You probably don’t need 11 reasons to have sex. After all, sex make the world go round – It can make or break a relationship, be a source of frustration or bliss, and makes for a spicy conversation topic. You might not think about it, but sex and intimacy are also great for your health and can keep your body functioning optimally.

Some fun between the sheets can help you do the following:

Research shows that people who have no sex have the highest stress levels. According to a small Scottish study published in the journal Biological Psychology, sex can improve your performance in stressful situations and makes you less anxious. Participants who had intercourse at least once over a two week period managed stressful events – such as public speaking – better compared to those who abstained or engaged in non-penetrative sex.

If you climax, you’ll get the best dose of the feel-good hormones oxytocin and endorphins, which will help you feel relaxed and happy. However, other forms of sexual behaviors act in a soothing way as well, such as hugging and holding hands. Touching and sexual arousal trigger the release of happy chemicals and make you feel more confident and content.

Further reading: Read more about the effects of stress in my article How Stress Affects Your Body. Other ways to reduce stress are mentioned in the articles 14 Effective Natural Remedies for Stress and Anxiety and 7 Simple and Effective Meditation Techniques to Reduce Stress.

Many studies showed that regular penetrative sex (masturbation doesn’t do it in this case) reduces your blood pressure. Article published in Biological Psychology described the positive effects of frequent intercourse on diastolic blood pressure (the second, lower number in a reading), and other studies suggested that systolic pressure (the first number) gets lower too.

For women, just hugging their partner appears to be enough to bring their blood pressure down, which protects them against many chronic diseases.

This one is particularly important for women, as about 30% will suffer from incontinence due to weak pelvic floor muscles.

When you have a good sex session, your pelvic muscles need to work out. An orgasm makes them contract further and strengthens them. To double the effect, do some Kegel exercises as you’re frolicking away. This will heighten the sexual pleasure, as well as make your muscles stronger.

Different factors influence your cancer risk, and sex might be one of them. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, men who ejaculated more than 21 times a month reduced their risk of prostate cancer. The good news for single people: masturbation and nocturnal emissions all add to your monthly count.

According to Australian researchers, it is particularly important what men do in their twenties. Their study suggested that those who had five or more ejaculations weekly, managed to reduce the risk of getting prostate cancer by a third.

As unromantic as it might sound, sex is a form of a cardiovascular workout. 30 minutes of sex (from the start of foreplay to the end) burns at least 85 calories (and it goes up to 250 calories if you’re really going for it!). It might not sound much, but it all adds up.

According to the American Journal of Cardiology, sexual activity can act as a moderate workout on a treadmill and will tone your back, butt and thigh muscles. So, you might prefer to regularly sweat in the bedroom than to go out cycling or jogging.

Men who have sex at least twice a week half their risk of heart diseases compared to men who are less lucky in the bedroom, studies show. Sexual activity keeps your estrogen and testosterone levels balanced, which helps to reduce your chances of a heart attack, as explained by Joseph J. Pinzone, MD.

Also, don’t fret about having a stroke while enjoying an active sex session. A longitudinal study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, showed that sex frequency was not connected with stroke.

Looking good and youthful is another perk of having sex galore. According to an experiment performed at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, people who enjoyed sex four or more times a week with a steady partner looked 7 to 12 years younger than their actual age!

Good sexual health also links with your immunity. In a study conducted by Wilkes University in Pennsylvania , students who had sex once or twice a week, increased their levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which protects you from colds and other infections.

If you’re single, don’t worry. There are other ways to fend off illness. For example, another study found that stroking a dog can also boost your IgA levels.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina found that in women, intimate contact increased their levels of the so called love-hormone oxytocin. This hormone bonds us with our partner and increases the feelings of trust and intimacy.

By the way, oxytocin can also make you more generous, so don’t be surprised if you suddenly feel the urge to buy your partner a gift.

Oxytocin is also credited for reducing the sensation of pain. A small study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, showed that volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapour and then had their fingers pricked, experienced much less pain compared to the control group.

The Headache Clinic at Southern Illinois University also showed that endorphins released when you climax resemble morphine. Headache, arthritic pain and even period cramps – providing you’re one of those who don’t shy away from sex during period – can all improve after having sex. And, solo sex counts as well.

Some might complain about their partner falling asleep immediately after the climax, but it’s just the way the body is designed. Physical exercise combined with the release of prolactin, the hormone of relaxation, promote a feeling of sleepiness and make you sleep better.