Lust for Life

By: Sandra Prior
Submitted: 2008-11-12 13:13:37
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A bed is a miraculous thing. There are two things you can do in it that restore your body, mind and soul. Sleep is one of them. If you haven't heard of the advantages of a good night's sleep, you're living in a cave.

But the other bedtime activity is a lot more interesting: sex. Sure, you don't have to be sold on the fact that it's a fun thing to do. After all, most men spend at least half of their energy, time and even money searching for it.

When there are long days at work, screaming kids, and checkbook worries, though, sex can take a back seat. I'm too tired, I have a headache, my back hurts, maybe tomorrow, becomes the norm.

Here's why you shouldn't shelve sex. Not only does it feel good, it actually benefits your health.

1. Having regular sex apparently extends your life. Study after study shows that married people live longer. Looking at the health benefits of sex, it does make sense that frequent sex does a body good.

2. Sex jacks up your testosterone levels, as does any physical activity. So if you're a gym-going kind of guy, having sex is a great accompaniment to your physical routine. Increasing your testosterone levels in a natural way helps build bones and muscle in men, and can boost your interest in sex.

3. Sex is a wonder pill. Testosterone also helps with pain. Because it's a corticosteroid, it can reduce joint inflammation. Some studies have shown that people who have sex regularly have less pain, even from chronic disorders like arthritis. Those with chronic headaches have reported that having more frequent sex reduces their number of headaches.

4. You burn calories during sex. No, it's not as many as running a marathon, but you have to burn calories whenever and however you can. Consider it an equivalent to the little things you do, such as walking up stairs instead of taking the elevator, or walking a few blocks instead of taking the bus. A regular sex life of two or three times a week can burn as much as 10,000 calories a year. And if you're especially athletic in bed, it is likely more. You're probably accustomed to counting calories burned per year, so consider it this way: that's the equivalent of jogging 100 miles. Nice way to get exercise, huh?

5. Sex lowers cholesterol. You can eat those new food products that cut cholesterol levels, or you can just have more sex. Yes, sex does that, too. While it's not a dramatic health benefit, it does occur. Just don't rely on sex alone to lower your cholesterol. Do the other things you need to do also.

6. When you're bitten by the love bug, it pushes up levels of good elements in your body, especially DHEA. This hormone, in the early stages of being studied, apparently has many good side effects, including bolstering your immune system. Sex is known to raise DHEA levels because measured levels are shown to rise dramatically just before orgasm. Sometimes the levels rise five times as much. Another hormone that surges during orgasm is oxytocin, secreted by the pituitary gland. Some call it the ‘touch hormone.’ When you are affectionately touched, you get a small blast of it. So imagine what happens when you have heavy kissing, massaging, hugging and a mind-blowing orgasm.

7. Sex boosts your levels of endorphins, the same feel-good hormones you get when you take a nice long jog. Hmm, maybe that's why sex is so addictive.

8. Regular sex lowers substances in your body that harm you, such as cortisol and adrenaline. Adrenaline is good when you need to lift at the gym, but most guys have it running through their system all day because of problems at work, traffic, and interpersonal conflict. The results are not in on exactly how adrenaline harms you in the long run, but many researchers believe that ongoing high levels of it are the cause of many male health problems, including heart disease and strokes.

9. Sex lowers your stress level. The next time you have a bad day, instead of thinking, 'I'm too tired,' go ahead and have sex. You will be surprised at how good you feel afterward. Another reason to accommodate your partner on a night you're not sure you want to but she certainly does. Maybe she needs a stress break, and by now you know it's worth the time and effort, even if you're not necessarily in the mood.

10. Sex increases lung capacity. If you've ever visited someone in a hospital, you might have seen the respiratory therapist walk in with one of those plastic cylinders you breathe into. It measures the volume of air you're using in your lungs. The more, the better.
That's why there's so much health hoopla about breathing deeply or ‘breathing from the diaphragm.’ Since you breathe heavily or even pant during sex, it's actually increasing your lung usage volume.

11. Sex keeps prostates healthy. Worried about your prostate gland? Every male surely is, with all the publicity about prostate problems in older guys. Sex is your ally in that area, too. The cause of many problems is that fluids in the prostate gland aren't emptied regularly. When a guy has an orgasm, the prostate benefits. Not only is a man's penis rock-hard, but the base of those muscles are rock-hard and surround the prostate gland. They squeeze at a rapid rate during orgasm, pushing out those fluids. Even sex once a week can be a benefit to your prostate gland.

12. Sex helps you sleep better. With all the physical activity involved in having sex, the physical and psychological satisfaction, and the stress release, it's the best natural sleeping pill you'll find anywhere.

13. Sex makes you more likely to have healthy erections and ongoing sexual desire. The increased testosterone levels and feeling of having a good sex life both contribute. You have less anxiety about sex, and therefore more interest in it.

Article source: Expert Articles