Two things about why being more fit means better sex. The first is that I was more surprised by some of the things I read while researching than I expected - mostly in an "I had never considered that" way.  In an effort to keep this site G-rated, I won't be discussing everything I found.

The second is that, even though I have someone who I'm sure would have been a more than willing test subject had I asked, the idea of setting him up with a timer, heart rate monitor and pulse watch really would have killed any kind of mood there was...so I turned to the only other man I knew would have the answers - Dr Google.

I shouldn't even really say he has the answers, because he's a notoriously contradictory fellow and changes his mind on all manner of things as often as the wind changes direction. He provided some answers. There will be a part two to this topic, and possibly a part three. I suppose you could consider this blog post as mild foreplay. 😉

Honestly, I don't know about you, but positions with such names as Dirty Dancing, Happy Anniversary, The Melody Maker, and The Galloping Horse (wtf?) with hand drawn images didn't really do much to get my heart rate up. Not as much as when I laughed at this:

Because don't those pink mens' slippers just scream sex appeal! A nice touch, though, with the crooked painting on the wall. LOL Aaanyway....

It goes without saying that the number of calories burned during sex will be determined by, as one site put it, "participation level". Weight and activity also play a role. Other factors include whether it's 'moderate' or 'vigorous'. My humble opinion is that all these things are fairly subjective, and this probably explains the range of data I found. 

Here are a few examples from various websites:

• A 150 lb person will burn 13 calories for 15 minutes of moderate sex. Bump it up to 30 minutes of vigorous sex and you'll burn 54 calories.
• Sexual intercourse burns off 150 calories every half hour.
• A 180 lb. man will burn 119 calories in an hour of foreplay, or just under 2 calories a minute, while he will burn 346 calories during an hour of intercourse, or just under 6 calories a minute.
• Most people burn about 100 to 200 calories each time they have sex.
• If you spend 20 minutes having intercourse, the average male can burn 75-100 calories.

Some quick maths in the head and we have a range of anywhere from 350 to over 1200 calories burned each week for about half an hour of sex every day. Now I know more of you would like that than are actually doing that, so let's give you some good reasons to do it more - as if you needed more than the obvious!

1. Well, duh, it's fun! Ok, so it should be. If it's not, you might want to consider the why and how, but that's a whole other subject!

2. Sex increases blood flow and oxygenates the skin. You'll have better, younger looking skin and shiny hair!

3. Having sex increases oxytocin, which decreases anxiety, relieves stress and has a calming effect on men. Hello, girls!

4. A natural release of endorphins reduces pain, as they're chemically similar to morphine. No more "I have a headache" excuses - sex can relieve headaches and other types of pain.

5. The oxytocin release at climax helps you sleep better.

But is sex really the calorie-burning engine it’s often made out to be?

That’s what scientists have been trying to figure out for years. Researchers have attempted to measure the number of calories burned during sex on numerous occasions, but the results have varied greatly, says Carole Lieberman, MD, a Beverly Hills psychiatrist and author of Bad Girls: Why Men Love Them & How Good Girls Can Learn Their Secrets.

Still, there's no question that sex can be good for your health. Fooling around gets your heart rate going — and there’s no better way to burn serious calories than when your heart is pumping.

So what role does fitness play in sex? It's not just about calories burned, because, let's face it, the data on that is so all over the shop I doubt there is really such thing as an 'average'. We know sex, purely based on the fact that it's a physical activity, burns calories. The question is how can you have better sex and why would you want to?

Let's get the seemingly superficial stuff out of the way first; the better looking you are - the more attractive to your partner of preference - the more likely you are to have sex, and more often. Men and women are visually stimulated and the more visual appeal you have, the chance of finding a partner is increased. This is not an 'ugly people can't get/don't have sex' thing  - it's primal and goes back to caveman days and species survival. You want to go deeper into that topic, let me know, and we'll go there some other day.

Good sex involves flexibility, stamina, endurance, energy and a decent aerobic capacity. (Struggling to breathe or running out of steam at a critical moment are not the foundation on which romance novels are formed!) In addition, the confidence which comes from looking and feeling better, because you're fitter, healthier and more active, leads to increased sexual performance. Improved circulation and blood flow also contribute.

Exercising, participating in a range of different exercises, sports or activities, can aid in sexual performance. Lift weights to build muscle strength, interval training, stretching, balance work, core exercises, and cardio work - it all benefits in one way or another.

Obesity and erectile dysfunction go hand in hand. In older aged men, those who are more physically fit have a 30% lower risk of impotence and achieve better erections. Men who take a higher interest in their physical wellbeing and overall fitness will have better sex and reduced chance of having conditions that negatively affect their sex life and overall health.

Women who exercise frequently are more easily aroused and achieve faster, more intense orgasms. Seems to me this is a win for both the sexes!

People who exercise more have more sex. Whether or not this is common sense is for you to decide, but it stands to reason that the more fit you are, the more confident you are, the more active you are, the more healthy you are, you're going to look and feel younger and be attracted to people with those same traits; people who (as an assumption) are more physical, including in a sexual way.

And how about this:

According to a study released in the Journal of the American Medical Association, infrequent sex can lead to an increased risk of heart attack a few hours after rigorous physical activity like having sex if you do not engage in vigorous activity regularly. Also, the study found that each additional time a person exercised in a week reduced the risk for a heart attack by 45 percent and for sudden cardiac death by 30 percent. The great thing about this study is that sex counts as exercise! Not only will you create a loving bond with your partner if you work on improving your sex life, you’re also helping out your heart health as well.

If you're really struggling to find motivation to get to the gym, or go for a run, consider it to be the difference between mediocre and mind-blowing sex. And if that's not enough to inspire you to improve your health and fitness, I put it to you that you've probably never had mind-blowing sex! 😉

This little piece of sage advice really amused me and I think it's a good note on which to end.

"You should not rely on sex as your only form of exercise."