I’ve been taking some heat lately for the things I write in Sex 101. Mainly, it’s from over-eager guys who add me to Facebook with the hopes of hooking up. It’s also from my mother who thinks I’m the anti-Christ. Really, though, I’m just a girl who loves to write and talk about sex.

For this reason, I’ve decided to compile a list that’ll get you excited about sex for motives besides the obvious orgasm.

So, this article is dedicated to all those who’ve been dousing me with the Hateraid lately (that includes you, mom).

Sex is good exercise: If you spent the summer sitting around, getting stoned and eating junk food, pay attention – this could be exactly what you need to get back in shape. It’s been found that people who get their bang on for an hour will burn 385 calories. If you split that hour up between foreplay and sex, you can burn up to 260 calories. If you’re lying on your back in a starfish position (arms and legs spread with little to no movement), you won’t burn any calories and you may begin to be referred to as a corpse. Hey, it’s beneficial to your body and your reputation to start moving during sex.

Sex makes your skin look better: There are many different ways sex can improve the look of your skin. It improves your circulation to give your face a brighter glow. It can help cleanse the pores when you sweat to remove excess dirt or makeup. It can even control acne by balancing out your hormone levels. Basically, sex makes you prettier. Enough said.

Sex is good for stress: This seems like a no-brainer. Anyone who has had a night of good sex will know, the morning after you feel like you can take on the world. Well, researchers thought it was necessary to do a study on this and found that orgasms lead women to have a better mood the day after. What was interesting about this study was that the same results weren’t found when the orgasm happened without a partner. If you want some stress relief, you need to look further than your vibrator and some porn.

Sex is a pain reliever: Using the excuse that you “have a headache” is no longer valid. Before you orgasm, your body begins to release a flood of hormones like endorphins and cortisol that promote pain relief from minor aches, headaches and migraines. So, the next time your lady says she has cramps from her approaching period, tell her you’ve got the best medicine around—your dick.