People crave for sex when they are teenagers. The want to make love does not diminish as people progress in age and become young adults. Somehow, thereafter, something goes wrong.
Probably they get bogged down by the responsibilities and humdrum of daily life and put sex on the backburner. Many researchers have attributed this behavior to the biological changes that happen in the human body in later life.
Benefits of Sex
All said, giving a cold shoulder to love making is not good as having sex accords many benefits to human health, claims Dr David Weeks, former head of old age psychology at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Having regular sex can make an individual look younger by five to seven years, asserts Dr Weeks.
Dr Weeks unequivocally said, “My message is that lovemaking is good.”
“The stereotype of an elderly person is that when they get their pension and bus pass, they stop having sex and that’s not true,” he claimed.
Medical research is replete with studies that establish that making love releases endorphins in the body. This chemical is not only provides a ‘feel good’ factor to the concerned individuals but also acts as a natural painkiller. Besides this having sex is known to reduce anxiety and assist in sleep. It is also beneficial for the heart as the exercise boosts blood circulation.
Dr Weeks divulges yet another reason for having regular sex in later life; love making releases a certain growth hormone which has the potency to make the skin look resilient.
The Evidence
“Sexual satisfaction is a major contributor to quality of life, ranking at least as high as spiritual or religious commitment and other morale factors, so more positive attitudes towards mature sex should be vigorously promoted,” opined Dr Weeks.
Dr Week’s suggestions are not without reason. He has substantial evidence, derived from his research, to prove his point.
His studies have found that people aged between 40 and 50 who looked younger than their age claimed to make love, on average, 50 percent more than their counterparts whose appearance could not hide their real age. Simply put, people who had sex thrice a week, rather than twice a week, tended to look younger.
The 59-year-old researcher is scheduled to make public his findings in a conference in Colchester, Essex.
The bottom line of his research is crystal clear, “Sexuality is definitely not the prerogative of younger people and nor should it be.”
