www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 81 In a review of more than 900 scientific studies, researchers at the University of Almería and the University of Murcia in Spain determined that while, yes, sex involves energy expenditures and physical movement, calling sex “exercise” is a tentative assignation at best. Charleston personal trainer Jenny Fisher, of Jenny Fisher Fitness and creator of the popular fitness app Get Salty, agreed. “My overarching opinion is that sex is not exercise. Sure, we expend calories and move our bodies, and it can contribute to our nonexercise activity thermogenesis, or what we call our NEAT – Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis – ” Fisher laughed. “NEAT,” Fisher explained, “accounts for calories spent while doing anything but sleeping, eating or athletic endeavors. Sex could certainly fall into that category, and, just because it isn’t exercise doesn’t mean it isn’t beneficial. An increase in NEAT equates to an increase in your resting metabolic rate, and that’s a good thing.” In short, sex may not be widely accepted as exercise, but it still counts for something. In a 2013 study funded by The Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and l’Institut Santé et société of the Université du Québec à Montréal, men burned 3.5 calories per minute during sex. In another study, women burned 69.1 calories in a 25-minute between-the-sheets session. A calorie burned is better than nothing. While the caloric expenditures are negligible, sex is still considered good for your health. In 2020, a Big Think article, “How a Healthy Sex Life Can Help Minimize Depression and Anxiety Symptoms,” shared researchers’ discovery that just 10 minutes of sex increases levels of: • Serotonin – a neurotransmitter related to feelings of satisfaction and optimism. • Prolactin – a relaxing hormone that lulls you to sleep and improves moods. • Oxytocin – a hormone attributed to pro-social behaviors and, more importantly, those warm and fuzzy feelings we all enjoy. Sex might not be good exercise, but exercise can be good for sex, Fisher asserted. “I’ve tried to talk about this a few times without sounding salacious,” Fisher added. “But there are definitely exercises that can help one’s sex life. For example, flexing and engaging the muscles in the lower portion of one’s abdomen helps bring focus, control and a connection to their use." Though sex, like exercise, often includes quaking thighs, increased heart rate and heavy breathing, the innumerable components involved will likely prevent sex from ever becoming a prescribed exercise routine. The potential boost to health and well-being, however, makes it a remedy worth trying. HOLLOW BODY ISOMETRIC HOLDS: Working deep core muscles, abs, glutes and quads, this deceptively simple exercise is a powerhouse move. Lie on your back, legs together and arms by your side. Simultaneously raise your legs and shoulders off the ground and keep them hovering, pressing your lower back into the floor. Hold for as long as you can, then release and try again. HANGING REVERSE CRUNCHES: Hanging by your arms from a secure chin-up bar, and pulling your navel toward your spine, slowly roll your knees as high as possible, roll into a crunch, hold and slowly release. HIP THRUSTERS: Starting from a seated position on the floor – knees bent, legs slightly wider than hips’ width apart, upper back resting against the edge of a weight bench – squeeze your glutes and lift your hips, driving pressure through the heels until your hips are in line with your shoulders and knees. Slowly lower until your hips are just a few inches from the floor and lift again. FISHER SHARED SOME OF THESE HELPFUL, CORE-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES.
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