I’ll take all three of those, although the latter does come in handy when you’re thinking of calling in that sick day for a little me time on the couch.

So what kind of miracle must you perform to keep your looks, increase brain power and rid yourself of the sniffles?

You must centre your seven chakras and…jokes, it’s pretty simple. Have regular sex well into your midlife, which seems like more fun than buying a Porsche or taking up yoga.

According to the Telegraph, a new study has shown that there are five major benefits to consistently getting down and dirty as the years roll on.

The study saw researchers interview 6 669 women and 4 839 men aged between 16 and 74, who reported having at least one sexual partner in the past year.

The findings were recently published in the BMJ Open, a medical journal addressing research questions in clinical medicine, public health and epidemiology.

Here are the five major health benefits the study found:

1. You’ll become smarter

As well as the Coventry and Oxford study, a 2016 study from Canada suggested that women who have regular sex have better memories. A team at McGill University found a link between regular sex and the growth of nervous tissue in the area of the brain that controls our emotions and memory.

2. You’ll look younger

Put down that £100 pot of eye cream: scientists at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital have found older couples having regular sex look five to seven years younger than those who rarely have sex. Dr David Weeks, who led the 10-year study, found that if the sex was “loving” and pleasure was derived from it, hormones were released that made the skin more elastic and youthful. Weeks found that casual sex didn’t have the same effects, as it could cause anxiety and feelings of insecurity.

3. You’ll get fewer colds

Having sex at least once a week has been found to raise your body’s levels of immunoglobulin A (known as IgA), which is a cold and flu-fighting antibody. “IgA is the first line of defence against colds and flu,” says Carl Chenetski from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, whose study found that couples who have sex once or twice a week have 30 per cent higher levels of IgA.

4. You’ll feel happier

A study of 8,000 people over the age of 50 from Trinity College Dublin found that couples who maintain a healthy sex life in later life were less likely to feel depressed and were more positive about ageing.

5. Your heart health will improve

Forget the rumours about sixtysomethings having heart attacks, mid-coitus. Research seems to suggest the opposite is true and that regular sex can reduce your risk of a heart attack. Researchers at Queen’s University in Belfast found a weekly roll in the sheets can halve the risk of a heart attack or stroke and another study found women who orgasm at least twice a week were 30 per cent less likely to develop heart disease.

Good luck and good health, old timers.

[source:telegraph]