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Exercise is essential for the mind, body and immune system. So if sex gets the heart rate up, does it also count as exercise?
The jury is mostly out on this, but research has shown that sex burns around 3.6 calories per minute. For comparison, going for a run can burn around 11.4 calories per minute. It may sound enticing to spend an hour and a half of getting it on instead of hitting the gym, but don’t ditch your exercise routine just yet.
Instead, health experts will tell you that staying fit is one way to experience more pleasure in the bedroom.
Here’s why: During exercise, your heart beats faster and you breathe heavier. This allows more oxygenated blood to flow to the important areas, like the genitals. And blood + genitals = increased sensitivity. Even after you’re done working out, this supports feeling all the good stuff even more during sex.
Brian Thompson, a personal trainer in San Francisco told us that “Better stamina and endurance, greater strength, and flexibility, all lead to better performance in the bedroom. Bottom line: physical activity that gets your heart beating faster and gets you breathing harder will translate to a better bedroom experience.”
You don’t need to become an olympian to enjoy the benefits of exercise on your sex life, either. All you need is a little bit of space and 10 minutes. That’s why our very own Dr. Britney Blair and personal trainer Brian Thompson have designed this “sexercise drill” to help you get started. Watch it here.
For more inspiration, here are a few other exercises to work into your routine for better sex:
Aerobic exercise
To make sure you maintain a healthy weight and keep physically fit, increasing your heart rate is key.
Swimming: The perfect low impact sport for anyone with injuries or joint pain.
Walking: Get those 10,000 steps in!
Running: Running or jogging is an ideal way to get your heart rate up.
Core exercise
Planking: The longer you can hold it, the better! Try building up by 5-10 seconds each day.
The hollow body hold: Learn how to do it here.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
No, this isn’t just for pregnant women. Any person can do pelvic floor exercises and enjoy the benefits, including multiple orgasms!
How do you do them?
Imagine you’re stopping the flow of urine. The muscle that lifts is your pelvic floor.
To do a kegel, you want to be “stopping that flow of urine” or lifting up that pelvic floor for 3 seconds.
Release and relax for 3 seconds.
Repeat for 10 reps.
You can repeat this during the day, whether you're in the car, brushing your teeth…or on a boring zoom call.
Yoga
Focusing on your strength and flexibility can help you to feel more comfortable do those hot sex positions. Yoga or pilates is one of the best sports you can do to build both core strength and increase flexibility. Using your body weight can also help to build up that upper body strength you’ll need to give and receive pleasure for longer.
Download the Lover app today for courses designed to help you get better in bed.