Make love, not war

For many people, returning to their work routine means a change in both the quality and frequency of their sexual relationships. Fatigue and worries cause us to forget some of the health benefits that sex offers us in terms of our overall well-being.

-You burn calories: Not many, but it’s better than nothing. A lively session of sex can improve muscle tone by increasing your heart rate and getting your whole body moving. According to a 2013 study, men burn about 101 calories during a 25-minute session of sex, and women burn 69. It’s no marathon, but it’s a nice bonus.

– Helps you fall asleep: After an orgasm, the body releases a hormone called prolactin, which promotes relaxation and induces sleep.

-Reduces blood pressure and stress levels: Studies show that regular sex has two benefits: better blood pressure control and better stress management.

-Strengthens the heart: Regular sex benefits the cardiovascular system and reduces the risk of heart disease.

-It may protect against cancer: Some studies suggest that men who ejaculate frequently may reduce their risk of prostate cancer. The benefits seem clearer in the case of breast cancer, according to a French study that found that women who have sex at least once a month had a lower risk of developing a tumor than those who did not have a regular sex life.

-Boosts the immune system: Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an antibody that helps fight off viruses. Research shows that people who have sex regularly have 30% more IgA in their saliva than those who have sex less frequently.

-Relieves pain: The endorphins released during orgasm increase blood flow to the genital area and act as a natural pain reliever.

According to a study conducted in Germany, volunteers who chose to have sex during an episode of headache—in some cases a migraine and in others a common headache—experienced partial or complete relief from their pain.

Pain is related to the concentration of blood flow in the painful area; the effect of having sex is a diversion of blood to another area, which provides pain relief.

Making love (or having sex, if you prefer) clears the mind: If we view sex as a purely biological need, nature has provided us all with sexual organs, and having a partner is not essential to experiencing an orgasm. But that would be to fail to understand sexuality in its entirety—both the physical and psychological aspects.

Sexuality isn’t just a physical mechanism with varying degrees of benefit; psychologically, human beings need to be accepted, and physical affection is part of that need. The skin receives not only physical but also psychological stimuli, and feeling one’s skin caressed by another’s, the warmth of skin-to-skin contact, is part of that need to experience gratifying emotions. This psychological need is common when we want to listen to music—and that’s why we don’t hesitate to enjoy a variety of artists or musical styles—or in gastronomy: no one argues over whether an omelet is better when it’s runny or well-done; it all depends on personal taste.

Sexuality is yet another human emotion that is closely linked to the psyche, and like anything else that isn’t expressed, it eventually breaks down.

So sex doesn’t heal mindsets, but it does make them worse when approached with fear or prejudice, because sooner or later resentment will set in, and it will end up being the silent escape route for the miseries we accumulate in our daily lives.

Making love, having a quickie, etc.—it’s perfectly healthy as long as we want to feel or give pleasure, but it can be torture when we expect it to be the solution to all our problems or the magic wand that provides what life denies us in other areas.

Sexuality is pleasure, and pleasure has a beginning and an end, yet it never runs out; it is not a refuge, but it can be a warm, spacious corridor through which we access every corner of our body and mind, fully energized.