Love, Self

Having More Sex Improves Your Mind In This Amazing Way

couple bed kissing

You know that thing when you're with your partner and you can't remember something, so you snap your fingers and repeatedly say, "What's it called, what's it called?" until it either comes to you, or your partner remembers it for you? Or how about all those times you and your partner annoyingly adorably finish each other sentences? It's pretty great to feel that intense connection and that level of intimacy. It just reassures you that you and your partner are in it to win it, doesn’t it?

It's not surprising that people who have a close bond, whether it's your partner, sibling, or best friend, can be up to speed on what the other one is thinking, but a new study confirms that couples, specifically, actually "share" memories. In addition to sharing them, partners who have a close and healthy intimacy even have far more vivid memories when they're together than when they're apart. Basically, the more you and your S.O. have sex, the more awesome your memories will be. Because, obviously, you need another reason for your weekly 'Sunday Is All Day Sex Day' tradition.

Scientists at Macquarie University in Australia conducted four studies that involved couples remembering words from lists they studied. Although the couples did just as well together as they did solo in their recalling of words, it was when the two were together that memories became more "colorful and in depth." It was in these sessions, through "anecdotes and tangents," that couples were able to reach a clearer, more detailed memory of an event. And who doesn't want to be the couple at the party who always has the best, most exciting, and fun stories to tell thanks to awesome memory skills?

If we do the math here, the more sex you have, the better your memories will be; the better your memories, the more fantastic your stories; the more fantastic your stories, the more invitations to parties you'll get. Your mailbox will be busting at the seams with invitations to parties. You'll never have a weekend to yourself again!

As the researchers explained, "Recent debates have revolved around the possibility that cognition can be distributed across individuals and material resources, as well as across groups of individuals." It's like osmosis, but not quite.

It’s amazing the positive influence healthy intimacy can have on your life, but I bet you never thought it could amp up your social life, too, did you? It was interesting when science proved sex was great for your mind and body, but to find out that it’s going to help make you and your partner the belles of the ball at every event is even more exciting.

But the one kicker in all this is that when your memory starts to fade with old age, even your partner can't help. In fact, couples who are used to “drawing on memorial support" from each other are more likely to see a decrease in cognitive function than singles, because they become so dependent on their better half. Once one memory starts to fail, the other isn’t too far behind, and you can kiss all those party invites goodbye. But you’ll be back to "Sunday Is All Sex Day," even if it's no longer paying off in the memory department, so that's cool.

photo credit: weheartit.com