There are already a bunch of ways we know can support better mental health, like getting outdoors more, exercising regularly, eating well, and building strong social circles.
But getting some exercise doesn’t have to mean hitting the treadmill for half an hour. It could also mean something way more fun — like sex, which is definitely a more enjoyable way to work up a sweat.
The background of their newly published research reads: “While sexual activity is known to benefit physical health, its connection to psychological well-being is less studied. We hypothesized that lower self-reported sexual frequency would be independently associated with higher odds of depression, as assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).”
So what’s the magic number to help lower your chances of depression? According to their findings, having sex once or twice a week seems to do the trick.
As for why it works, experts think it’s all about those feel-good chemicals like endorphins and dopamine that get released during sex, helping to lift your mood naturally.
The study concluded: “A sexual frequency of 1-2 times per week showed the greatest protective effects on psychological well-being and may serve as a reference standard for mental health evaluation and monitoring during depression treatment,”
Co-author Professor Mutong Chen added even more perspective, saying: “Regardless of sexual orientation, sexual activity offers benefits such as enhanced wellbeing and quality of life, significantly impacting mental health.”
According to sex expert Tracey Cox, there are five big reasons why men might lose interest: erection problems, feeling unattractive, mental health struggles like stress and depression, naturally low sex drives, and even past trauma.