Many New Year's resolutions center on looking and feeling better, which can be quite pricey to execute. (Facials and detoxes are anything but cheap.)

Instead of stocking up on anti-aging products, try turning back the clock by getting busy. In a study conducted at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, participants who had sex an average of three times a week were perceived to be seven to 12 years younger than their actual age. (And here we thought the only beauty benefit was tousled hair.) Regular sex leads to the release of hormones like estrogen, which helps promote things like healthy hair and nails and human growth hormone, which helps with skin elasticity.

All that, and it's free? So long, fancy facialist. We'll stick with sex from now on, thanks.

Want to slim down in the New Year? Why hit the gym when you can hit the sheets instead? Research shows sex counts as a "significant exercise" and, according to Web MD, doing the dirty deed for 30 minutes can burn 85 or more calories, depending on the, ahem, intensity with which you get it on.

Try getting on top for a more heart-pumping session that will also help engage and tone your thighs, glutes and ab muscles.

If you often find yourself so sick you can't get out of bed, you may benefit from spending more time in bed -- with someone else, of course. Sure, you could commit to an insanely restrictive diet or suffer through the latest immunity-boosting cleanse to get healthier in 2016, but wouldn't you rather shag your way to fewer sick days?

Research shows that individuals who get some on the regular -- we're talking a mere one to two times a week -- rarely need to reach for that bottle of NyQuil. That's because serial shaggers have a higher level of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that protects the body from cold viruses. Moreover, according to WebMD, getting it on helps lower your risk of heart disease and balances hormone production.

If spending more quality time with your partner is a priority in the New Year, you could schedule date nights and talk about your feelings, but chances are nothing will make you two feel as intimately connected as sex.

Lovemaking releases the feel-good hormone oxytocin, which promotes trust, empathy and bonding. And while research shows that women produce more oxytocin -- and are therefore more likely to "let their guard down and fall in love with a man after sex" -- that doesn't mean men are immune to this wily little hormone.

In fact, one study found that men in monogamous relationships were less likely to display interest in women other than their partners, due to the effects of oxytocin.

There's no doubt yoga is a great stress-reducer, but sometimes the stress of making it to class outweighs the benefits. Instead, you can ditch your favorite yoga pose -- and the hassle of hauling ass to a studio -- in favor of striking your preferred sexual position from the comfort of your bedroom (or wherever it is you like to do the deed).

Sex not only helps lower your blood pressure, but it improves your ability to handle mentally stressful situations. According to findings published in "Biological Psychology" by Scottish researchers, individuals who had sex were better able to perform stressful tasks -- like verbal arithmetic and public speaking -- better than those who remained abstinent.