We have all heard different terms for it: spanking the monkey, flicking the bean, the five-knuckle shuffle, playing solo. No matter what you call it, you’ve undoubtedly have heard of masturbation. And while you may have heard of it, and are likely familiar with it, did you know that masturbation has many benefits?
First of all, let’s describe masturbation. Simply put, masturbation is when one explores, touches and stimulates their own body to create sexual pleasure. It can be done with hands or with various sex toys, with a partner nearby or by one’s self. No matter how you “do it,” masturbation has many benefits.
Before we discuss the benefits of masturbation, let’s dispel some old myths about the deed. Masturbation does not cause hair to grow on your hands, or make you go blind, or cause acne. Actually, masturbation has very few drawbacks from the perspective of medicine and self care. Granted, many different religions have differing views on masturbation, and while those may be valid for you, we are not here to debate theology, but simply state the possible benefits of masturbation.
For starters, masturbation can lead to stress relief and better sleep. Masturbation causes pleasure and relaxation. It has been proven to relieve tension and anxiety. So much so that many people report a calm feeling of sleepiness after masturbating. Interestingly enough, this mostly occurs in men as women oftentimes report that masturbation wakes them up. There are various theories about why this occurs on an evolutionary level but few have been proven.
Studies have also found that masturbation leads to better sex and sexual health. The study found that amongst married women, those who masturbated experienced more organisms during sex than their counterparts who did not masturbate. This may be due to these women exploring their bodies and learning which stimuli they prefer during sex.
Masturbation can be done with toys or with your hand. For men, a firm but not too firm grip around their member combined with a stroking motion is the most common way. For women, both penetrative masturbation and by stimulating their clitoris. If you experience difficulty with penetrative masturbation, you may try purchasing a lubricant to help with insertion. If a lubricant does not help enough you may wish to talk to your doctor as this may be a sign as a condition called Vaginismus. Vaginismus is the involuntary contraction of the vaginal muscles. This can be so intense that penetration is prevented. Luckily, working with a sex therapist or using vaginal dilators have been found to be helpful with Vaginismus.
No matter how you do it, or who you do it with, masturbation can be a part of an active, healthy lifestyle.
Author bio- Jane Silverstein is the owner of Soul Source Therapeutic Devices located in Los Angeles. She is committed to women’s health issues and to helping women worldwide regain and/ or maintain their sexual health. She is passionate about helping others and has always been involved in a multitude of charitable causes.
