From improved circulation to lowered stress, sex not only feels good but also has a number of health benefits. And according to a new study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, those advantages only increase as you get older.
Researchers from Michigan State University analyzed data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project that surveyed 2,204 men and women between the ages of 57-85 in 2005 and 2006 about their health and well-being and followed up with these same participants five years later. When checking in half a decade after the original study, researchers asked the men and women if they'd experienced a number of common health issues among people in their age range—like hypertension and cardiovascular problems—and also asked them how often they got it on—and how much they enjoyed it.
The relationship between people's health and their sex lives, it turned out, depended a lot on their gender. Men who had sex once a week or more were over twice as likely to develop heart problems after five years as those who weren't getting any action, which means the more they enjoyed sex, the higher their risk for cardiovascular events. In a press release, study author Hui Liu speculated that between the physical exertion and the potential use of medications to improve performance, sex may take more of a toll on guys as they get older.
For women, though, the findings were much more positive. There weren't any health issues associated with sex, and the women who enjoyed sex the most were also the least likely to have high blood pressure five years down the road. Liu infered that this could be because women who have the best sex may also have the best relationships, which can improve both mental and physical health.
If that's not enough reason to keep up your sex life as you get older, here's one more: The majority of people between ages 40 and 59 are more sexually adventurous than they used to be and found their last sexual encounter "very pleasurable," according to a survey by Trojan and the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada. So even if you have a great sex life now, it's still nice to know this is just the beginning.
Source: http://www.glamour.com/story/sex-gets-even-better-for-your-health-as-you-get-older
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