2014 University of Chicago study. The study also revealed that cuddling, hugging, and kissing counted when assessing marital bliss.


4


You experience fewer headaches. A 2013 study reported that sex


may relieve migraines. Headache specialists at the University of Münster in Germany surveyed migraine sufferers who had sex during their headaches, and a whopping 60 percent reported that it reduced or stopped the pain altogether.


Health Benefits of Staying Intimate in Your Senior Years


BY LYNN ALLISON A 1


fter a certain age, we are no longer thought of by mainstream society as sexually active.


We don’t see much senior sex


alluded to in movies or on TV, but the fact is many seniors are happily and healthfully enjoying intimate relations even in their 80s. While that’s good news, the even


better news is that it’s good for your health. A 2011 study of 27,000 women


found that 45 percent in their 60s and 28 percent in their 70s were sexually active, according to Senior Planet. Unfortunately, that leaves a large


percentage not sexually active, something gerontologists say is not good for the body, mind, and soul. According to AARP, there are six


proven health benefits of remaining sexually active in our twilight years:


You sleep better. Sex is related to more — and better-quality — sleep,


say experts, especially for those who may be struggling with insomnia, a common affliction among seniors. Sexual intercourse releases oxytocin, the hormone that helps us relax, while decreasing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.


2


It’s an anti-aging tool. According to psychologist David Weeks of


Scotland’s Royal Edinburgh Hospital, couples who have sex three times a week look a decade younger. It may be because involved couples try to take better care of themselves, he reasons. Lovemaking also releases endorphins or “feel-good” hormones that act as a natural pain killer and reduce anxiety, he asserts, as well as releasing more human growth hormone, which is touted for improving skin elasticity.


3


You strengthen your relationship. Even married couples who have


spent decades together report higher levels of marital satisfaction if they are sexually active, according to a


5


Happiness increases. The more sex people have, the happier


they say they feel overall, according to a 2013 study published in Social Indicators Research. Couples having sex two to three times a week were 55 percent likelier to report a higher level of happiness than those who had no sex in the previous year, said researchers at the University of Colorado in Boulder.


6


You boost cardiovascular fitness. As with any form of exercise,


sex gets the blood flowing and the heart pumping, which is good for circulation. You can gain strength and flexibility through the act of lovemaking, and it may even improve brain function, say experts. There are even more health


benefits to senior sex, according to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada. The organization points out that


senior intimacy helps burn fat and boost the immune system; reduces the risks of incontinence and prostate cancer; and decreases blood pressure.


Psychology Today pointed out that


older men and women who remained sexually active were less prone to symptoms of depression, and that the physical activity was tied to greater satisfaction with life.


JANUARY 2019 | NEWSMAX MAXLIFE 85


WAVEBREAKMEDIA/SHUTTERSTOCK


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