Sex as important as going to gym, says expert

Taking care of your physical, mental and emotional needs, and putting yourself first. These are the building blocks of self-care. And it’s important to remember that it’s easier to love, to care and to be passionate about someone else once you have committed to loving and caring for yourself.

Sex is a form of self care. Being sexual and having sex can be as important for your own wellness as going to the gym, grooming or affirming positivity, says sexual wellness coach Lindiwe Rasekoala.

She said: “Dependent on your level of intensity in the bedroom, having sex can equate to light or a heavy workout. It can benefit you physically, it assists with cardiovascular health, you sleep better and sex can help tone your muscles.

“The adrenaline, the movement, it all contributes to catching your breath afterwards and feeling well worked over.”

Sex also naturally increases your intake of water, as you get out of breath, and thirsty. Just like at the gym, Rasekoala said, only getting naughty is much nicer than pedalling on a road to nowhere on the cardio circuit.

Watch: Expert unpacks sex as a self-care tool

Sex also assist in mental and psychological stimulation.

Rasekoala said: “There’s a few hormones that get released, such as oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine. And I call these happy hormones. And the reason that these are the happy hormones is because they provide stress release, the same thing that is responsible for pain is also responsible for pleasure. But when done in the sexual context, it releases a lot of happiness. It makes you feel a lot lighter. It also helps you to manage your depression levels and anxiety.”

Rasekoala said that sex also helps with motivation, it assists with memory and you can even challenge yourself with positions, next adventures and how to make getting between the sheets more exciting.

Figuring these simple things out can flex your grey matter, and be fun, she said. “The better you exercise your brain, the heathier your mind, all the better for you. And sex can aid with that,” she added.

ALSO READ: The easiest way to reignite your sex life according to an expert

Sex can also trigger positive emotions and builds a foundation where you can feel better about the world and your place in it. Rasekoala noted: “It brings about self-confidence and self-esteem. In many cases higher self-esteem, which makes you more sociable and more trusting. So, engaging in sex not only makes you healthier, but when engaging in sex as a form of self-care, you are caring for your partner.”

And that is what makes it beautiful. Rasekoala said that while the selfish aspect of self-care is fulfilled with sex, so too is the selfless sense of giving whatever you are gaining to your partner.

No matter what its shape and duration, said Rasekoala, sex can never be a bad thing. And when used as a pleasure principal but also as a tool for self-care by partners, it’s a great excuse to up the ante and have more sex, more often.