8. Your Heart Health Benefits
This is a no brainer—sex is cardio. It’s not as intense as a spin class, but it’s still cardio. Your heart rate still increases, your blood flow improves, and for women sex would classify as a moderate-intensity exercise, which is great for your health.
What’s even more interesting, for women it’s the quality that matters not the frequency. Studies show that women who have satisfying sex lives are less likely to suffer from heart attacks. And older women who have regular intercourse were less likely to suffer from hypertension. The stress reduction matters. The hormone release matters. The emotional connection matters.
9. Self-Esteem Gets a Real Boost
Being wanted is one of the most underrated human needs. Sex tells your partner, “I choose you. I want you.” Which is wildly grounding in a long-term relationship.
Sex contributes to better self-esteem and a more positive body image. It affects how you carry yourself at work. How you interact with friends. How you handle challenges. Feeling sexually fulfilled and desired creates a foundation of confidence that influences everything else.
10. Affection Matters More Than You Think
Sex strengthens your bond with your partner through the love it brings, not just the physical pleasure. Kissing, hugging, and post-sex closeness—all of it is important. Studies using daily diary methods found that the affection accompanying sex matters as much as, if not more than, the sex itself. When one person experiences emotional benefits from sex, their partner’s relationship satisfaction improves too.
The most interesting finding from all this research isn’t that sex is important—most people already suspected that. That’s how it’s important. The stress reduction, the immune system boost, the communication improvements, and the trust building. Sex does things for your relationship that nothing else quite replicates.
And in an era where everyone’s busy, stressed, and distracted, prioritizing that connection might matter more than you think.
