This Is How Many Calories You Can Burn During Sex

When things are getting hot and steamy with a partner, intense emotions and desire can turn sex into a sweaty (and sometimes musty—no shame!) time by the end. You may find yourself wondering—phew, how many calories was that? Like, actually? It’s a fair question that many sexual health experts have considered as well. We chatted with three experts, and here's what they had to say.

Is it fair to call sex a workout?

While having sex can burn calories like any other physical activity, it can’t necessarily replace the 150 minutes of physical activity recommended by the American Heart Association. As with any form of physical activity, you actually *can* burn calories when things get hot and sweaty.

Research says that you can lose a range of 3.1 to 4.2 calories per minute while having sex.¹ The study also found that your heart rate during sex is similar to running on a treadmill. As with anything else that requires you to break a sweat, calorie burning is likely to happen. But, experts warn that having sex doesn't have nearly the same effect on your body as doing cardio, strength training, or that hot yoga class you've been eyeing.

“While it is possible to work up a sweat, it may not be the healthiest idea to start thinking of sex as a workout,” Gigi Engle, feminist sexual health educator, clinical psychologist, writer, and sex coach, tells Well+Good.

Engle also emphasized that sex should be more focused on pleasure. So while you might not be getting the calorie burning you might desire, sex does offer mental health benefits. The endorphins you release during sex can lead to positive emotions, such as happiness and satisfaction. These feel-good emotions can then also invigorate you to tend to other aspects of your health, whether that be more cardio to burn calories or stress management to help you feel more at ease.²

But, can you burn calories while masturbating?

While research is sparse on how many calories you burn during masturbation, it’s definitely still possible to shed a few if you really get into it. As with any physical activity, how much energy is used depends on your preferences. But, don’t worry about putting pressure on yourself to last longer just for the sake of burning more calories.

“While partnered sex adds elements of emotional connection and intimacy, solo sex is still a healthy and natural part of overall well-being,” says Sadaf Lodhi, DO, a board-certified OBGYN. You can still reap other health benefits from masturbation, like stress release, improved mood, and better sleep, she explains. “It promotes relaxation, supports cardiovascular health, and even helps with pain relief,” Dr. Lodhi adds.

Other health benefits of sex to consider

Some health benefits of sex are for the short term, while others manifest later on in your life. In the short term, the body adjusts for intercourse, which may include an increase in pain tolerance, better blood flow, and improvements in sleep, per a study published in the International Journal of Sexual Health.³

But, the benefits don't stop there. The same study suggests people who engage in sexual activity regularly are more likely to live longer. Researchers also found that men who engaged in sex more than twice a week had a 50% lower risk of dying early compared to men who had sex less than once a month.

And for people with a vagina, there's some good news here, too. “Kegel exercises during sex help strengthen the pelvic floor, improve bladder control, and heighten your orgasms,” says Sherry Ross, MD, OBGYN, author of She-ology: The Definitive Guide to Women’s Intimate Health.

Aside from the physical benefits, having pleasurable sex has a plethora of advantages for your psychological well-being, such as enhancing mood, reducing stress, lowering the risk of depression, and improving sleep. And thanks to the endorphins and feel-good hormones like dopamine that your body releases after sex, these benefits are possible.⁴

“When we have an orgasm, our brains are flooded with positive neurochemicals, just like going to the gym or doing anything else that’s a stress release,” says Engle. However, our experts also warn that while sex is good for your mind and overall stress levels, it's important to also manage stress through other effective strategies too. Consider reading a book, spending time with loved ones, going to a yoga class, or seeing a mental health professional for added support.

The bottom line

It’s normal to look for natural ways to incorporate calorie-burning activities into your routine. The pressure to manage weight—whether that's coming from your own desires, other people's influences, or what you see on social media—can have a significant influence on how you show up for yourself in other parts of your life, including intimacy and love. 

But, emphasizing pleasure during sex is more important than the number of calories you burn. “I don’t think that the focus should be on how many calories you're burning during sex; it’s more about how you're making a pleasure practice centered in your sexuality,” says Engle.