Christina Larmer

HERE is something to get you in the mood tonight: a 10-year Welsh study found that those who enjoyed an active sex life were 50 per cent less likely to have died during that time than those who did not.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sexual health benefits, says body+soul’s sex and relationships therapist Dr Gabrielle Morrissey.

“It makes sense that sex is good for you because we need lots of inducements to do it so that we stay on the planet,” she says. “Sex involves our circulatory, nervous and muscular systems and brains, so it’s a tune-up and workout of everything that’s important.”

Sadly, it’s often the first thing to go when our health is on the blink. “We have the attitude that sex is a luxury item instead of a necessity for wellness. We also think of it as something only for the young and strong, but its effects are a bonus as we age.”