What if I told you that an orgasm a day could keep the doctor away? Yes, it’s true! That ooh la la feeling is the secret to better physical and emotional well-being. Orgasms are mood-enhancing, anxiety-busting, sleep-inducing, pain-reducing machines. So, if you’re surfing the web at 3 am or loading up on ibuprofen to get rid of your cramps, keep reading. This may be the most fun “medical” advice you’ve ever received.
Orgasms Have Special Powers
Before we jump into how orgasms can help you, let’s talk a little bit about why orgasms are so magical. When you climax, your brain releases a bunch of different hormones and neurochemicals that make you feel good. One of them is dopamine, a hormone, known as a pleasure chemical. Dopamine tells your body, “Wow that was nice, gimme some more of that!” Another one is oxytocin, aka the “love hormone.” You may have heard of it because its main job is to induce labor and milk production in new moms. It’s also known to stimulate bonding between people. As you’re about to find out, oxytocin is pretty powerful. It’s responsible for most of the good stuff that comes during and after an orgasm.
Need to Calm Your Anxiety or Satisfy Your Chocolate Craving? Have More Orgasms.
Now that we’ve discussed the science behind an orgasm, let’s get to the punchline. What exactly can orgasms do besides the obvious? Here’s what you’ll find when you peek beneath the covers.
1. Orgasms Can Boost Your Mood
Clench your fist as tightly as you can for about ten seconds. Feel the tension? Now open your hand slowly. Feel it relax? Orgasms have a similar effect. When you have an orgasm, there’s an involuntary release of tension that allows your whole body to relax afterward. Your breathing and nervous system are regulated, which can also help soothe anxiety. Best of all, having an orgasm means that you have to be in the moment. Your thoughts are focused on what you’re doing rather than anything negative that may be bothering you. What a great distraction!
2. Orgasms Can Help You Sleep Better
There’s nothing worse than staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m., knowing that you’re exhausted but can’t sleep. Want to get some zzzzs? Have an orgasm. The oxytocin that is produced reduces cortisol, the main stress hormone in your body. The cortisol reduction calms your mind so you can sleep.
3. Orgasms Can Reduce Cravings
You probably already know that tearing up the sheets can burn off a few extra calories. Did you know that It could also reduce cravings for sweets? It’s true! A research study found that when rats addicted to cocaine and other addictive drugs received doses of oxytocin, the rats chose fewer drugs or demonstrated fewer withdrawal symptoms. The study also found a decreased preference for sweets. Talk about a good weight loss technique!
4. Orgasms Help Relieve Pain and Promote Healing
Does PMS have you doubled over? Toss aside the heating pad and ibuprofen and get busy. When you have an orgasm, blood flows to your uterus and helps relieve cramps. Orgasms can actually help your period end sooner too. But wait, there’s more! Links have been made between oxytocin and injury and wound healing, increased immunity, migraine relief, and reduced blood pressure.
5. Orgasms Make Your Skin Glow
You know those pimples you’ve been trying to clear up? They’re often caused by stress. The more stressed out you are, the more oil your skin produces. What better way to balance out your hormones, tone down your stress, and clear up your skin than with great sex? Bonus: The post-sex glow is real. It won’t get rid of wrinkles, but rosy cheeks look good at any age!
6. Orgasms Help Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles
Are you familiar with Kegel exercises? If not, you should be, especially if you’re pregnant, postpartum, or in some phase of menopause. When you do Kegels, you tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold them for 3 to 10 seconds, and release them. The exercises prevent or help urinary incontinence and can lead to better sex due to better muscle tone. The series of contractions you experience during an orgasm are similar to those you intentionally do when you do Kegels. During an orgasm, increased blood flow to the pelvis also supports muscle growth.
7. Orgasms Can Boost Your Confidence
Every woman can relate to feeling a little self-conscious about her body at one time or another. You can hide that extra chocolate chip cookie under your shirt, but once you’re naked? That’s a whole different story. Believe it or not, having an orgasm can help you feel better about your body. Once you realize how much pleasure your body is capable of, you’ll focus more on how your body makes you feel rather than how it makes you look. You’ll get more comfortable and enjoy your sex life more.
Set Realistic Expectations
Now that you know why orgasms are the bomb, let’s get real. How many movie sex scenes have you seen where a couple gets intimate and, within seconds, the woman shrieks with pure ecstasy? A lot, right? Isn’t everyone just like Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct? Not exactly. The truth is that orgasms are a bit of a unicorn for some women. It’s not unusual if you have never had one before. And among those who have, it’s not uncommon to hear that some women don’t often reach the level of arousal needed to achieve the big O.
According to Playground’s Medical Advisor, Dr. Shyama Mathews, board-certified OB/GYN at the Penn Medicine Princeton Health Institute, “Society sets unrealistic expectations around pleasure,” said Dr. Mathews. “We’re not on/off switches. Our interest, arousal, and climax are subject to our physical and psychological well-being. We also experience hormonal changes throughout our life that impact our ability to achieve arousal.” Does that mean that orgasms aren’t in your near future? Not at all.
Making the Magic Happen
Remember, every woman’s body is a bit different. If you’re not able to have an orgasm, remember that only a small percentage of women can achieve an orgasm through vaginal intercourse. Most women need clitoral stimulation. Also, according to Dr. Mathews, lubricant can make a world of difference in eliminating pain, dryness, and friction that make achieving an orgasm impossible. “For many women, personal lubricants are as essential as skincare,” said Dr. Mathews. “When your face feels dry, you apply hydrating cream to lock in moisture – you should do the same for your vagina.”
So, there it is. Orgasms have all kinds of health benefits that you may never have heard about before. Now that you know, what are you waiting for? Get moving and see for yourself which of these tips works for you.
