Acclaimed Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami is 65 and has run one marathon every year since the age of 33. He writes in his memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, that the first two miles are the most difficult, and “… the thirteen miles form the thirty-four-mile rest stop to the forty-seventh mile were excruciating. I felt like a piece of beef being run, slowly, through a meat grinder.”
I cannot imagine why anyone would voluntarily subjugate themselves to that much pain. While the physical benefits of exercise — improving health and fighting disease — have long been established, have you considered sex as exercise?
An article from the India Times outlines the 9 reasons to have sex everyday. In addition to boosting immunity, reducing stress and increasing blood circulation, having an orgasm relieves pain and promotes longevity. In fact, when you have an orgasm, feel-good hormones like oxytocin [1] and dehydroepiandorsterone [2] are released.
Sex as exercise really burns calories?
Unfortunately, rumors that sex burns at least 100, 350 calories a session are myths. Men’s Health reports that a typical romp lasts 25 minutes from foreplay to the end. On average, men burn 100 calories while women burn 69. Men burns 4.2 calories per minute during vigorous sexing, whereas women only 3.1. In case you are hoping to substitute sex for exercise, no luck ladies.
But the good news is that according to this New York Times article, Sex as Exercise, sex qualifies as moderate exercise, like playing double tennis or walking uphill. Furthermore, turn up the heat with lots of foreplay and different positions can help you burn more (Woman’s Day).
- Kissing burns 68 calories per hour
- Massaging burns 80+ calories per hour
- Using your hands burns 100 calories per hour
Speaking of sex as exercise, Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue came out with a raunchy music video, Sexercise. The Daily Telegraph calls the video “lame and laughable,” and some go as far as to critique Minogue’s performance as borderline soft-porn. At 45 and looking smoking hot in white leotard and red six-inch heels, Minogue has inspired me to get on those exercise balls.
[1] Oxytocins, present when a woman is breast feeding, are known as love hormones. People often get happy and silly.
[2] DHEA, an important steroid hormone, improves mood, fatigue and well-being
Stress-free NYC 
I like how you are able to bring in “references” to modern literature, everyday magazines, and pop culture.
A quick but entertaining read.
Thanks Jess.