Can sex really help you lose weight? Here’s what the experts have to say
As the year draws to a close, many people focus on weight loss goals, with a staggering 63% expressing the desire to drop a few kilos before the new year, according to recent research from the fitness app Zing Coach.
Yet, in a world where gym memberships often fall by the wayside, it's no wonder that interest is piqued by the notion of losing weight through sex, with Google searches for “lose weight having sex” witnessing a remarkable 143% surge in recent weeks.
However, before you toss your gym shoes aside, expert insights suggest that the bedroom may not be the fitness alternative many seem to think it is.
Walter Gjergja, co-founder and Chief Fitness Officer at Zing Coach, dispels the notion that sex can serve as a legitimate replacement for traditional workouts.
“Sex isn’t as calorie-demanding as a high-intensity cardio session,” he explains.
Rather, its calorie-burning potential is modest at best, comparable to climbing a few flights of stairs.
So just how many calories can a bit of action between the sheets burn?
According to research, the average woman expends roughly three calories per minute during sex, positioning it between the physical endeavour of walking and hiking in terms of energy use.
Men, on the other hand, burn around four calories per minute, a difference attributed not to more vigorous effort but rather biological factors, including greater muscle mass and body fat percentages that necessitate additional metabolic energy.
These figures, however, should be taken as rough estimates.
“Many of these estimates do not define sexual activities very specifically,” Gjergja cautions, implying that factors such as creativity, vigour, and duration can heavily influence the caloric outcome.
What a let down
“Is it enough to lose weight? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but sex is no replacement for a proper workout,” he states bluntly.
To put the numbers into perspective, an hour of jogging on a treadmill may burn approximately 600 calories, while spending that same duration engaged in sexual activity can result in a burn of only around 200 calories.
Yet, Gjergja emphasises that while sex alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of weight reduction, it does play a supportive role in a healthy lifestyle.
Every bit helps
“You need to combine the right exercises that target all areas of your body, eat a balanced diet, and adopt a healthy lifestyle to achieve your goals,” he asserts.
The benefits of sexual activity extend beyond mere calorie counts; it floods the body with hormones that contribute positively to blood circulation, immune function, mood, and quality of sleep.
IOL Lifestyle