Health benefits of sex and love

Besides putting a spring in your step, romance can bring some positive health benefits.

Some scientific studies suggest that a loving relationship, physical touch and sex can bring health benefits such as lower blood pressure. Of course, no relationship can guarantee health and happiness, but cupid's arrow can send you some health boosts.

Sex is good for your heart

Want to get healthy and have fun at the same time? Anything that exercises your heart is good for you, including sex.

Sexual arousal sends the heart rate higher, and the number of beats per minute reaches its peak during orgasm. But as with most exercise, it depends how vigorously you do it. Some studies show that the average peak heart rate at orgasm is the same as during light exercise, such as walking upstairs. That's not enough to keep most people fit and healthy.

It's recommended adults do at least 150 minutes (two-and-a-half hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.

Unless you're lucky enough to have 150 minutes of orgasms a week, try cycling, brisk walking or dancing.

    Embracing someone special can lower blood pressure, according to researchers.

Having heart disease doesn't have to hold you back in the bedroom. Experts advise that you can usually have sex as long as you can do the everyday activities that have the same impact on your heart without causing chest pain, such as walking up two flights of stairs.

A hug keeps tension away

Embracing someone special can lower blood pressure, according to researchers. In one experiment, couples who held each other's hands for 10 minutes followed by a 20-second hug had healthier reactions to subsequent stress, such as public speaking. Compared to couples who rested quietly without touching, the huggers had:

    lower heart rate
    lower blood pressure
    smaller heart rate increases.

So give your partner a hug - it may help to keep your blood pressure healthy.

Sex can be a stress buster

Workload too high? Hot and bothered after the morning commute to work? Sex could help you beat the stresses of 21st century living, according to a small study of 46 men and women.

Participants kept a diary of sexual activity, recording penetrative sex, non-penetrative sex and masturbation. In stress tests, including public speaking and doing mental arithmetic out loud, the people who had no sex at all had the highest stress levels. People who only had penetrative sex had the smallest rise in blood pressure (this shows that they coped better with stress).

Plenty of people find that intimacy or orgasm without penetration helps them feel relaxed, as does exercise or meditation. It doesn't have to be penetrative sex; it's whatever works for you.

Source: healthdirect

15 Things That Increase Your Libido

Men and women are different when it comes to their libidos, but both can suffer from having a low libido and wanting to increase it.

In this article, we will look at 15 things that can increase sex drive and how you can start enjoying a healthier, mature sex life with your partner today.

 
15 Things That Increase Your Libido

Before we talk about how to increase your libido with one or more of these things on our list, let’s discuss what libido is. According to a research paper published in the European Menopause Journal ‘Libido is a comprehensive and yet elusive word that indicates basic human mental states ‘ and their biological counterparts’ involved in the beginning of sexual behavior. It has three main roots: biological, motivational-affective and cognitive.’ To increase libido, we can focus on mental, biological, or emotional factors, or we can try to affect all three of these factors.
 
1. Remember the best sex you ever had

Memories of the good times that you’ve had, either with your current partner, or with someone else, can make you desire sex and increase your libido.
 
2. Love yourself first

Loving others intimately involves an emotional vulnerability. Often, we may feel unable to give love (or sex) to another person unless we feel loveable first.
 
3. Eat pine nuts

Pine nuts help your body to produce nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels. Getting your blood flowing warms the body and feels like a rush of adrenaline, which feels exciting. Pair up with your partner and your libido should jump into action.

Related article: 10 Reasons To Have Sex Daily
 
4. Get more zinc

Zinc is essential for the production of testosterone, which is important for men’s libido. Researchers say that testosterone is not only important for men to maintain an erection, but is also important for increasing libido.

The scientists say ‘The role of sex hormones in the sexuality of men is now becoming clearer. Androgens are necessary for normal sexual appetite and for ejaculation. Erectile mechanisms, providing that appropriate erotic stimuli are available, are probably not androgen dependent.’ The researchers also say the testosterone levels required for increasing your libido probably varies from person to person.
 
5. Avoid soy products

For women who are post-menopausal, estrogen levels decrease leading to pain and dryness during intercourse. Soy products contain phytoestrogen which block the estrogen receptors in the in the body. Blocked estrogen receptors means that your body can’t absorb the normal estrogen.

Related article: 10 Habits That Make You More Attractive
 
6. Think sexy thoughts

Your brain is an important part of your libido. Give some thought to the things that turn you on about your partner or an attractive person. What do you love about their body and the way that they please you?
 
7. Choose to feel intense love
The emotional component of your libido is something you can control by making a decision to feel love and to release any negative emotions.
 
8. Open up

Honest communication is important for establishing intimacy with your partner. When you feel free to be open, you trust more, which makes you more likely to be receptive to your partner’s advances.
 
9. Give your libido as much thought as your appetite
 
When you are careful about our health, you pay attention to how hungry we really are before we eat. We can do the same thing with our sex drive.

Check in with yourself and rate your sex drive on a scale of 1 to 10 in the morning, afternoon and evening. Knowing your pattern of sex.
 
10. Just say yes, even if you aren’t in the mood

 
There are very few times that having sex with your partner, whom you love, is bad. There may be times when sex is less than great, like when you are sick or not feeling your best, but the act of sex can help you bond with your partner in an intimate way. This bond leads you to desire more and more intimacy, thus increasing your libido.
 
11. Make believe you just met your partner
Pretending to be a brand new couple is a way to heighten the excitement, anticipation, and arousal for both of you.
 
12. Watch a sexy movie

Viewing nude bodies doing pleasurable things to each other is sure to make you think of doing those things with your partner. Ask your partner what they enjoy watching and find a movie that you can enjoy together.
 
13. Use all your senses

So many people close their eyes during foreplay, for example while kissing, and they may be missing out on an intimate moment where making eye contact can bring them more intense arousal than keeping their eyes closed.

Breathe in through your nose to use your sense of smell, listen for your partner’s moans, feel their fingers and hands, and taste the salt from their skin.
 
14. Make dirty jokes

Laughter is a great way to create a bond with your partner and dirty jokes between the two of you are a good way to rev up your libido. Joking with each other about your cute names that you use when you are alone is just one way to amp up your desire.
 
15. Touch more

Just a touch on your partner’s shoulder, hand, or back is enough to get them thinking of sex.
 Source: powerofpositivity