This article was reviewed by Mike Bohl, MD.
How much intimacy is too much? Between the achy muscles and the rehydration breaks, it’s normal to wonder if too much intimacy might pose some health risks.
After all, we know that too much of a good thing can be bad for us, and so like potato chips, fast food, sweets and other indulgences, some people nervously Google questions like these:
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Can you have too much intimacy?
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Is it ok to have intimacy every day?
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Is too much intimacy bad for you?
Intimacy is a normal biological activity that healthy individuals can engage in frequently. Regular or daily intimacy may actually provide real benefits to your physical and mental health. That said, intimacy can also become an unhealthy obsession, in some cases exposing you to disease and increasing your risk of injury. And if you find yourself obsessing over it, it may be a clue into some underlying mental health issues.
Here’s what science says about the benefits, risks and other things to know about daily intimacy.
Is It Healthy to Be Intimate Every Day?
Daily, frequent intimacy is absolutely safe and healthy. As long as everyone involved is practicing safe lovemaking (and stretching periodically), it’s unlikely that you’ll take on any risks. There’s no scientific evidence linking frequent intimacy to any health conditions — short of dehydration, of course.
While daily intimacy is fine and normal, remember that it’s also very common and normal to go for days, weeks or even months without making love. Frankly, there’s also no evidence for any “optimal” or “perfect” frequency for a healthy intimate life.
Our guide to how often couples get intimate includes survey data that suggest adults in the United States get intimate an average of 53 times per year, or just over once per week. So if you’re having daily intimacy, you’re getting roughly seven times the benefits of the average person.
In a nutshell: “healthy” is how you and your partner define it — what works best for your relationship is the definition of healthy.
Benefits of Being Intimate Every Day
What happens if you make love every day? Is it good to be intimate every day? The answers to these questions depend, but there are some reported benefits that top the charts.
The benefits of intimacy (and, to a degree, going at it solo) may be subtle or hard to measure, but there are some really great ones, including:
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Reduced Risk of Heart Disease. Vigorous lovemaking is a great way to get your heart pumping, which can improve endurance and heart health. Intimate activity can also lower your blood pressure, which can also reduce your risk of heart attack.
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Pain Relief. During intimacy, your brain releases endorphins, which are a natural pain reliever.
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Stress Relief. The thing about endorphins (and another chemical released during intimacy called oxytocin — sometimes referred to as “the love hormone”) is that they can lower cortisol — the stress hormone. So, while you may not “feel like it” after a hard day, intimacy might be the best thing for you.
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Burning calories. The data vary about how many calories you can burn during intimacy, based on things like how vigorous and how long your sessions are. However, in our humble opinion, any minute spent working out is a minute well spent. Just remember that you get even better health benefits in more active positions, so if you’re trying to turn this two-way into your two-a-day, offer to do the work.
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Weight Loss. Is having intimacy every day healthy? It certainly is when it provides some extra opportunities for weight loss as part of good habits and a healthy lifestyle. And getting winded during intimacy can also encourage good behavior outside of the bedroom, like exercise and better eating.
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Better Sleep. Research points to benefits in your sleep cycle and sleep hygiene from more frequent intimacy and, as you might expect, those same benefits are compounded by the benefits to pain and stress relief and improved health.
Disadvantages of Having Intimacy Everyday for Males
There are no known disadvantages of making love every day, according to science. The effects of too much intimacy in a man don’t exist, as long as you’re doing it safely.
With this said, making love very often — for example, several times per day — may lead to certain physical issues. As a man, you could develop sore privates, especially if you and your partner have rougher intimacy or don’t use proper lubrication.
That goes both ways. If you don’t use lubrication, the friction caused by the back-and-forth motion of intimacy may cause you and/or your partner to develop irritation.
These issues usually get better on their own over a few hours or days, but they can still be plenty unpleasant in the moment.
Another thing to keep in mind is that lovemaking, just like any activity, can become a problem when it takes over your life. “Is making love bad?” and “Is making love bad when I ignore my responsibilities to have it?” are two very different questions.
Lovemaking addiction is real and people do struggle with it. So, if you think your intimate life is getting to the point of unhealthy and compulsive, absolutely consider reaching out to a mental health professional about it.
Can Too Much Intimacy Cause ED?
No, too much intimacy cannot cause ED. In fact, most of the research currently available suggests that men who make love on a regular basis are less likely to have ED than men who rarely make love.
In a study published in the American Journal of Medicine, Finnish researchers found that regular intimacy (defined as getting intimate once per week or more) seems to protect against the development of ED in middle-aged and elderly men.
A more recent study carried out in China produced similar results, with researchers noting that men who reported making love at least one time per week were less likely to have ED.
That said, there’s a caveat: you might find it difficult to get and stay hard all the time if you and your partner make love several times per day, thanks to something called “the refractory period.”
The refractory period is the period of time after discharge during which you won’t be able to get aroused. This period can last just a few minutes or several hours (typically, the older you get, the longer it takes you to recover).
Your refractory period might affect your arousals in the short term, but it generally isn’t thought of as a form of ED — just a normal sort of maintenance cycle.
Related: 14 Ways to Get Harder Arousals
Tips for Making Love Every Day
Frequent love-making is a good thing that can improve your physical and mental health and the quality of your relationship with your partner.
We’ve listed many of these above, but just in case you wanted a handy checklist, here are ways to make regular lovemaking easier, healthier and more enjoyable, and get the full benefits of making love everyday:
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Use protection. It’s important to keep yourself protected, especially if you get intimate with more than one person.
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Use lubrication. Without the proper amount of lubrication, lovemaking can be downright unpleasant. If your partner is prone to dryness or if you’re starting to chafe, consider applying a lubricant.
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If you have ED, treat it. ED is a common issue that can get in the way of your intimate life. If you occasionally find it difficult to stay hard, consider talking to your healthcare provider about ED medication to get the problem under control.
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Avoid overexerting yourself. Lovemaking is a mild form of exercise. As such, it’s best to take it easy if you’re feeling under the weather, recovering from an injury or if you’ve recently undergone surgery.
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Be creative. From trying different positions to fantasies and more, mixing things up is one of the best ways to make your intimate life more exciting. This guide to making better love lists six tips you and your partner can try for more pleasurable, satisfying intimacy.
Is Making Love Every Day Bad? The Final Word
The amount of intimacy you have isn’t a measure of your worth, your masculinity or your proficiency in pre-intimacy time. It’s important to acknowledge these things, because our society has placed a high value on intimacy in ways that don’t really correlate.
Here’s your quick bulleted refresher:
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Making love every day isn’t bad for you as long as you are doing it safely and avoiding issues like physical injuries, STIs, and UTIs.
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In fact, research suggests that frequent lovemaking may help reduce your risk of developing ED.
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There’s no “perfect” frequency of intimacy to have. Your drive is unique to you. Desire often declines as we age.
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It’s most important to have fun, stay safe and enjoy lovemaking the way you and your partner like — without worrying about how you stack up next to other people.
Just remember: stretch often, drink water and replenish those electrolytes! Other than that, have fun.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Featured Image Credit: PeopleImages / iStock.
