Last updated
8 January 2010

Sex: An effective workout?

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Does having sex actually burn a lot of calories?

Losing weight can only really be achieved by eating less and exercising more, the aim being to reduced your net daily calorie intake to below your maintenance level.

To monitor and track your weight loss efforts properly, you need to calorie count, noting down all that you eat and drink - this is best done with a food diary. It is equally important to note down what exercise you have been doing as exercise burns calories - whether it is doing a run, mowing the grass or cleaning the house, all of these activities burn calories!

One exercise that most people completely forget to consider is sex. Sex uses nearly every muscle group in the body and gets the heart and lungs working hard.

So how effective is sex as a workout?

30 minutes of vigorous sex for a person weighing 10 stone (63.5kgs) burns 183 calories
30 minutes of vigorous sex for a person weighing 15 stone (95.3kg) is 275 calories

To put this in context, 30 minutes of vigorous sex is equivalent to doing a 23 minute jog. Surprised? It is probably easy to guess which exercise most people would rather do. Therefore, if you are struggling to get schedule a fitness routine into your life, you could embark on a workout between the sheets.

"30 minutes of vigorous sex is equivalent to doing a 23 minute jog"

Aside from the obvious calorie burning benefits, "sexercise" as it has been badged has other health benefits according the UK's National Health Service. According to the NHS Direct website, "sexercise" can lower the risk of heart attacks just like any effective exercise.

It is also claimed that endorphins released during orgasm even stimulate immune system cells which helps target illnesses like cancer. Apparently, orgasms also help prevent wrinkles and frown lines from deepening and release "natural painkillers" into the bloodstream which helps to keep mild illnesses like colds and aches and pains at bay.

It doesn't stop there. The production of extra oestrogen and testosterone hormones helps to keep bones and muscles healthy.

Whether you believe the claimed health benefits, few would argue that sex is a pleasurable activity, burns a lot of calories and has obvious benefits for mental wellbeing, so why not give it ago.

Remember, if you are not already a member, sign up to Purple Weight Loss today for your free weight loss plan and to take advantage of our free food and exercise diary service.