With finals week drawing near, tensions run high. It’s important not to neglect your overall health while you’re rushing to complete endless amounts of school work. Staying healthy is the key to keeping your mind fresh while you study and take exams.
Luckily, sex provides plenty of benefits that will keep you at your best during this stressful time. If you don’t have 30 minutes to spare at the gym, try this instead. Here are six reasons why you should be having sex during finals week.
Relieving stress
If studying for finals has you feeling overworked and overly stressed, forget getting a massage and pencil a quickie into your busy schedule. Having sex will help you relax. Your body’s dopamine and endorphin levels will increase, leaving you happier and ready to tackle another few chapters.
Boosting immune system
A study conducted at Wilkes-Barre University in Pennsylvania has shown that students who engage in sex regularly have higher levels of Immunoglobin A (IgA), the body’s first line of defense against catching a cold, than those who do not. Common cold and flu fighting antigens are released during sex, strengthening your immune system. So, if you feel a cold coming on within the next two weeks, you might want to wait on scheduling an appointment with UHS.
Lowering blood pressure
Regardless of how long it lasts, sex can significantly lower your blood pressure. According to a study conducted by the University of Paisley, sex reduces your diastolic blood pressure, which the American Heart Association defines as the bottom number that measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats. This is beneficial to your overall wellness and gives you yet another reason to take that hard-earned study break.
It’s a great source of cardio
Although it’s super important to stay active, especially when you’ve been sitting for long periods of time, we all know how hard it is to get motivated and make time to go to the gym during finals week. Luckily, sex can substitute as your workout for the next few weeks and be an efficient way to provide you with a good workout and awesome health benefits. You can burn roughly five calories per minute during sex, and if you really want to get that heart racing, you can try different positions that involve using different muscles.
Increases sleep quality
If finals have you up all night worrying, don’t reach for a NyQuil; instead, have sex. Since sex is a form of exercise, it causes your heart rate to increase which in turn leads to relaxation. The relaxation you experience after having sex is a result of the many hormones produced during sex. Women experience higher estrogen levels, which lead to a better REM cycle and deeper sleep. Similarly, male orgasms cause lethargy, also making men sleepy after having sex.
Relieving pain
If finals are causing you to suffer from headaches, try having sex instead of loading up on aspirin. When you orgasm, your pain threshold increases, as the hormones released essentially block pain. This doesn’t just hold true for headaches. Orgasms can help relieve different types of body aches and cramps.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away? How about just having sex instead? It’s fun, effective and doesn’t cost any declining.
