8 Benefits Of Masturbation: Here's Why Masturbating Is Good For

Masturbating has so many benefits! Obviously, it feels super good. But masturbating is also a healthy sexual activity that is beneficial for your physical & mental health. Unfortunately, many people still receive conflicting messages about masturbation. Is it actually good for you? Should you feel ashamed for doing it? Will it prevent you from being able to orgasm? The answers in their respective order are yes, no and no.

We surveyed 2500 ATMS customers to get their thoughts about masturbation. While 68% of respondents said they were taught that masturbation was a healthy part of human sexuality, the remaining 24% were taught that it was a shameful thing to do. And of all the respondents 76% said that they were taught that masturbation shouldn’t be talked about.

Well, sorry folks but I simply love to talk about it, especially all the beneficial parts! These days there is a lot of scientific research about masturbation so here are 8 benefits of masturbation backed by science.

#1. Masturbation has many positive effects on the brain.

One study shows that sexual activities which lead to sexual pleasure or orgasm, including masturbation, trigger the release of a bunch of hormones and chemicals which are involved in the reward centre of our brains. And when I say a bunch, I mean a bunch! Here’s the list.

Dopamine, the happiness hormone.
Serotonin, another happiness hormone that is associated with satisfaction.
Oxytocin, the love hormone that helps support well-being.
Endorphins, the feel-good chemicals which reduce pain.
Adrenaline, which regulates your heart rate and lowers stress.
Norepinephrine, which regulates dopamine transmission to boost that happy feeling.
Prolactin, a hormone that regulates stress and your emotions.
Endocannabinoids, neurotransmitters that are vital to reward behaviours in the brain.

#2. Masturbation teaches you about your sexual response cycle.

You know your body best and masturbation is the perfect excuse to get intimate with yourself and learn what turns you on. Masturbation allows you to touch and explore your body in different ways. This helps you to learn how your body responds to different types of stimulation. The better you understand your body's sexual response cycle, the better your chances of reaching orgasm alone and with a partner. If you know exactly how your body likes to be touched, you can share that with sexual partners to ensure a good time, every time.

Whipple & McGreer Circular Model of sexual response

#3. Masturbation can increase your libido and desire for partnered sex.

Looks like the adage that the more sex you have, the more sex you want applies to masturbation too. Studies like this one in the Journal of Sex Education and Therapy have found that women who masturbate reported more orgasms with a partner, increased sexual desire and greater satisfaction with their marriage. And it makes sense when you remember that sexual pleasure releases dopamine. Dopamine is not only a happiness hormone, but also a learning hormone that helps our brains take notice of what feels pleasurable and make us want more of it.

When we surveyed our customers, 53% of respondents reported an increase in their libido and desire for partnered sex following masturbation. And 39% reported experiencing increased sexual satisfaction during partnered sex following masturbation.

Looks like masturbation is good for you and your sex life!

#4. Masturbation can reduce menstrual cramping.

If you are someone who experiences painful periods, you will know just how important a benefit of masturbation this one is. Remember those endorphins we talked about earlier? They are often referred to as the brain’s natural pain reliever. Masturbating is a great way to get your brain to release the good stuff and relieve those cramps.

And it’s not just menstrual cramps, endorphins help to ease pain throughout the whole body and create a general feeling of well-being.

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#5. Masturbation helps you to relax and get a better sleep.

Guess what? Oxytocin is back. This hormone really gets around bringing with it benefit after benefit, and here’s another one for you. Oxytocin can decrease cortisol levels in your body, helping you to de-stress and even help to relieve anxiety. Plus, those endorphins can help you to become sleepy. The combination of less stress and a sleepy mind and body is the perfect recipe for a fast track to dreamland.

81% of our survey respondents reported experiencing better sleep following masturbation, and 77% reported a stress reduction. Plus, 80% reported experiencing a better mood. Did someone say feel-good hormones?

#6. Masturbation can help to prevent sexual dysfunction.

Masturbation can help to prevent two common sexual issues. Reaching orgasm and premature ejaculation. It’s all about learning our sexual response cycles and getting some pleasure practice. For those who struggle to reach orgasm, masturbation is going to be one of the core ways to explore your body and find out what works for you. You need to know your own body first so that you can share that knowledge with partners. This will increase your chances of orgasming through partnered play.

If you experience premature ejaculation, masturbation can assist with this too. Practising stimulating your body with different speeds, intensities and types of stimulation can help you to last longer during play with a partner. You are training your body to respond when you want it to. Plus, masturbating right before partnered sex can help to increase the time before ejaculation. Just ensure you know your refractory period and how long you will need to recover and be receptive to sexual stimulation again.

#7. Masturbation may reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

A Harvard University study found that high ejaculation frequency was linked to a decreased risk of prostate cancer. The study concluded that those who ejaculated 21 or more times a month had a 31% lower risk of prostate cancer. While the mechanisms are not yet completely understood, the idea is that frequent ejaculation can flush out the prostate. This may help to decrease the concentration of toxins that can accumulate.

#8. Masturbation is a great workout for your pelvic floor muscles.

Your pelvic floor is an incredibly important and yet often overlooked part of the body. Your pelvic floor consists of a sling-like structure of muscles that hold your pelvic organs in place. Think of your vagina, uterus, bladder and bowel. So yes, very important stuff! A weak pelvic floor can result in urinary and bowel incontinence, pain, discomfort during sex and prolapse.

Most people know that you keep these muscles tight by performing kegel exercises and using kegel balls, but an orgasm can help too. Orgasm creates a series of mini contractions in the pelvic floor which is basically a workout for the muscles. And the stronger your muscles are, the stronger your orgasms will be as those contractions will feel even stronger. It’s a win-win!

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Whether you masturbate or not is up to you and only you can decide if and how often you do it. Remember that masturbation is healthy, safe and has many health benefits for your body and mind.

If you do want to explore it, toys can help. Check out our sex toy guides below to find some incredible toys to stimulate your body.

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