London, Feb 4 (IANS): While most of us would agree that having sex makes us happy, a new study has suggested that the pleasurable exercise could actually offer various far-reaching health benefits -- reduced migraine pain, lower risk of prostate cancer besides providing emotional well-being.

Having more sex could not only make us feel good, it could provide far-reaching health benefits.

According to the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, unfortunately we are having less of it -- on average we have sex fewer than five times a month, compared to six-and-half times 20 years ago. Yet studies have linked regular sexual activity to emotional well-being, reduced migraine pain and even a lower risk of prostate cancer, Daily Mail reported.

A Canadian study last month found that half-an-hour of sexual activity could burn more calories than walking on a treadmill -- the researchers claimed sexual activity could be considered significant exercise.

The study measured the sexual activity of 21 couples aged between 18 and 35. They were monitored using an armband to calculate how many calories the wearer burned, and the intensity of the activity.

In a typical session, lasting 25 minutes, the men were observed as burning 100 calories on average, the women burned 69. The intensity of the activity was measured in METs (the Metabolic Equivalent of a Task); for men, the average reading was six METs, for women it was 6.6.

It's roughly the same as playing doubles tennis, or walking uphill, for 20 minutes, 33 minutes of golf on a driving range, 40 minutes of yoga or 19 minutes of light rowing.

According to the Canadian research, it can be classed as a moderate intensity exercise if you do enough of it.

Meanwhile, it is not just the heart and lungs that get a workout. Last week, scientists at the University of Maryland in the US found middle-aged rats made more brain cells after mating.