Sova

Stress-Reliever

Put down the stress toys and grab another kind of toy to de- stress. A study by Dr. Carol Ellison "found that 39% of women who masturbated reported doing so to relax."

In addition, according to WebMD, "Being close to your partner can soothe stress and anxiety…sexual arousal releases a brain chemical that revs up your brain's pleasure and reward system."

Avoid the Common Cold

As noted in Psychology Today, "researchers at Wilkes-Barre University in Pennsylvania found that compared with those who have sex less than once a week, people who enjoy it once or twice weekly are less likely to catch colds. This finding was surprising because colds are passed by close personal contact, so you'd expect sex to increase risk as lovers share their colds. But the researchers found that something else outweighed the risk-raising effect of close contact. It was the immune protein immunoglobulin A (IgA) that boosts the body's defenses against colds. Sex raises IgA levels significantly."

Less Trips to the Bathroom

"Many women suffer stress incontinence, urine leakage when they cough, sneeze, or laugh. Why? The muscles that close the urinary sphincter weaken—often with age, sometimes for other reasons. In 1948, Arnold Kegel, M.D., developed a cure for stress incontinence, Kegel exercises, which involve tensing and relaxing the muscles used to interrupt urine flow, or squeeze out the last few drops." The good news for those who never find the time to exercise? "These same muscles are also involved in orgasm."

Help Get Your Zzzz's

"After orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released, which is responsible for the feelings of relaxation and sleepiness" after sex, says psychiatrist Sheenie Ambardar, MD. Forget that warm glass of milk, tell your partner to warm you up instead.

Live Longer

The British Medical Journal published a study of males aged 45-59 and results, researchers found that "Mortality risk was 50% lower in the group with high orgasmic frequency than in the group with low orgasmic frequency." Concluding that "sexual activity seems to have a protective effect on men's health." Next time you’re in the mood, tell your man it’s for his protection.

Skip the Gym

"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. The number of calories burned during sex is about the same as he number burned by walking at 2 miles per hour." Okay, so maybe that's not enough calories to skip the gym, but you can supplement your treadmill runs with a little post-workout "sexercise." All the more reason to hit the showers afterward with your partner.

Alleviate Menstrual Cramps

While not for everyone, Dr. Debby Herbenick of the Kinsey Institute says that "yes, sexual intercourse and other types of sex play can absolutely alleviate menstrual cramps." This could be due to the distraction an orgasm may cause or related to the hormones and chemicals that are released "that are associated with feeling good, satisfied and pleasant." Talk about an enjoyable way to be distracted.