Skip to content

FEMALE-FOUNDED LGBT+ INCLUSIVE🌈

Main Navigation

Is Masturbation Healthy? (Yes It Is And Here Is Why!)

Is Masturbation Good for You? - Sh! Women's Store

We've spent a long time advocating for masturbation. More than 30 years to be precise. We are most definitely pro-self-pleasure.

Feelings around masturbation are often tricky if you were raised in a household with strong cultural or religious views. It's not uncommon for self-pleasuring to be viewed as immoral or even “dirty.” This makes masturbation a taboo topic.

We’re not here to tell you what to do with your genitals. But, if you feel ready to explore self-love, we're super-happy to give you an encouraging nudge.

Masturbation is a wonderful thing you can do for yourself! It helps you understand your body and how it reacts to stimulation and sensation. It sets you up for pleasurable discoveries with partners too.

Is masturbation healthy?

In short: Yes, masturbation is very healthy!

Masturbation helps relieve cramps, headaches and general tension. It gets your heart pumping and improves cardiovascular activity.

Masturbation makes for better, more enjoyable sex with partners, and it can even help boost self-esteem.

Masturbation and orgasms activate the reward circuit in your brain, and orgasms are a fantastic blast of dopamine. Cortisol, in small doses, helps regulate and maintain the immune system. So, if you’re feeling low or a bit under the weather, lock the bedroom door and show yourself some love. A cocktail of neurochemicals lifts spirits like nothing else!

One study found that men & prostate owners who ejaculate more than 21 times per month (very specific) reduce the risk of prostate cancer by around 33% compared to those who ejaculate only 4-7 times per month. Our tip for this is to keep an ejaculation diary. Once you hit your target, go one more time just for fun!

Does masturbation make you weaker?

As we age, we naturally lose muscle tone. Yep, even down there. Sorry.

Masturbation and sex actually help keep the pelvic floor in good condition. A strong pelvic floor helps with incontinence, lack of elasticity inside the vagina, and erectile dysfunction. You’ll also find orgasms easier to come by and experience them as more intense. Doing Kegel exercises is so important, and our favourite way is to do them while masturbating. Squeeze and release your PC muscle in time with your finger or vibe strokes (or their penis or dildo strokes).

Love Balls can help strengthen your pelvic floor

Plus, they can also be a stimulating sex toy in themselves.

Exercising with them can also lead to better orgasms and we have written an entire blog on the benefits of Love Balls.

If you’re looking for the right Love Balls for you, we recommend starting with Lelo Mini Luna Beads, which are perfect for women under 30 who haven’t given birth.

A hand holding three love balls in shades of purple

Masturbation makes you glow!

Who needs expensive highlighters when you can sparkle naturally?

Orgasms boost blood flow which makes your blood vessels open up, giving rosy cheeks and twinkly eyes. Switch up your morning routine and ditch make-up in favour of a post-rub glow. It’ll save you money, and the bounce in your step is a bonus!

Masturbation helps you sleep

Having an orgasm releases feel-good cocktail of chemicals like endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin (our favourite!).

This wonderful mix can help you get a few more zzzz’s in, so if you find yourself tossing and turning, it’s time to grab your favourite vibrator and put it to good use.

Great toys for solo pleasure

First Time Vibrators

  • 'First time buying a vibrator and was recommended this. The vibration is strong which is great and has good different levels of the vibration, but it is quite small in length' -  Mini Pink Vibe 
  • 'This is the best 12 pounds I have spent' - RO Silver Bullet 
  • 'For quiet solo play it's a real *must have* toy, plus it's easy to pack for an overnight away' - We Vibe Tango 
  • 'Great as soft, its not a powerful buzz as the bullet but you have the flexibility and additional length, so overall a better toy for solo play' - Mini Ripple Vibe

Mini Pink vibrator on green grass

Suction Toys

Clitoral Sensations Like No Other

Waterproof Vibes

Toys for (locked bathroom door) 'Me Time'!

Another great thing about masturbation is that you don’t have to worry about anybody else's pleasure. It's all about you (and that's more than ok). Make yourself come, roll over and go straight to sleep...

How to give yourself an orgasm

We have so much advice about orgasms and how to have them! Here are just a few links:

How to masturbate comes naturally for some, but less so for others. We find that men & penis-owners generally start earlier, do it more often, and have less shame around it. Good for you, keep up the handi-work!

Some of our female & vulva-owning customers feel unconnected to their genitals and uncomfortable touching themselves. There can be a long list of reasons for this, but we find it’s usually closely tied to shame.

We recommend starting off exploring with just fingers and some lube, but if this feels wrong for any reason, as we've said a vibrator can help.

It’s possible to masturbate and experience pleasure & orgasms without touching your vulva until you feel ready for a more hands-on approach. 

Put a vibrator between you and your finger

Slipping on a finger vibrator will not only add a thrilling tingle to self-pleasure, but it will also add a layer of sensual silicone between your finger and your body. 

bright green fingertip vibrator on a finger with dark ourple nail varnish.

Do you go weak at the knees for filling sensations?

Luxe Touch is a vibrator that delivers inches and inches of sensually deep pleasure. And because it's suction-cup it can be attached to any smooth surface, such as bathroom tiles or a smooth chair, so you can nuzzle up to it.

Luxe Touch dildo in purple silicone 

Fancy a ride-on?

Ruby Glow is a ride-on clitoral vibe that also lets you enjoy yourself hands-free.

Place Ruby on the surface of your choice, then rock & roll your hips against the delicious vibrations for as long as you like...

Designed by an erotic writer who wanted a toy to deliver pleasure whilst her hands are otherwise bus writing erotica, it can similarly be enjoyed by turning the pages of a hot erotic book or scrolling through porn.

A hand holding a Rbu Glow in dark purple

Need a little more help getting there? Take a look at our range of cherry-picked vibrators, explore our advice about vibrators and take a look at our Becoming Orgasmic online course

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

BEST-SELLING Vibrators

The vibes our customers love...

Need any vibe advice? Ask away...

more vibrator advice

Q&A: What's the Best Vibrator? - Sh! Women's Store
Q&A: What's the Best Vibrator?

Dear Sh! My girlfriend and I...

What Is The Best First Vibrator For A Newbie?
What Is The Best First Vibrator For A Newbie?

Dear Team Sh!  My friend has recommended you. I'm in a 'situationship' but it's nothing serious. We have...

Sex Toy Review: Evie Tapping Vibe with Vibrating Love Ball
Sex Toy Review: Evie Tapping Vibe with Vibrating Love Ball

Read our toy tester's sex toy review of Evie Dual Vibe with an...