Can Sex Replace Your Regular Exercise Routine?

The list of ways to get in shape and tone up is endless. Some people jog, some join Curves or Jazzercise, take yoga or join a social soccer team. But sometimes scheduled classes and sports seem like a lot of work, and it can be hard to motivate yourself to get in shape when you feel like you’re working instead of having fun.

Well we all know one way to have fun. But, can you really consider sex to be a regular part of your exercise regimen? Yes, actually.

There are two parts of any exercise regimen that everyone has to do:

Aerobic and weight training.

Aerobic exercise gets your heart rate up, which makes your heart stronger, your blood flow faster, and conveys more oxygen to every part of the body. This is good for you in just about every way. It keeps placque from sticking to the inner walls of your arteries. It keeps you from becoming overweight, with all the disorders and self-esteem issues that can cause. Improved oxygen flow keeps your stress low, your mental acuity high, and your energy flowing.

Weight training is geared specifically toward strengthening muscles. The more muscle cells you have, the higher your metabolism will be, meaning that you’ll burn more fat and calories and be less likely to gain weight. The stronger your muscles are, the less likely it is that you’ll have problems with the joints that they support (physical therapy is often concerned with strengthening the muscles around a weakened joint), and the more physical stamina you’ll have.

So, how does sex fit into your aerobic and weight exercises?

In two important ways.

First, a good round of sex will keep your heart rate elevated. Your pulse picks up, you breathe faster, you sweat, you never stop moving. It is aerobic exercise. If you can keep up that level of activity for 20 minutes, you’ve met your daily aerobic exercise requirement. If you can do it three times in a week, that could cover your aerobic requirement for the week.

Second, sex does have an effect on your weight discipline, but it’s a little less direct. For both men and women, weight training increases the levels of testosterone in the blood—and that translates to arousal. Many people find that working out, rather than making them tired, gets them in the mood faster than almost anything else. In addition to the extra hormones flooding your blood, working out makes you look great and feel good about your body. If you feel sexy, you’ll be less inhibited during sex. And if you know you look good, you’ll be confident and assertive when you’re with that special guy or gal.

Sex and exercise: it’s one of those awesome cycles. More weight training leads to more desire which leads to one of the best forms of exercise…more sex! So, don’t put it off any longer. For a healthy life and fantastic sex life, start exercising… in the bedroom!