Get a little lovin’ every day!
Is there a relationship between sex and stress?
Add YOUR caption!!
We are still celebrating February – the month of love!
SO far this month we have provided the 8 Love Potions
to power up love and reduce stress; then we suggested
on Valentine’s Day to fall in love with yourself and now
we have one more very positive addition to your Month
of Lovin’ – this time to look at the benefits of sex in your life.
There are many actual physical as well as mental benefits.
And this is appropriate for EVERY ONE – regardless of
your age or if you have a partner or not. Here I am using
‘sex’ as also an attitude, a way of thinking, a playfulness
and flirtyness.
COMPETITION! Please put a caption to the picture of Vanda with that hunky chap!
So let’s look at what you can do and the benefits to you.
1. Get a little lovin’ every day!
Dr William Glasser reported on some research where rabbits were being fed a fatty, rich diet to observe the build-up of cholesterol. At the end of the time, all the rabbits showed the build-up, except for two. It would have been easy to write that off, but the researcher decided to run the experiment again. And again there were just two that did not show the build-up expected. Really intrigued, they ran it again, this time triple checking that all the rabbits were treated the same. One night they decided to keep watch during the night to see if anything happened. And sure enough in came a lad assistant, who played with and petted two of the rabbits. When confronted, he said that he would just pick two of the rabbits from each group and on his break, come in and play with them. It was those two who did NOT show the same results as the others. So (obviously within limits) the line from this was ‘Eat what you want and get a little lovin’ every day!’
2. Sex increases self-esteem
University of Texas researchers found that boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex! (What WERE the other 236 I wonder?!) When you feel that you are loving someone and even better if they also love you, that helps to bolster your self-esteem and self-confidence. If you are about to meet the one you love for a special date, you make an extra effort to look good, care for your body, buy some new underwear and all of that helps you to feel good about yourself. So even if you haven’t a partner at this time, go through the ritual of preparation anyway – you’ll feel good now and be ready in case you do meet someone!
Step 4 of the Mind Chi Basic 8 step routine, is to recall all your successes, large and small, from the past 24 hours and hold on to them (deposit them in your ‘success bank’). This means that every day you are building your self-concept and esteem.
3. Sexual / sensual activities burn calories
The research showed that thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions. “Sex is a great mode of exercise,” Los Angeles sexologist Patti Britton, says. The same results may be gained from doing some wild dancing (or singing), either with a partner or alone. So get out there and wiggle your bootee and watch the calories disappear!
Step 7 of the Mind Chi Basic 8 step routine is to plan ahead for the next 24 hours. Here it as much a BE-ing state as a DO-ing. So plan to BE in a sexy, sensual mood (as it appropriate) and plan to have some enthusiastic exercise!
4. Sex improves heart health
A 20-year-long British study shows that people who had sex two or more times a week were half as likely to have a fatal heart attack than those who had sex less than once a month. And although some older folks may worry that sex could cause a stroke, the study found no link between how often men had sex and how likely they were to have a stroke. So at any age this is a wonderful thing to do, I hear so many people say ‘I am too old’ but that is an attitude mostly, love, intimacy and sensuality are very good at every age. Further, as you do get older, you may have more free time and opportunity – sp make the most of it!
5. Sex may lower your stress and blood pressure
Having sex could lower your stress and your blood pressure. That finding comes from a Scottish study of 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. The researchers put them in stressful situations — such as speaking in public and doing math out loud — and checked their blood pressure. Another study found that diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number of your blood pressure) tends to be lower in people who live together and have sex often. ‘Spooning’, cuddling, stroking and just bodily contact has the same effect. This is why having a pet is also good for reducing stress and lowering blood pressure.
Steps 5 and 6 of the Mind Chi Basic 8 step routine, is where you check and change if necessary, your Body, Emotions, Actions and Thoughts. It is a good idea to do this at least once a day and more often when in a stressful situation.
6. Sex boosts immunity and may reduce pain
Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A, or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. A Wilkes University study had 112 college students keep records of how often they had sex and also provide saliva samples for the study. Those who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA, an antibody that could help you avoid a cold or other infection, than other students.
Oxytocin also boosts your body’s painkillers, called endorphins. In one study, 48 people inhaled Oxycontin vapor and then had their fingers pricked. The Oxycontin cut their pain threshold by more than half. Headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms may improve after sex. So the old saying, ‘Not tonight dear, I have a headache’, should be ‘TONIGHT dear, I have a headache!’
7. Sex increases trust and builds bonds
After childhood has passed, you may have realised that it is often nicer to be the giver than the receiver. And even if you have had trust broken, you may choose to trust again as it feels better than being cynical and closed down. The hormone Oxycontin, the so-called love hormone, helps people bond and build trust. In a study of 59 women, researchers checked their Oxycontin levels before and after the women hugged their partners, or children or pets. The women had higher Oxycontin levels if they had more of that physical contact with someone they care for. Higher Oxycontin levels have also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So snuggle up — it might help you feel more generous toward your partner, friends and family and life in general, which must be a good thing.
Step 8 of the Mind Chi Basic 8 step routine, is to think of all the things / people / experiences that you love, appreciate and for which you are grateful. Doing this for one minute a day also increases your Oxycontin, so easy to do and such far reaching positive effects.
8. Sex for Better Sleep and Stronger Pelvic Floor Muscles!
The Oxycontin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, research shows. Getting enough sleep has also been linked with a host of other health benefits, such as a healthy weight and better blood pressure. That’s something to think about, especially if you’ve been wondering why a man can be active one minute and snoring the next!
For women, doing pelvic floor muscle exercises called Kegels may mean more pleasure — and, as a perk, less chance of incontinence later in life. To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor as if you’re trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.
Sex and stress are like the dog and its tail! When you are able to have coping strategies for your stress – feeling loving, sensual and sexy is much easier and you will naturally look more attractive. Round the other way, enjoying sex, loving, cuddling and close relationships cause you to relax – so either way, start to do the Mind Chi 8 minute routine and experience the benefits!
COMPETITION! Please put a caption to the picture of Vanda with that hunky chap!
This article was inspired by one called ’10 surprising health benefits of sex’ by Kathleen Doheny
