SACK sessions are fun. But apart from the fun factor involved, a roll in the hay can solve many of your health problems.

Indeed, studies have found that sex elevates the mood and reduces depression, and enough of it will leave you in a perpetual state of euphoria.

So what's holding you back?

Gynaecologist Professor Horace Fletcher of the University Hospital of the West Indies says sex can make you happier if sex is good and relatively uncomplicated (no pain, no STIs, no pregnancy if you are not trying, and no fights with a third party).

"Good sex releases endorphins which make you feel better. These are hormones in the body similar to morphine," he explains.

Here are some other benefits:

It acts as a pain reliever

Gynaecologist Dr Charles Rockhead says sex can in fact relieve pain, since it releases endorphins, a natural painkiller. However, the relief it provides is temporary and may not last for long.

It works out the muscles

The human body is believed to have over 600 muscles and during sex those muscles get worked on.

So whether it's the arms, legs, abdomen, thighs or buttocks, a 20-minute session could help you lose the fat from the extra calories you ate at lunch, and you'll have more fun than you would at the gym.

It makes you feel good about yourself

Dr Rockhead says if the sex is good, it does in fact boost self-esteem. It also helps if the partner dishes out compliments. But this is not so if sex is frustrating, where persons do not orgasm, he says.

It keeps the cold virus away

It is believed that regular sex with your man can actually prevent colds as a result of the hormone called prolactin. This hormone is important in strengthening the immune system by increasing the production of T and B lymphocytes (immune cells). It is believed to work as well as chicken soup!

It helps you sleep

If you are one of those persons suffering from insomnia, sex could very well be the answer to your problem. Whether it's because of the exertion of energy or your sudden contentment, it makes both men and women sleep.