There are many reasons to have sex, from reproduction to fun to raising your heart rate. So if you're looking for a way to stay active and feel good, perhaps finding out how many calories sex burns, if any, can help. Depending on how "perky" you and your partner are during sex, you may be panting and sweaty when you're done, making it feel even more like a workout. But while sex does burn calories, the amount of calories you burn depends on a few factors, starting with the number of calories you usually burn during any kind of physical activity.
"The number of calories you burn depends a little bit on your weight," Dr. Teju Adegoke, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston Medical Center and founder of WISH (Wellness in Sexual Health), tells Woman's Day. "It depends a little bit on your current cardiovascular endurance and probably depends on the exact activity you're engaging in."
The positions you're in and the specific things you and your partner do during sex can have an effect on how many calories you burn during a romp in the sheets. "If you're on top, you'll get your heart rate higher than in positions like missionary because you're the one controlling the thrusts and movements," Gigi Engle, a sex and intimacy expert for SKYN condoms, tells Woman's Day. But it's not just actual sexual activity that burns calories. Everything leading up to it does, too.
Based on the body weight of a 75-pound woman, here are seven different ways you can burn calories during sex, along with expert advice on how to turn things up a notch so you can burn even more during your next session.
Kissing: 68 calories per hour
Well, not only can kissing deepen the social bond between partners, according to Nature, a research community focused on social interactions, but it can also help you get in a few rounds of exercise.
"If the kiss is intense and involves some petting, it could be even closer to 90 calories burned in an hour," Jaiya Kinzbach, a Los Angeles-based sexologist and author of Red Hot Touch, tells Woman's Day.
If you want to turn kissing into an honest workout," Kinzbach suggests "kissing in unusual positions. Put the man on his back and do a 'plank pose' or push-up on top of him, getting down to kiss him and then getting back up again. Push-ups burn 171 calories in 30 minutes."
Freely burn 230 calories per half hour
A hot 'spanking' in your clothes with the man you love can be an intense calorie blaster yet. Why? Anticipation can get your heart rate up, Gilda Carle, PhD, a psychotherapist and relationship expert, tells Woman's Day. "It gives way to heavy breathing, which gives way to a big calorie burn," she explains.
But you can still maximize your workout by making it hotter and sweatier. "The hotter the room - think Bikram (aka 'hot' yoga) - and the sweatier the face, the more calories you burn," adds Kinzbach. Also, try rolling over in bed or changing your scenery. "Make it playful and erotic, and you have a great combination for an enjoyable workout."
Massage: 80 calories per hour
Who doesn't like a good massage from their partner? Well, if you're the giver, you get another benefit besides making your other half happy... Burned calories.
Carole Lieberman, M.D., a Beverly Hills psychiatrist and author, told Everyday Health that getting a massage burns 80 calories per hour. While it can get your heart rate up and put your body into calorie-burning mode, the way to get things even higher while you're getting a massage is not to speed things up.
Instead, consider going slower, Kinzbach recommends. "This may seem counterintuitive for burning calories, but going slower and deeper is not only more sensual, but it works different muscles. I also recommend getting a massage table that's best for your body.
Having sex: 69 calories on average
The number of calories you burn during sex varies significantly from one session to another, as well as from person to person. Researchers at the University of Montreal asked 21 heterosexual couples aged 18 to 35 to have sex once a week for a period of four weeks while wearing an activity tracker to track calories. The study published in the journal PLOS ONE found that, on average, women burned about 69 calories during a 25-minute session, while men burned about 100 calories. Couples therapist and sexologist Isiah McKimmie echoes this finding. "It's actually not as much as we think," he tells Woman's Day. "It's only a little bit more than going for a walk."
According to experts, the key to calorie-burning sex is to make it hot and long. "The longer and more intense your sexual activity, the more calories you'll burn," McKimmie explains. You can also add in some moaning and groaning, which can help you burn an extra 18 to 30 calories, Kinzbach adds.
Giving oral sex: 100 calories per half hour
According to trainer Brooke Marrone, owner of Brooke Marrone Fitness in New York City, giving oral sex to your partner can burn about 100 calories every 30 minutes. And if you want to burn even more fat, Kinzbach recommends trying to perform oral sex on your partner while doing push-ups at the same time.
"You can also do some yoga," says Kinzbach, which adds an extra 35 calories. "Try the plank position on a dog facing down and back to the plank, where you can lower down and do oral stimulation."
Using your hands: 100 calories per hour
Of course, old-fashioned hand work burns calories. According to a blog post written by Alyssa Dweck, MD and gynecologist, "doing a hand job can burn up to 100 calories per hour, depending on vigor and position."
You can burn an additional 50 calories per half hour if you up the ante, Kinzbach says. "Do several things at once," she suggests. "Try really slow sensual movements and position yourself so you can use your body as well."
