‘Sex is Better Exercise than Jogging’, Survey Says
January 31, 2014
I will be honest, I am a bit of a sex addict. You don’t really need to encourage me to have more sex. Still, if I did need another reason to get down to action, a recent report on the health benefits of sex would really give me an extra incentive.
We have all heard the rumours that sex is the best form of exercise. A 20 minute sex session was once described as comparable with an eight round fight with Muhammad Ali. For one, I always thought that the benefits were exaggerated.
Proven Benefits
Well, it now seems there was some truth in the reported tale, even if there is an element of exaggeration
“There are these myths, including one that sex burns at least 100 calories per session,” says Antony D Karelis, a professor of exercise science at the University of Quebec.
Karelis did a study, which was published in the on-line research journal PLOS One in October, to see how much energy is actually exerted during sex.
Karelis recruited 21 young, heterosexual, committed couples from the local area and had them jog on treadmills for half an hour while researchers monitored their energy expenditure so they could compare it with the physical demands of sex.
The next step saw them the volunteers fitted with armbands that monitored activity. Using these made it possible to gauge exertion in terms of calories and METs – the “metabolic equivalent of task”. This is a measure comparing an activity to sitting perfectly still (1-MET), to an activity requiring more exertion (I just about got that I think)
The scientists then sent the couples home, instructing them to have sex at least once a week for a month while wearing the armbands. Couples were also asked to fill out questionnaires about how each session made them feel physically and psychologically, especially compared to pursuits like running on a treadmill.
Moderate Exercise
When the researchers eventually analysed all of the results, it was clear that sex qualified as “moderate exercise”. This is usually taken as a 6-MET activity for men and 5.6-MET activity for women, which is the equivalent of playing doubles tennis or walking uphill.
Jogging, by comparison, is more strenuous, an 8.5-MET activity for men and 8.4 for women. Some men seemingly used more energy for brief periods during sex than they did jogging.
The study showed that sex also burned four calories per minute for men and three per minute for women, during sessions which ranged from 10 to 57 minutes, including foreplay. (The average being 25 minutes.) In comparison, men burned about nine calories per minute jogging and women about seven.
In summary, Karelis said the data revealed “Sex can be considered, at times, a significant exercise, worth encouraging in people who otherwise baulk at working out”.So there you go. If you need any encouragement to go and see one of the Manchester escorts, there it is in black and white. An evening with them certainly beats running on a treadmill!
A more surprising result in the survey is the revelation that 98% of people preferred sex to jogging.
2% of people are doing something very, very wrong!”
Since then, he has specialised in articles on the battle for equal rights for sex workers, sexual health, as well as bringing the readers fun news from around the world. He also has a major interest in LGBT rights, and is an active campaigner in this field.
When he isn't fighting the good fight, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, and young daughter. He also enjoys reading and taking long walks.
- Trailblazers: Celebrating Female Empowerment in Adult Work - March 8, 2024
- Advocacy and Activism: Making a Difference in the Adult Industry - March 3, 2024
- The Lover’s Guide: Unique Valentine’s Day Ideas with Escorts - February 14, 2024
