3 reasons naked is healthy.
One Minute For Your Health #22
Some of you may know I live in Denmark, and one of the biggest culture shocks for me was how often people get naked.
It’s not uncommon to be sitting by the harbour in Copenhagen, enjoying the view, when suddenly a naked person jumps past you into the water. You’re also surrounded by naked sun tanners most of the time.
I have to admit this public nudity makes me uncomfortable, but I like to be open-minded so I researched it.
Turns out there are some benefits to getting naked.
I’ll summarise them for you in this post and let you decide what you do with the information 😉
Life Satisfaction
Social media, TV, adverts and magazines can make us believe that human bodies should be flawless. Perfectly toned, glowing, free from blemishes and wobbles.
As a result body image dissatisfaction is becoming a growing, global mental health problem. Not liking your body can lead to increased rates of depression, eating disorders and lower self-esteem.
Research is now showing that naturist activities (i.e. spending time naked with other people, like on a nude beach) can improve body image, self-esteem and increase life satisfaction.
This might be because it provides a rare opportunity to see normal human bodies - which are rarely flawless and wobble free. It also allows you to face your fears of others seeing your body and reacting to it negatively - usually it’s just you that thinks your flaws are so terrible.
P.s. There is even such a thing as ‘nudity therapy’ for poor body image - and it seems to be very effective.
Yeast Infections
Funguses and certain bacteria like warm, moist conditions (sorry to get gross). This means tight fitted underwear can provide perfect conditions for the development of conditions like thrush or bacterial vaginosis.
When you wear underwear all day, and then all night, the delicate microclimate in your groin area never has a chance to ‘air out’ (I said I was sorry to get gross 😅).
Consider sleeping naked, or at least in very loose fitting pyjamas and no underpants to help your microbiome down there find a good balance and avoid infections.
Relationship Satisfaction
Research shows that couples are happier in their relationships when sexual cues are recognised and responded too. The happier they are the lower the rates of infidelity and divorce.
One sexual cue is nudity, with one study finding that unlike other sexual cues this cue is understood 100% of the time by the other partner.
As mentioned above, being naked more often also leads to improved body image. Research shows that having a good body image plays an important role in having a good sex life.
Are you team naked or team clothes?
Has the research convinced you? I must admit, body image or not, I would prefer to avoid naturist activities. But perhaps spending a little more time naked at home could have its benefits 😇
Comment on this post whether you’re team naked or team clothes!
Summary:
Spending time naked may be good for your body image, self-esteem, life satisfaction, relationship satisfaction and your private parts.
Know someone who likes to be naked? Share this post with them and give them the satisfaction of being right.
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Links and References:
Sexual and Relationship Therapy. (2012). Prelude to a coitus: Sexual initiation cues among heterosexual married couples. [online] Available at: https://www-tandfonline-com.apollo.worc.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1080/14681994.2012.734604 [Accessed 8 Dec. 2020].
West, K. (2017). Naked and Unashamed: Investigations and Applications of the Effects of Naturist Activities on Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Life Satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, [online] 19(3), pp.677–697. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%252Fs10902-017-9846-1 [Accessed 8 Dec. 2020].
International Journal of Happiness and Development. (2020). A nudity-based intervention to improve body image, self-esteem, and life satisfaction: International Journal of Happiness and Development: Vol 6, No 2. [online] Available at: https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJHD.2020.111202 [Accessed 8 Dec. 2020].
The Journal of Sex Research. (2020). I Feel Better Naked: Communal Naked Activity Increases Body Appreciation by Reducing Social Physique Anxiety. [online] Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2020.1764470 [Accessed 8 Dec. 2020].
Healthdirect.gov.au. (2019). Vaginal thrush prevention. [online] Available at: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/vaginal-thrush-prevention [Accessed 8 Dec. 2020].
Powell, K. (2010). Vaginal thrush: quality of life and treatments.: EBSCOhost. [online] Available at: http://web.b.ebscohost.com.apollo.worc.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=6391df41-616a-40e7-a670-3b03ddbdb227%40pdc-v-sessmgr03 [Accessed 8 Dec. 2020].
Duncan, D. (2012). Managing persistent thrush.: EBSCOhost. [online] Available at: http://web.b.ebscohost.com.apollo.worc.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=4c6793c4-9fb0-41c8-90cd-115090f1f325%40pdc-v-sessmgr04 [Accessed 8 Dec. 2020].
Image from www.canva.com
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