Masturbation or the act of self-pleasure has been considered taboo for long.1 Masturbation in present times is widely accepted and considered an extremely important part of life for the various benefits it offers.
According to the Department of Health, Government of Victoria, masturbation can reduce stress, relax your muscles, promote mental well-being, and enhance self-esteem.2 Masturbation may be an act of self-pleasure but it can help you immensely when you have real sex!
Let’s look at 5 reasons why masturbation is good for you:
1. Helps Ease Menstrual Cramps
Menstrual cramps can be the most annoying part of periods as these painful cramps can even disrupt your daily functioning.3 Masturbation, the good old act of self-pleasure, can actually help you ease the menstrual cramps!4
Masturbation can strengthen your pelvic floor and improve blood flow to the genitals which in turn can help ease the menstrual cramps.5 The chemicals and hormones released during orgasm can further help reduce the sensation of pain.6
2. Helps Strengthen The Sexual Muscles
Most of your sexual muscles are present in the pelvic area. This is the area between the trunk of the body and the legs. If you suffer from any pain in this region, then it might be a sign of infection or problem with any organ in that area.7
Regular masturbation can help strengthen the sexual muscles, and it is good for your cardiovascular strength as well.8 Stronger sexual muscles will give you better orgasm and, of course, a better sex life.
3. Helps Achieve Orgasm During Intercourse
The frequency of orgasm reduces with age, and the decline usually starts in the 30s.9 As masturbation is known to help cure orgasmic dysfunction, this simple act of self-love can make sex more pleasurable!10
4. Helps Relieve Stress
Stress gives you heart diseases, gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, and disturbed sleep.11 Masturbation, on the other hand, can give you relief from stress.12 Masturbation can relax you and help uplift your mood by making your body release endorphins. These hormones can make you happy, thereby reducing the stress.13
5. Helps Improve Immunity
A good immune system helps fight several harmful microorganisms and protects your body from many diseases.14 As masturbation helps improve your immunity, this serves the dual purpose of keeping you disease-free as well as allowing you to enjoy a healthy sex life.15
Caution
- Masturbation is usually healthy; however, masturbating too many times in a day can be harmful. Although there is no standard frequency, masturbating 2–3 times is considered normal for young people.16
- Consult your doctor for professional advice related to masturbation.
- Seek medical help immediately if you suffer from any problem during or after masturbation.
References
| ↑1 | Langlois, Jim. Living Pure in an Impure World: A Book for Men… and Women. BookBaby, 2014. |
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| ↑2 | Masturbation. Department of Health & Human Services, State Government of Victoria, Australia. |
| ↑3 | The negative effect of period pain is greater than you think. University of Bath. |
| ↑4 | Cwynar, Eva. The Fatigue Solution: Increase Your Energy in Eight Easy Steps. Hay House, Inc, 2012. |
| ↑5 | Wingood, Gina M., and Ralph J. DiClemente, eds. Handbook of women’s sexual and reproductive health. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013. |
| ↑6 | Understanding orgasm. American Psychological Association. |
| ↑7 | Pelvic Pain. U.S. National Library of Medicine. |
| ↑8 | Exton, Michael S., Anne Bindert, Tillmann Kruger, Friedmann Scheller, Uwe Hartmann, and Manfred Schedlowski. “Cardiovascular and endocrine alterations after masturbation-induced orgasm in women.” Psychosomatic Medicine 61, no. 3 (1999): 280-289. |
| ↑9 | Hayes, Richard, and Lorraine Dennerstein. “The impact of aging on sexual function and sexual dysfunction in women: A review of population‐based studies.” The Journal of Sexual Medicine 2, no. 3 (2005): 317-330. |
| ↑10 | LoPiccolo, Joseph, and W. Charles Lobitz. “The role of masturbation in the treatment of orgasmic dysfunction.” Archives of Sexual Behavior 2, no. 2 (1972): 163-171. |
| ↑11 | Stress. University of Maryland Medical Center. |
| ↑12 | Leonard, Ashley. “An Investigation of Masturbation and Coping Style.” In 38th Annual Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference. 2010. |
| ↑13 | What’s the science behind a smile? British Council. |
| ↑14 | How to boost your immune system. Harvard Health Publications. |
| ↑15 | Haake, Philip, Tillmann HC Krueger, Marion U. Goebel, Katharina M. Heberling, Uwe Hartmann, and Manfred Schedlowski. “Effects of sexual arousal on lymphocyte subset circulation and cytokine production in man.” Neuroimmunomodulation 11, no. 5 (2004): 293-298. |
| ↑16 | Q&A: Is It Normal To Masturbate Two To Three Times Per Day? The Trustees of Indiana University. |