5 Health Benefits You Need To Know About Masturbation
Happy masturbation May!
International masturbation day is just around the corner and you should get excited for it! All around the world, people are learning to embrace masturbation and all its benefits for sexual health and wellness. Masturbation can be empowering and eye-opening, so let’s get into it!
1. It helps reduce stress
Plenty of studies have shown that masturbation helps to release stress, and in this day and age, who doesn’t need that? When we masturbate, our brain releases the hormone, dopamine and oxytocin. A dopamine boost helps you to feel oh-so-good and oxytocin helps to lower cortisol levels, which in turn reduces stress. Talk about good vibes!
2. Masturbation helps you sleep better
Having trouble catching some zs? Well look no further than your trusty vibrator! Masturbation releases another neurochemical known as prolactin, which influences sleep. Masturbation can help relax the body. Even if you don’t orgasm, the act of masturbation puts you in a state of general relaxation, which in turn helps you sleep.
3. Masturbation is a confidence booster
Touching yourself feels good! Masturbation can do wonders for your self-esteem and body image. We’ve discussed all the feel-good hormones and neurochemicals that masturbation releases. These definitely play a part in helping us feel good about ourselves. Masturbation is a safe and perfectly healthy way to explore your body and release sexual tension. It can teach us what we like, and what gets us going. Masturbation gives us empowerment to explore our sexuality.
4. It helps treat sexual problems
As we age, we experience changes in our vagina, it becomes shorter and narrower and with the reduced supply of estrogen, our vaginal wall may become thin and stiff. Through masturbation, we stimulate the clitoris, urethra and vagina. This helps to activate the pathway to clitoral swelling and lubrication. Masturbation also strengthens muscle tone in the pelvic and anal areas. Through the use of Kegel balls, masturbation can help improve the strength of your pelvic floor muscles.
5. Masturbation is a natural painkiller
The next time you turn to a painkiller to help with headaches or to relieve menstrual cramps and muscle tension, try reaching for your sex toy instead! There are some cases where menstrual cramps or muscle tensions are chronic, but to help relieve some pain during your time of the month, masturbation can help! Masturbation encourages blood flow to the pelvic and uterus area, which can help with period pains. If you’re worried about staining the sheets, put a towel down! Masturbation also sends a rush of dopamine to the brain, which can prove useful if you’re experiencing a migraine.
There you have it! Marvin Gaye was not kidding when he wrote, “Sexual Healing”. There are a great many benefits to solo play, and it can definitely contribute to your sexual experience with others as well.
If you’re looking to start, Genvie offers a great range of toys made for beginners to more experienced users. Check out the Zen collection, it includes a set of three toys to hit all your pleasure points and it gives you, quite literally, a bang for your buck!
Always remember to wash your toys with a neutral body soap, dry them (do NOT wipe them) and store them properly after use. Don’t be afraid to lube up when using toys and most importantly, have fun!