If you consider having fun while losing weight to be the best way to lose it, then having sex is the best way to lose weight. A half-hour session of lovemaking will burn about 150 to 250 calories and up to 350 calories, depending on just how active you are, says Kerry McCloskey in her book, “The Ultimate Sex Diet.”
Aerobic Exercise
The amount of calories you will burn during 30 minutes of sex is equivalent to taking a brisk walk, lifting weights or running, says McCloskey. Keep that in mind when you are trying to lose weight and can’t muster the motivation to run. A warm partner can be a more preferable option to an elliptical machine.
Win-Win Situation
Not only is sex a good way to lose weight, the more in shape you are, the more you will want to have sex and the more you have sex, the more in shape you will be, says McCloskey. This is the ultimate win-win situation. In fact, when you are in better shape, you will be more likely to do other forms of exercise, and the more exercising you do, the better your sex will be. Men who work out 20 to 30 minutes several times a week reduce erection problems by half, according to a Harvard School of Public Health study conducted in 2000. More exercise leads to better blood circulation, including circulation to the genitals of both men and women.
Abdominal Exercise
You can also tone certain areas during sex. The “Elvis Pelvis” is a McCloskey creation that tones your abs. You and your partner should stand naked facing each other. Press your pelvises together, raise your arms to the ceiling and lean back while keeping your pelvises in contact. Hold for three seconds, and repeat five times.
Short Sessions are Good, Too
If you don’t have time for 30 minutes of sex, a 15-minute session can be as effective if you do some other form of exercise for 15 minutes later in the day, says Dr. Laura Berman, assistant professor of obstetrics-gynecology and psychiatry at Northwestern University in Chicago. Getting highly aroused and having an orgasm is good cardiovascular activity, Berman says.
You Will Eat Less
Having sex also leads to weight loss because generally people who have regular sex eat less, says Dr. Howard Shapiro, a New York City weight-loss specialist on WebMD. People eat out of frustration, and when they have sex, they are less frustrated. People also eat out of loneliness. People who are in a committed relationship with regular sex are not lonely. Stress is another eating trigger. Sex decreases stress, which will take away another bad reason to turn to food.
Photo Credit
- Sex offer image by painless from Fotolia.com
