Sex, sex, sex - the papers are full of it. ‘Making love is good for your heart (but only if you’re a man)’ was the first headline that unsettled me while having a quick read on the train.

Scientists have revealed that enjoying regular sex could be the best remedy for avoiding heart disease, but, strangely, this only applies to men.

Fellas who enjoy regular sex sessions often have better circulation and healthier blood vessels, which helps prevent a build-up of homocysteine - a chemical in the blood that can trigger heart problems, a study found.

I’m highly sceptical. It is a known fact that footballers are not allowed to sleep with their wives before a big match due to the belief that the buzz it generates will hinder their performance the day after.

British sprinter Linford Christie used to say making love the night before a race made his legs feel like lead and German tennis player Boris Becker made headlines after he defied a trainer who told him to remain celibate.

If my husband thinks that sex ‘sessions’ (a horrible expression which suggests they have to be booked in advance) are the way to a healthy ticker he can think again. If he has any problems of that nature I’d rather he had a pacemaker fitted.

The second revelation that caught my eye was the notion that sex can improve your memory.

I’ve always thought that to keep their minds agile older people should play Sudoko, play bridge or fill in crossword puzzles.

Apparently not. While these pastimes are still helpful, those who maintain a sex life into their twilight years should improve their brainpower and memory.

Sex is believed to release the ‘happy hormone’ dopamine, helping with complex mental tasks.

It’s the last thing on my mind, and I am only 56. The idea of sex after a jam packed day is exhausting in itself. And I’d need my memory to be well and truly boosted beforehand so I could recall how to actually participate in the carnal act. I’ll stick to the cryptic crossword thank you very much.

Then came the interesting revelation that DIY and gardening burn more calories than sex. Painting, sanding and sawing can burn 235 calories an hour, and weeding, digging and planting consumes 206, while sex burns just 200 calories an hour for a man and a paltry 138 for a woman.

This is great news. In my home it will certainly strengthen the argument for my husband to get on with making the wardrobe doors he has been promising for the past decade and trimming our overgrown hedge.

On top of all this sex talk comes the news that almost half of all couples in the UK have sex fewer than ten times in a year and a quarter of us are unhappy with our sex lives. That’s a heck of a lot of people.

Maybe we are all too busy reading about sex to have the time to actually do it. Or maybe we’ve all lost interest.

After all, more than half of complaints made to the regulator Ofcom about the TV series Love Island, in which couples who have just met are having sex on camera, have been about contestants smoking rather than romping.

That’s been in the news too.