If you have had sex, I guess you won’t be new to the feeling of sweating. Clearly, this tells you that sex is a workout because you burn energy. Sometimes, you or your significant other might wake up with little energy or sore muscles.
However, if you don’t have a smartwatch, you might not know the exact amount of calories or energy you are burning. Nevertheless, you must note that not every person will process and burn calories the same way. Therefore, there is no exact science.
Irrespective of the variables, having a romp in your sheets cannot substitute gym time. Sex is an excellent way of engaging various muscles, and most importantly, it’s a great time to reconnect with your partner and have fun.
In this blog, we will explore the question of how many calories you can burn in bed. So individuals can properly understand the role of sex in exercising and burning calories.
Let’s not overcomplicate things! Sex can burn calories.
However, you must note that everything the body does can burn calories, even when reading this article. Let’s get back to our topic. The amount of calories you can burn during sex is based on how rigorous your sexual activity is. Yes, you heard that right.
You must remain consistently in a fat-burning heart rate zone. You can boost your heart rate by practicing foreplay or laying in the plank pose. Staying long engaged in physical activity and maintaining an elevated heart rate increases the amount of calories you burn.
For the skeptics, there have been various studies that have researched sex and the number of calories burned in bed. One of these studies done at the University of Quebec at Montreal studies 21 early 20s heterosexual couples.
The researchers kept an eye on the calorie expenditure during sexual activity and exercise with armbands. Some other things assessed after sexual activity included pleasure, fatigue, effort perception, and perceived energy spent. To compare their energy spent, every participant performed a 30-minute endurance exercise on a treadmill. However, it was at moderate intensity.
Here comes the fun part: the results revealed that men burned more calories than women, with men burning 101 calories and women 69 calories in a 24-minute session. In a 30-minute moderate-intensity treadmill session, women burned 213 calories and men 276 calories. However, perceived energy expenditure during sexual activity was similar in women and men when compared with the measured energy expenditure. Let’s interpret this result.
Sex cannot burn as many calories as moderate-intensity exercise. However, the number burned was notable.
In another study issued in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a man with a weight of 154 pounds would, at 3 METs (metabolic equivalents), burn 210 calories every hour (about 3.5 calories every minute) during an orgasm session and stimulation.
This expenditure is quite similar to that obtained by walking at a moderate pace, which is about 2.5 miles per hour. However, the study also mentioned that the average romp of sexual activity can usually last for about six minutes, meaning that a man in his early to mid-30s can burn about 21 calories during sexual activities.
You must have noticed that even with research, your average sex cannot make a difference in your calories burned. So, if you want to increase the benefit of your next romp, then the following can help you:
Partaking in sexual activity for a longer period can help you burn more calories.
A steamy, hot, and warmer sex will make you sweat more. Therefore, you will burn more calories.
Positions are crucial in burning calories. Some sex positions burn more calories than others. For example, the person who takes the dominant position in the doggy style may likely burn more calories than whoever is in front. Likewise, when a couple performs the reverse cowgirl, if the man is horizontal, he will burn next to nothing.
Having sex has many benefits that go beyond mere burning calories. Let’s find out some of the:
Psychologically, sexual orgasm creates an endorphin rush that is the same as a runner’s high that provides lasting effects on the state of mind. Making love and climaxing with your partner provides both couples with a heightened level of oxytocin, a hormone that improves the feelings of affection and love between couples.
Pleasing each other can build confidence in couples. You will enjoy the feeling of being desirable and being on the receiving and giving end of these feelings. It can do wonders for self-esteem.
The American Journal of Cardiology conducted a study that showed that those who had sex a minimum of twice every week had a lesser chance of developing heart diseases when compared to men who had sex once a month.
After orgasm, the body produces the hormone prolactin and oxytocin. These hormones are linked to sleepiness, relaxation, and satiety.
The pelvic muscles support the uterus, bowel, and bladder. If they contract, these organs are lifted, tightening the openings to the urethra, anus, and vagina. Strengthening these muscles can improve control over body functions like urination. It also increases the ability to achieve pleasurable sensations during sexual activities.
Evidence suggests that the number of sex can vary during sex. However, a safe estimate places it at 3 to 4 calories every minute. However, the benefits go beyond just burning calories. However, you should not consider it your quota for physical activity. Consider trying new positions to increase the amount of calories burned during sex. Ensure you are both healthy to try these new positions and have an increased heart rate.
If you wish to learn more about how many calories you can burn in bed and the role of testosterone in improving sexual health, this website has the answers you might need.
Yes, it does because it involves a higher level of physical activity and exertion. Though kissing can increase your heart rate and offers health benefits such as emotional bonding and stress reduction, it is less intensive than sex.
Sex is a form of exercise and can help you reduce weight. On average, you can burn about 85 to 150 calories in a single sexual activity. Men generally burn more calories than women and have a higher chance of being physically active during sex.
