Sex—and smooching and snuggling and everything else on the spectrum—is great for your relationship and happiness, but intimate time with your sweetie is also terrific for your physical health. Not only does that "loving feeling" get your heart rate up, it can burn some serious calories, too! Check out the calorie-burning profile of each romantic activity below (based on the body weight of a 150-lb woman) along with tips from experts on ramping things up to maximize the amount of calories burned.
Kissing: 68 calories per hour
Remember how, when you were first dating, you'd start locking lips and 30 minutes later you'd come up for air? See if you can get into that groove again, say experts. Not only is smooching a great way to show affection and improve your bond as a couple, it can also help you burn fat. "If the kissing is vigorous and involves some petting, it could be even closer to 90 calories burned in an hour," says
Jaiya Kinzbach, a Los Angeles–based sexologist and the author of
Red Hot Touch. Try her technique for turning kissing into an honest-to-goodness workout session: "Kiss in unusual positions," she recommends. "Have the guy on his back and do 'plank pose' or a push-up on top of him, coming down to kiss him and then pushing back up. Push-ups burn 171 calories in 30 minutes."
Photo by Getty.
Undressing: 8+ calories total
You probably don't put much thought into undressing when you're getting intimate with your husband, but an Italian researcher looked into the matter and found that the mere act of taking one's clothes off burns about 8 to 10 calories. Even more fascinating, the researcher reportedly found that a man attempting to remove a bra with his mouth burns as many as 80 calories. While that may not be applicable to you, here's what is: By upping the energy you put into undressing, you can burn some extra calories. Don't just strip down in seconds, says Kinzbach; instead, "draw it out and make it part of your foreplay, while getting a great a workout going." Or undress to tease him, adds
Gilda Carle, PhD, a psychotherapist and relationship expert. "Find your favorite silk scarf, and do a seductive dance with it," she says.
Massaging: 80+ calories per hour
Having Sex: 144+ calories per half-hour
Giving Oral Sex: 100 calories per half-hour
Using Your Hands: 100 calories per hour
Romantic Dancing: 103 calories per half-hour
Making Out: 238 calories per half-hour
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