At times, sexual activity may potentially be considered a significant exercise. But, it would not be considered a workout in terms of caloric expenditure and muscular gains. However, burning 4-5 calories per minute is still better than none. One way to make sexual activity more of a workout is to increase the time of the act. Any time spent indulging in whatever amount of physical activity is at least better than just sitting and doing nothing at all.
Moreover, sex does have other incredible health benefits. Engaging in at least 10 minutes of sexual activity regularly can contribute to your cardiorespiratory health, increased serotonin levels, and improved sleep.
What Does The Research Say?
According to a study conducted, participants were made to wear armbands to track activity and measure calories burned during four sexual acts. It further revealed that men burned an average of 101 calories and women burned 69.1 calories in a sex session lasting an average of 24 minutes including foreplay. Sex is a hardly strenuous workout as compared to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity running which burned 279 calories in men and 213 calories in women.
Another study noted that men burn approximately 3.5 calories per minute during sex. Which is approximately equivalent to walking at a moderate pace. An average sex session excluding foreplay lasts only for about six minutes, resulting in almost negligible calorie burn.
Why Do Men Burn More Calories?
Mostly men are more physically active during sex due to high libido which explains why they burn more calories than women. Also, men usually weigh more than women, and as a result. The energy expenditure is higher in men for the same exercise performed.
Sex As Exercise
Sex is indeed a great form of exercise. It would not replace the running, but it counts for something. Sex expends at least 3 to 4 calories per minute, better than just sitting on a couch and hardly losing any calories. It pumps up your heart rate and involves various muscles. It works like exercise, the more consistently you do it, the more benefits you get to draw for improving your sexual health and ultimately your overall well-being.
How Sex Improves Immune System?
According to sexual health experts, sexually active people tend to take fewer sick days. Participating in sex once or twice a week helps boost the immune system. It defends your body against germs, viruses, and other intruders with higher levels of antibodies. Also, people who often indulge in sex have higher levels of antibodies compared to those who do not.
Other things that can help you boost your immunity as well as your sexual health may include:
Healthy Eating
Add an array of colors to your plate by picking foods that can deliver the essential nutrients to your body for performing the optimal function. You must include plenty of dark, leafy green vegetables such as spinach, fresh herbs, and legumes such as peas, lentils, and beans, along with nuts, fish, eggs, whole grains, olive oil, strawberries, blueberries, and citrus fruits such as oranges, yogurt, turmeric, ginger, papaya, and poultry to your diet.
Staying Active
Make aerobic as well as anaerobic exercises a part of your daily exercise routine. It imparts great benefits as it is the best way to improve your cardiovascular endurance and maintain overall health. Simple aerobic exercises such as running, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, etc. can help you shed some extra calories and boost oxygen content in the blood.
Anaerobic exercise uses a quick or immediate form of energy and helps boost your stamina. It includes high-intensity interval training (HIIT), weight lifting, Pilates, yoga, etc. It involves short, fast, high-intensity exercises that break down glucose that is already in your muscles for a form of energy.
Moreover, weight lifting or strength training causes your body to produce more testosterone which is a male sex hormone responsible for increasing the libido. Weight-lifting strengthens the upper body and hence increases stamina. To enhance your sex life you can try doing push-ups, sit-ups, and crunches.
Getting More Sleep
It is recommended that adults must get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. However, 1 in 3 adults still struggles to get enough sleep regularly. Lack of sleep can disturb many aspects of your health and wellness, including your sex life.
Avoiding Substance Abuse
Excessive use and abuse of psychoactive drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco, pain medications, or illegal drugs such as cocaine, marihuana, etc. can lead to physical and emotional harm. These psychoactive drugs are known for exhibiting mind-altering properties that hinder the normal functioning of your central nervous system by slowing it down.
Sex And Libido
Having sex more often will make your performance better and will boost your libido. Everyone’s libido is different, but most people see their libido decline as they age. You can keep the libido intact by including certain foods that boost your sex drive. Try doing some exercises that increase your testosterone, and refraining from bad lifestyle choices that impact your sex life and hence your overall well-being.
How Sex Lowers Heart Attack Risk?
Good sex life is a sign of good heart health. Besides being a great way to increase your health rate, sex is also helpful in keeping your estrogen (primary female sex hormone) and testosterone (primary male sex hormone) levels in balance. Although each hormone is identified with specific sex, both are found in women and men. When either of these hormones is low you begin to notice a lot of problems, like osteoporosis and even heart diseases.
Moreover, having sex more often may keep a multitude of health conditions at bay. During one study, men who engaged in sex at least twice a week were half as likely to suffer from heart disease as men who had rarely. Sex is a form of exercise that helps strengthen your heart, lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, and improve sleep.
Lastly, if you couple dietary changes with improvements to your health, you may notice a lasting positive effect on your sex life.
