Wellness wins: 5 ways pleasure supports your health

We’ve all heard the mantra to a “healthy” life time and time again: diet, exercise, repeat. Sure, those things are definitely on the roster when it comes to our wellness. But let’s be real, that’s only part of the picture. A healthy life is about more than just nutrition and body movement. Feeling good emotionally, mentally, and physically is important for our overall well-being. And sexual pleasure is absolutely part of that equation. From lowering stress to boosting your mood, orgasms are putting in the work, providing some serious science-backed health benefits. Here are five ways sex can (pleasurably) support your overall well-being.

1. It lowers stress and boosts relaxation.

Orgasms are a built-in stress reliever. Period. Whenever you’re stressed, cortisol levels (aka: the hormone culprit behind stress) rise in your body. When cortisol levels are high, it can mess with your digestion, sleep, mood, and even your blood pressure. Yikes! 😵‍💫 But all hope isn’t lost. No matter if you’re masturbating or having partnered sex, orgasms can be a pretty great antidote to stress. When you have an orgasm, your brain is flooded by those “feel-good” chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins that make you feel relaxed and chill af in your body. Those hormones help lower cortisol levels, leaving you feeling calmer and more grounded. It’s like your nervous system gets to exhale.

2. It can help you sleep better.

Struggling to get to sleep or even stay asleep? Sex can help with that. If you’ve ever passed out after an extra pleasurable sexy session, you already have the tea. Orgasms can help relax your muscles, slow your heart rate down, and release the hormone prolactin, which is linked to deep relaxation and that feeling of being oh so satisfied after sex. Now that’s a sleep hack we can get behind.

3. It may relieve your period cramps.

Having one of those periods where it feels like the cramps are absolutely diabolical? Been there (unfortunately). So people with periods, listen up! Let’s normalize sex during your period. Not just because it’s a fine time for period sex to have its shine, but because it actually can help relieve those pesky cramps. Orgasms can increase blood flow to your pelvic area, which can ease muscle tension and reduce pain. Orgasms aren’t a cure-all, but it’s definitely a high-reward way to deal with cramps.

4. It can support your immune system.

Some early research showed that sexual arousal and orgasms may actually benefit your immune system. This positive effect is due to the temporary boost in white blood cell activity that comes with an orgasm. More studies are for sure needed, but these early findings give us one more reason to reach for the lube. Sex may not be a replacement for sleep, hydration, hand-washing, or getting a check-up with your provider, but it definitely is a tool to keep in your wellness kit.

5. It can boost your mood.

Remember those lovely “feel-good” chemicals we mentioned earlier? They’re great multitaskers that don’t just relieve stress. Dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins are basically natural antidepressants. When they’re released during sex, they can leave you feeling more optimistic, ramp up feelings of pleasure, and help you feel more connected to yourself or your partner. So pleasure and mental well-being? Sign us up!

Pleasure is a wellness practice.

Health is so much more than what you eat, how much you work out, or if you’re following the latest 9-step skincare routine. It’s about your overall well-being, and that includes your ability to feel pleasure in your body. So the next time you’re needing a little assistance with your sleep, mood, stress levels, or even feeling at home in your body, sex—solo or partnered—might just be the helpful addition you’ve been looking for.