Hate working out? Turns out a favorite intimate activity may be just as effective as a 30 minute bout of moderate exercise.
Reporting in the health journal PLoS One, researchers say that just 20 minutes of sexual intercourse is comparable to a similar session on the treadmill–and as an added bonus burns a considerable amount of calories as well.
“Sex can be considered, at times, a significant exercise, worth encouraging in people who otherwise baulk at working out,” says Antony D. Karelis, a University of Quebec professor of exercise science and researcher.
The Study
Recruiting a total of 21 heterosexual couples in their 20s, Karelis first asked them to jog on a treadmill for 30 minutes to gauge their energy expenditure, a term used to describe how much energy, or calories, are expended to support a person’s basic bodily needs. In this case, the men here on average burned 276 calories, whereas the women burned only 213 calories.
Then came the fun part–measuring how many calories they burned during sexual activity.
To do so, Karelis fitted all participants with a special armband to measure their rate of activity, which they used to determine the amount of calorie burning during sex. Couples were instructed to have sexual intercourse at least once a week for a month while wearing these armbands, as well as fill out questionnaires about how it made them feel physically and mentally as compared to treadmill running.
Then Karelis and his team reviewed the data. The conclusion was clear: Sex was comparable to moderate exercise.
“The present study indicates that energy expenditure during sexual activity appears to be approximately 85 kCal or 3.6 kCal/min and seems to be performed at a moderate intensity (5.8 METS) in young healthy men and women,” say Karelis in his study, which was published in the online version of PLoS One. “These results suggest that sexual activity may potentially be considered, at times, as a significant exercise.”
In total, those who engaged in regular sexual activity burned an average of 101 calories, which lasted around 25 minutes on average. And while the calories burned were statistically lower than a 30 minute bout on the treadmill, the effort recorded by participants was the equivalent of walking uphill or playing tennis, according to Karelis.
And obviously, they were more likely to follow through with their intimate endeavors than, say, running on the treadmill.
“These results suggest that sexual activity may potentially be considered, at times, as a significant exercise,” says Karelis. “Moreover, both men and women reported that sexual activity was a highly enjoyable and more appreciated than the 30 min exercise session on the treadmill.”
What You Should Do
While it shouldn’t replace an exercise program, being more intimate with your partner on a regular basis could help you burn more calories–and therefore keep more weight off. One 25 minute session should help you burn around 100 calories in the long run, comparable to an easy jog on the treadmill.
Readers: Do you think this really counts as physical exercise? Why or why not?
Sources:
Study: Sexual Activity May Be Just as Effective as Moderate Exercise – PLOSOne.org
Why Sex is a Better Exercise (And More Fun) Than Jogging – StandardMedia.co.ke
About The Author: Zero to Hero Fitness
Our mission at Zero to Hero Fitness is to help you to finally lose the weight and keep it off, strengthen your body and mind, and experience naturally high levels of energy throughout the day. We believe everyone, regardless of your past or current struggles with your health or fitness, can greatly improve on your existing condition and live life in your best body possible.