by - Sex burns an estimated five calories per minute, making it a light to moderate form of physical activity.
- If you want to challenge your physical abilities, step up or try a sex position like wheelbarrow.
- Delaying an orgasm with edging or desensitizing products could also turn sex into a workout.
If you’re looking for ways to be more active in your everyday life but dread the idea of ​​going to the gym, more sex could be your ideal solution.
according to dr Of course, Steve Nissen, cardiac expert at the Cleveland Clinic, doesn’t burn as many calories as exercise at the gym, jogging, or hiking. But sex burns an estimated five calories a minute, according to Harvard Health. That’s the equivalent of walking a mile in 20 minutes, Nissen said.
However, if you’re looking to challenge your strength and endurance during sex, there are a few tweaks you can make for a more marathon-like bedroom experience, Emily Morse, sexologist and host of the Sex with Emily podcast, told Insider.
She said the focus in partner sex should be on the connection and mutual pleasure, and exploring new techniques or positions could be a way to do just that.
Choose a sex position where you are on top
Typically, the partner who is on top during sex has more control over their hip movements, making them the one who expends more energy thrusting or rubbing, Morse said.
They also need to use their muscle power more than the bottom partner.
“The person at the top is definitely the one who’s going to do more arm work and more core work,” Morse said.
For example, in the cowgirl sex position, a woman could lean forward with her hands on either side of her partner, firing her biceps and triceps. When she leans back, she uses her core muscles to stay stabilized, Morse said.
The lotus sex position, where the bottom partner sits cross-legged and the top partner sits across from them with their legs crossed, could cause burns to the inner thigh, according to Morse.
When a man is in a position like missionary up, his arms and core get worked, she said.
Put more effort into your movements with an advanced sex position
Some sex positions, like spooning, are all about comfort, but according to Morse, there are also many positions that can push partners out of their comfort zone.
She said standing sex positions, like wheelbarrows, would certainly get hearts pumping. To do this, one partner stands and holds the other partner’s feet and penetrates them while they are in a plank position and have their legs wrapped around the standing partner’s waist.
Other standing positions include the elevated doggy style, with one partner lying on the edge of the bed and one partner standing while the other bends forward toward their toes.
Delay your orgasms so the fun lasts longer
To test your endurance during sex, pull out the experience, Morse said.
One way to do this is by delaying orgasms by edging, or by slowing, stopping, or altering sexual stimuli to prevent imminent orgasm.
“Think of it as driving around a house before pulling into the driveway. You can keep circling the house, you can pull in the driveway a little, then pull out, circle the house a little more, and whenever you’re ready, you can drive the car all the way in. Or you can decide you just go all out and don’t want to drive in at all,” sex therapist Aida Manduley told Insider.
According to Manduley, you or your partner might slow down, decrease the intensity or pressure, switch areas of stimulation, or stop altogether before starting again.
Morse said there are also ejaculation delay sprays, which desensitize the penis, and cock rings, which some men have reported delaying premature ejaculation.
