Whether one wants to spice up their sex life or burn more calories in the bedroom, new data from fitness experts on the most sweat-inducing sexual positions may have couples attempting more active techniques.
To discover which position gives couples the highest burn for their bang in a 30-minute session, 24/7 Fitness examined a total of 11 sex positions commonly performed in male-female intercourse: spooning, standing, cowgirl, reverse cowgirl, squatting, doggy, legs akimbo, lotus, wheelbarrow and two types of missionary - traditional and “hips dipped.”
When analyzing couples’ combined benefits, standing, wheelbarrow and the lotus position ranked highest and burned a total of 343 calories, 316 calories and 287 calories, respectively.
Fourth place belongs to the “legs akimbo” position, with the average couple burning 264 calories, but it is worth noting that you may want to stretch beforehand for this particular move, as it requires one’s legs to be extended to maximum capacity.
For those who are less acrobatic or fear they may throw their back out attempting a new upright move, there are more average moves to cycle through.
Couples engaging in doggy style, “hips dipped” missionary, squatting and traditional missionary for approximately 30 minutes burn a commendable 260 calories, 250 calories, 238 calories and 199 calories, respectively.
Spooning managed to rank dead last, with 56 combined calories burned - trailing 131 calories behind cowgirl and reverse cowgirl. While it may get the job done in one regard, someone could wash dishes for the same amount of time and burn 78 calories on their own.
Of course, it’s no secret that certain positions and personal bedroom dynamics can affect which partner is putting in more work.
For men, the top three positions are standing (198 calories), wheelbarrow (167 calories) and legs akimbo (153 calories), while women generally work up the most sweat in squatting (188 calories), wheelbarrow (149 calories) and standing (145 calories).
In addition to the obvious (usual) reward from sex, Gary Lockwood, CEO of 24/7 Fitness, emphasized in the study’s results that “sex is also great for giving you better quality sleep,” which can assist in getting you well-rested to hit the gym for a productive morning workout. But even if you don’t make it to the gym, Lockwood contends that increasing sexual activity will provide a range of health benefits, as it “revs up your heart rate, increases blood flow and improves flexibility."
