It's no secret that sex feels good. All of the pleasure receptors buried inside the body burst to life under the touch of the right partner, and the glow that follows a successful session can stick with a guy for hours. But the activity can do more than just elicit an intense feeling of pleasure. In fact, sex can be very good for the penis. Here are just five ways in which regular sex with a willing partner can benefit the male organ, along with a few penis care tips that can help men to be prepared for the next opportunity.

1. Sex Boosts Heart Health

A healthy erection begins with a healthy heart, as this muscle is responsible for pushing the blood from other parts of the body to the waiting vessels inside the penis. If the blood can move fast enough, a solid and impressive erection will result, and studies suggest that regular sex can keep the heart pumping, as well as reducing blood pressure.

2. Sex Burns Calories

While the amount of calories burned varies dramatically depending on the positions used and the speed at which the actions are performed, an average sex session lasting about 30 minutes can burn about 85 calories. Men who have sex every day could find that they're just a little bit slimmer and just a little bit more fit, and reducing the amount of abdominal fat can actually make the penis look bigger.

3. Sex Improves Semen Quality

Not all sexual activity must lead to parenthood, but men attempting to father a child might need to have sex more often than men who are having sex just for fun, simply because semen volume and quality improve with frequent ejaculations. Taking the action to completion could be vital for men who want to have children in the near future.

4. Sex Improves Self-Esteem

During sex, the brain releases a wide variety of chemicals, including:

  • Dopamine
  • Serotonin
  • Oxytocin
  • Norepinephrine
  • GABA

These chemicals all have individual roles to play within the brain, but taken together, this cocktail is a potent stress-buster and mood-enhancer. A brain flooded with chemicals like this feels happy, in control and able to tackle almost anything. While emotions like this might not make the penis itself healthier, the brain attached to that penis might have the confidence to shrug off stress, sneer in the face of rejection and otherwise behave in a way that's confident and assured.

5. Sex May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk

The prostate gland goes into overtime during sex, producing the majority of the fluid that emerges during ejaculation. While the gland doesn't necessarily store this fluid for long periods of time, studies suggest that men who ejaculate on a regular basis have a lowered incidence of prostate cancer, possibly because they're removing the fluid from the body before it has a chance to harbor abnormalities that can lead to cancer. It's a form of flushing the ducts, and it could be incredibly important to overall health.

Preparing for Showtime

The penis is designed to perform, and thankfully, there's very little men need to do in order to ensure that their equipment is in fine working order when it's time for play. However, applying a penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil) on a daily basis could help a man to ensure that his penis is both healthy and attractive to a partner. The skin softening agents in these products can help the penis to stretch and grow during an erection, and the vitamins can help reduce the power of odor-causing bacteria. A quality penis health creme can also help to soothe skin that's been a bit chafed by sexual activity, helping the skin to heal for the next session.