senior sex for good health

The article from NewsMaxHealth itemizes these six benefits for older people who continue sexual intimacy. I can come up with more, but these are from an official doctor and study, not anyone’s personal experiences or theories.

Click on the headline link to read the entire article.

Sex After 60 Has Many Health Benefits

You sleep better. Sex is related to more and better quality of sleep, say experts, especially when you may be struggling with insomnia – something that affects many seniors. Sexual intercourse releases oxycontin, the hormone that helps us relax, while decreasing the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.

Its an anti-aging tool. According to psychologist David Weeks of Scotland’s Royal Edinburgh Hospital, couples who have sex three times a week look a decade younger. It may be because involved couples try to take better care of themselves, he reasons. “Lovemaking also releases endorphins or ‘feel good’ hormones that acts as a natural pain killer and reduces anxiety,” he says. “It also releases more of the human growth hormone which makes the skin look more elastic.”

You strengthen your relationship. Even married couples who have spent decades together report higher levels of marital satisfaction if they are sexually active, according to a 2014 study conducted at the University of Chicago. The study also revealed that cuddling, hugging and kissing counted when assessing marital bliss.

You experience fewer headaches. A 2013 study reported that sex may relieve migraines. Headache specialists at the University of Munster in Germany surveyed migraine sufferers who had sex during their headaches and a whopping 60% reported that it reduced or stopped the pain altogether.

Happiness increases. The more sex people have, the happier they report feeling overall, according to a 2013 Social Indicators Research report. Couples having sex two to three times a week were 33% happier than those who had no sex in the previous year according to a study conducted at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

You boost cardiovascular fitness. You can gain strength and flexibility through the act of lovemaking. As with any form of exercise, it gets the blood flowing and the heart pumping, which is good for circulation. It may even improve brain function, say experts.

“My message is that lovemaking is good,” says Dr. Weeks.