What if your next workout didn’t feel like exercise at all? Sex can burn up to 200 calories in a single session — making your bedroom the ultimate gym.
For people who already exercise regularly, working out is naturally a stress-reliever. However, for those who haven’t built that habit, exercise can feel like a daunting chore — especially when it comes to weight loss, which often requires time to show visible results, making motivation harder to maintain. However, sex can also provide a decent workout. So now, you really can’t say exercise isn’t motivating!
It’s no secret that sex burns calories, but exactly how much? A study that tracked 21 heterosexual couples using wrist monitors found that men burned an average of 101 calories per session, while women burned around 69 calories. The actual calories burned can vary depending on the position.
The difference is largely because men often take the more “active” roles in most sex positions. So the question is: if you want to treat sex as a workout, which positions are best?
Here are 5 sex positions that let you feel good while getting a workout!
Standing train bento position
When people think of standing positions, besides rear-entry, the train bento position (often seen in adult videos) comes to mind. While it seems to test a man’s arm and core strength, women can’t just relax entirely. If the woman offers no support and the man suddenly gets tired, the weight can drop suddenly, which can be dangerous.
In this position, the woman should use her arms to hold the man’s neck and engage her core and thighs to support some of her own weight, syncing with the man’s movements. Because it engages multiple muscle groups, the Train Bento position is a great choice for burning calories.
Cowgirl position
The cowgirl position is the most basic woman-on-top position, in which the woman sits on top of the man in a straddle-like position. For this position, she controls the entire rhythm through the rhythmic swinging of the waist, abdomen, buttocks, lower back, thighs and other body parts.
In this position, the man essentially just lies back and enjoys it, at most extending his hands to caress your breasts or hold your waist or hips. Therefore, the primary calories burned during the process naturally reside on you. For even greater effectiveness, the speed of the back-and-forth movement and even the amplitude of the movements can be adjusted accordingly.
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Scissor position
The scissors position is less commonly tried because it requires coordination and can feel awkward, which makes it more tiring. In this position, both partners lie on their sides, facing each other, with legs crossed—each leg hooks around the other person’s thigh. Movement comes from the hips and core, whether the man or woman takes the lead. Holding the posture engages muscles and burns a significant number of calories.
Butter churner position
According to the study mentioned earlier, the “Butter Churner” position burns the most calories. Both partners exert considerable energy, and the depth of penetration is also optimal. It’s a position that combines exercise with pleasure. The woman lies on her back, supporting her upper body with her arms while raising her legs above her head. The man squats to enter and uses his shoulders to help support the woman’s legs. This position can burn over 200 calories in half an hour, provided both partners can maintain it for that long.
Read also: Oral sex: A lifestyle editor’s guide to taking control in the bedroom
Squatting cowgirl position
This is similar to the regular cowgirl, but the woman squats over the man, using her thigh strength to move up and down. Hands can rest on the man or hold his hands for balance. Compared to the traditional cowgirl, this position demands more muscle strength and often feels like anaerobic exercise due to its faster, more intense movement. The man also feels greater stimulation, making it a highly recommended position.
These five positions are excellent ways to combine sex with exercise. Not only do they help burn calories, but they also make your intimate time more dynamic and engaging. Of course, if you pay more attention to each other during foreplay, there will be an additional bonus!
This article was originally published by Sadako on the Marie Claire Taiwan website.
