On July 31st this year, don’t be surprised if you hear a lot of moaning, groaning, sighing, and shouting. It’s National Orgasm Day! An American holiday designed expressly for everyone to get off! A day to practice your O face as much as you like. Like the Fourth of July, just a different type of fireworks. And it is rather fitting that we start and finish July with a bang.
Celebrating orgasms is important for numerous reasons. They represent the ultimate ecstatic moment for individuals and couples. Psychologists and relationship experts know the important role of climaxing, especially when shared with a lover.
According to an everydayhealth.com article entitled “Orgasms for a Better Life: The Surprising Benefits of Sexual Pleasure,” “Orgasms can bring you more than just pleasure in the bedroom. Physical intimacy plays an important role in our relationships. When sex falls by the wayside, other issues tend to flare up as well. Couples feel less connected and bonded, and as a result they tend to be less affectionate and loving.”
The article goes on to enumerate all of the additional health benefits of experiencing orgasms for your body. Here are just a few from their list:
Reduced Risk of Prostate Cancer:
“Research has found that men who engage in regular sex are less likely to suffer from prostate cancer, as ejaculation helps to release toxins from the body and promote healthy functioning. Talk about a win-win!”
Improved Immune System:
Regular sex could be just as beneficial as taking probiotics, if you’re looking for a natural way to strengthen your immune system. “Research from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that weekly or biweekly sex can help to boost the body’s antibodies.”
Can Help Regulate Your Monthly Menstrual Cycles:
Most women aren’t aware that regular sex might actually be beneficial. “Research performed at Columbia and Stanford universities found that women who have sex at least once a week tend to have more regular cycles than women who rarely or never have sex.”
Sex Can Actually Reduce Pain:
“Research has found that the release of endorphins and corticosteroids can help to combat pain, so an orgasm might be just what the doctor ordered…. whether you are suffering from a headache or a muscle ache, you might try reaching for your partner instead of the medicine cabinet.”
Additionally, regular sex can improve your cardiovascular health, strengthen your pelvic floor, improve your mood – duh! – and lead to a better night’s sleep. In an article about orgasm in Psychology Today, they discuss the far-reaching healthy effects climax can have on the body: “Researchers believe that the health benefits of orgasms include not only increased blood flow to the brain and body but protection against some cancers and heart disease. Sexual activity that leads to orgasm also produces more oxytocin in the body, which can promote pair-bonding and intimacy between partners.”
You probably never knew just how good sex was for you and your mate! Which gives us a perfect segue to explore several fun facts that you probably didn’t know about orgasms, either. Some very surprising stuff, indeed:
In a survey of pot smokers, 109 percent were more likely to achieve multiple orgasms, man! And millennials have 12 percent fewer orgasms than baby boomers. And here’s a complete shocker: “People working in computers and electronics have more orgasms than any other profession.” Must be something about circuiting…
So, now you know about all of these important health benefits of orgasms, and you know from experience just how exhilarating and otherworldly having one can be. But what do you need to do to enhance those orgasmic experiences, those intoxicating, enlivening moments in bed, in the car, in the woods, wherever!
And what should you do if you’re having problems achieving those thrills and spills? If you’re not quit summiting Mt. Everest every time?
“If your climaxes seem like a lot of work for not much payoff, the reasons could be physical or psychological, could be technique, or could be you just need a little help from some ‘friends,’ writes Beth Levine in “Have the Most Satisfying Sex Possible” in everydayhealth.com. “Don’t give up — help is on the way. ‘The ability to achieve a healthy, strong, satisfying orgasm is a gift. When we have low libido, inability to orgasm, or our quality of orgasm is not as strong as it used to be, can anything be done? Plenty!’ says Evelyn Hecht, director of EMH Physical Therapy in New York City.”
One of the first thing lovers have to do is bring their entire focus to the moment. Stay entirely, fully present. Shut down and put away all of the electronic devices that distract us, cell phones, laptops, email. Find a babysitter or send the kids to Grandma’s house. She’ll understand. Keep yourself in the game, not loitering in the bleachers or at the refreshment stand!
“Focus on how your body feels, the awareness of pleasure, following the sensation with your attention,” says Ellen Barnard, sex educator, sex counselor, and spokesperson for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. “When you find your mind wandering to to-do lists, just bring it right back.”
And don’t let complacency push you into a routine. Try new things. Touch new places. Lick new spots. Try new toys. Say different things. You always want to keep exploring your and your lover’s erogenous zones so that you can find and stimulate all of them for each other.
Getting back to health for a moment, make sure you have a physician’s check up to make sure everything’s working properly in your orgasm machine. Make sure your pelvic floor and pelvic muscles that are so important for good pelvic contractions are all in good shape and ready to come! Then finish your July with a big expl-OOOOO-sion!
