We all know that there is a long list of benefits to having sex:
– supports a healthy immune system
– lowers one’s risk of having a heart attack
– increases one’s libido
– lessens anxiety
– relaxes you and helps you to sleep better

However, new studies suggest that sex may even be considered an alternative form of exercise, but don’t get too excited yet. The study says that “sex is better than a walk, but not a jog,” but that’s still something, right?

The study was published in October on an online journal called PLOS ONE and was conducted by researchers at Montreal’s University of Quebec. The researchers studied 21 heterosexual couples from ages 18 to 35 and used a high-tech armband called SenseWear to measure how many calories they burned during sex (in their homes, four times a week). Then they were asked to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes and record how many calories were burned. In about a 25-minute sex session women burned an average of 69 (3.1 per minute) calories while men burned an average of 100 (4.2 per minute). It was recorded that men burned double on the treadmill than they did during sex but when asked which exercise they would prefer (sex or running on a treadmill) 100% of men said sex (Rushlow). Can a duck swim?

There were many pros and cons to this experiment. For one, it gained lots of media attention (literally, Google “sex is exercise” and over 245,000,000 results will show up) and shed light on a common question in today’s world. Yes, sex is a great way to burn calories, but the result of this study wasn’t as awe-inspiring as we would have liked. The con of the study had to be the result: “sex is great, but you’re better off going for a run” (Cooper).

Another study conducted in Alabama tested the one performed in Montreal and concluded that sex “only burns 21 calories” with “sex only lasting 6 minutes” (NewsFix). A writer on Geekologie commented on the study and said, “Well that’s just some sad sex.”

The study concluded, “These results suggest that sexual activity may potentially be considered, at times, as a significant exercise. Moreover, both men and women reported that sexual activity was a highly enjoyable and more appreciated than the 30 min exercise session on the treadmill.” Let’s not continue to state the obvious though and instead take a bit of information from both studies and come to the conclusion that sex does burn calories, the number of how many is the only question left to solve and people should enjoy finding the answer.

Sources:

“Having Sex Only Burns…” CW39 NewsFix. NewsFix, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.

Cooper, Jonny. “The Linkdrop: Why Going for a Run Is ‘better’ than Sex.” The Telegraph.