses in half an hour of love. - Boosting the immune system.
Having sex once or twice a week raises the body’s level of immune-boosting antibody immunoglobin A, or IgA, by a third, helping the body to fight colds, flu, and other infections. - Strengthening Kegels
For women, using their Kegels (pelvic floor muscles) during sexual intercourse not only provides more pleasure, but it also strengthens the muscles and has the added bonus of better bladder control. - Improving intimacy
Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin–the so-called “love hormone”–helping us to bond and build trust with our partner. The oxycotin produced during orgasm also promotes sleep. - Lowering the risk of heart attack
Men who have sex twice or more a week are less at risk for a fatal heart attack compared with men who have sex less than once a month. - Lowering stress levels
People who have recently had intercourse tend to have either lower baseline blood pressure, less of a blood pressure rise during stressful events, or both. This suggests that having sex can lead to less of a stress response during challenging situations. - Elevating your mood
When researchers asked 58 women to record their moods and levels of sexual activity and physical affection over 36 weeks, women who experienced both affection and sex reported being in a better mood the next day. This “afterglow” phenomenon is due to endorphins, the neurotransmitters that are released during sexual activity. - Looking more beautiful
In one study, participants were viewed through a one-way mirror while judged guessed their ages. Those who looked seven to 12 years younger than their age were also enjoying lots of sex. Okay, maybe they were having so much fun because they looked young, but it’s likely that sex was helping! One reason is that it raises a woman’s estrogen level, helping to make hair shiny and skin supple.
First printed in Southern California Life After 50 Magazine.
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Barbara Meltzer is the President of Barbara Meltzer & Associates, a public relations and marketing agency in Los Angeles. Barbara’s interest in the aging of the Baby Boomers led her to serve on the LA County Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council where she chaired the communication committee. In 2008, Barbara was appointed as a commissioner to the Los Angeles County Commission on Aging.
My parents divorced when I was ten and I always felt like my lack of self esteem most have something to do with my Dad's absence but then one day when I was in my firths my mother said or did something that made me realize she was emotionally abusive
Holy crap! What a sad story. Congrats on overcoming that hurdle. Wow.
How I would handle it. FIrst, I would get into therapy; that could go a long way to helping you and your difficulties.
Second (boundaries are necessary in life)..when your kids call for advice, I would FIRST ask them what their thoughts are an
Go for it ! Get out there and do something you love !
Use the internet. Here is a site I found.
http://www.bnbfinder.com/positionsAvailable.php
Most B&B are seasonal and offer housing, so you will get a chance to see if you like it. Wi
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