Daily Loaf

What would you say if I told you that sex–passionate, raw, primal sex–is a legitimate way of exercising and keeping off the pounds?

Although I love to write about sex, I’m also a certified personal trainer. After learning exercises from one of the best trainers I know, I realized that most people hate doing the same cardio workouts over and over.  And, one of the best ways to stick to a workout program, is to do something you enjoy, like bicycling, playing basketball, or having sex.

As your digital personal trainer, and favorite sex and love contributor, I have good news: sex is an excellent cardio workout. Aside from the obvious joy of orgasms, having sex as a workout can have many health benefits and can spice up your sex life.

Exercise keeps our hearts healthy and potentially prolongs our lives. One study found that overweight males are more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction (ED), which puts quite a damper on your sex life. 97 men with an average age of 48 who were defined as “morbidly obese” were studied to determine if weight loss helped their own person sexual function. The results were positive. The men who exercised more suffered less from one-minute-man or no-minute-man syndrome. So, in a sense, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

This fantastic Web site, sexy balls, is dedicated to sex positions… with a stability ball. For all those anti-gym folk, this ball is filled with air and can range from 45 to 75 centimeters around (you can hold it at your chest and your fingers won’t touch on the other side). This web site is complete with an instructional booklet and demonstration video. The instructor’s sexy Australian accent adds to my intrigue to try sex on a stability ball. My favorite positions are the back extension and the upside down, which requires an ungodly amount of upper body strength. (Editor’s note: if this site is to tame for you, feel free to donate money to help fund the Sex and Love editor’s ingenious plan to produce workout sex tapes with Janine Lindemulder)

Sex does much more than satisfy your urges; it has been proven to relieve stress, cholesterol, and bad attitudes. Nothing puts a smile on your face faster than a good sex session which sends your endorphins sky high. If you don’t come out of sex happy, either you’re not doing it right or you need to get a new “workout buddy.”

A cardiovascular workout elevates your heart rate to at least 60 percent of your maximum heart rate (here’s a formula to calculate the numbers). During sex your body temperature heats up and your heart rate increases by at least ten beats per minute (BPM). But during the actual point of ecstasy, the heart rate can reach your maximum heart BPM, sometimes even one or two above that rate. From the trainer standpoint this is safe for people with no cardiovascular problems, because that moment of climax only last about 10 seconds. From the sex and love contributor standpoint, hold that moment as long as you possibly can.

Here are some activities with the calories burned for a 150 pound person for 30 minutes :

Sex 44
Cleaning 119
Mowing the lawn 187
Bicycling 273
Running 341

To find more calories burned for your weight and different activities visit this Web site.

If you decide that today you just don’t feel like exercising, try seducing your partner and see how long you can tease each other before you just cannot take it anymore. After it’s all said and done you both will have worked out… each other.

Follow Emmalee on Twitter at twitter.com/emmaleeschmidt

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