6 Reasons Masturbation Is Good For You
Self-love is a normal, healthy practice and the more we publicly speak about it, the more we undo taboos and stigmas surrounding it.
You've heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, apples aren't the only good thing for you. Self-love is important for your health, body, and mental state…and we'd wager tastier than a golden delicious.
Just ask actress Eva Longoria. She told Self magazine, "I didn't begin enjoying sex until I started masturbating. Before that, I really wasn't sexual. I bought my first vibrator three years ago. It's a shame I didn't discover it sooner. Now I give Rabbit vibrators to all my girlfriends. They scream when they unwrap it. The best gift I can give them is an orgasm."
Eva is completely right. We don't have to feel embarrassed or indecent about masturbating. Instead, let's celebrate and own our right to pleasure. Self-love is a normal, healthy practice and the more we publicly speak about it, the more we undo taboos and stigmas surrounding it.
According to Forbes magazine, "self-pleasure is rated the second most effective form of self-care and nearly 59% of people who said they masturbate weekly also said they have a positive body image." If you never knew that masturbation can help with your mental and physical health then buckle up. We're about to take you on a realization ride that might have you ditching pilates and reaching for Eva's Rabbit vibrator. Most women can agree that getting off feels good but there are actually many health benefits of female masturbation. Here are our Top 6:
"I give Rabbit vibrators to all my girlfriends. They scream when they unwrap it. The best gift I can give them is an orgasm." ~ Eva Longoria
1. Relief From Pain or Menstrual Cramps
Not only can sex distract your mind, it also spells relief with a 6-letter word–orgasm. When you're in physical pain, it can increase your stress levels and affect your overall mental health. Did you know that your body creates chemicals called endorphins which boost happiness and lessen pain? Want to know when your nervous system releases these "feel good" chemicals? Oh yes, it's when you come. Likewise, menstrual cramps can also be relieved with a release of endorphins. Cramps are a result of the uterus contracting to release its lining. When you orgasm, the uterus muscles also contract and then let go. This relaxation of your muscles should bring relief from period cramps.
"Did you know that your body creates chemicals called endorphins which boost happiness and lessen pain? Want to know when your nervous system releases these 'feel good' chemicals? Oh yes, it's when you come."
2. Boosts Your Mood
When you orgasm, your brain releases the happy hormone duo–serotonin and dopamine. These hormones stabilize our moods, give us a sense of well-being, inspire motivation, and allow us to enjoy life better. On the flip side, a lack of these hormones can actually lead to depression. Which is another reason you need to come, often.
3. Induces Better Sleep
In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Arianna Huffington (author, co-founder of The Huffington Post, and one of Forbes Most Powerful Women) said "Orgasms are Mother Nature's Ambien—without the side effects!" Well said, Ms. Huffington. Not only does an orgasm leave you feeling good, relaxed and happy, it can also send you off with sweet dreams. The reduction of cortisol levels following sexual delight has a calming effect on the mind so you can sleep better. Orgasms also tell the body to create vasopressin, which accompanies the production of your neuroprotective hormone melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone which controls our wake and sleep cycle.
4. Heart Health
Ever notice that your heart speeds up when you get off? When your heart rate increases, it moves oxygen and blood to your muscles and helps you burn calories. Especially if you've given yourself a proper jolt! Go on, work up a sweat.
5. Stress Relief
Physical touch releases the hormone called oxytocin. This hormone reduces blood pressure and cortisol levels which allow the body and mind to decompress. This "love hormone" can also promote positive social behaviors of trust, empathy, bonding, and communication. The more you engage in pleasurable moments, the more oxytocin you will produce.
6. Pelvic Floor Strengthening
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that stretch like a hammock between the pubic bone and tailbone. It supports your bladder, uterus, and colon. Every time we achieve the big "O", our pelvic floor muscles contract. This is good. Strengthening our pelvic floor muscles (think kegels) can increase our sexual sensations and orgasmic potential. "Our pelvic floor muscles contract involuntarily and rhythmically between 5-15 times during an orgasm, with the earliest contractions being the most pleasurable."
Beyond the benefits of masturbation for women, self-love is something you simply have the right to. Certified sex therapist, Shamyra Howard, said it well, "If you think about what women have historically been taught about ourselves and our bodies and how we're not supposed to show up as sexual beings or how [sex] is supposed to be about our cishet male partners, you will understand how much power there is in reclaiming your pleasure, and you'll allow masturbation and pleasure to show up as a revolutionary act. Every time you experience pleasure, you are inciting a revolution." By standing up for our right to pleasure, we are acknowledging our power as women. We are acknowledging our need for self-care. We are acknowledging that masturbation and mental health are very much connected. We are acknowledging that we have a choice.
"If you think about what women have historically been taught about ourselves and our bodies and how we're not supposed to show up as sexual beings, you will understand how much power there is in reclaiming your pleasure, and you'll allow masturbation and pleasure to show up as a revolutionary act." ~ Shamyra Howard (Certified Sex Therapist)
