The Best Workout for Your Favorite Sex Position
There are lots of wonderful, well-documented reasons to start an exercise routine, most of which you've probably already heard. For instance, regular exercise helps prevent heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. It can also elevate your mood, build your confidence and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. But if you're still not convinced you should hit the gym, maybe this will get you moving out the door: Exercise can improve your sex life.
"Sex is a physical activity that often leaves us panting and sweating by the end," said Sarah Melancon, Ph.D., a sociologist and certified sexologist who works as the sexuality and relationships expert for SexToyCollective.com. "Exercise increases your physical stamina, which allows you to enjoy sex without wearing your body out before you're ready to finish. Exercise also increases circulation and vasodilation—good blood flow is necessary for erections and vaginal lubrication, and expansion of the blood vessels allows greater blood flow into the genitals."
'Exercise increases your physical stamina, which allows you to enjoy sex without wearing your body out before you're ready to finish.'
The benefits don't stop there. For individuals who experience sexual dysfunction, exercise can help alleviate issues and, possibly most importantly, "Exercise can help reduce stress, and stress is the number-one enemy of sexual desire, arousal and pleasure," Melancon said.
Customize your exercise
"Having any workout routine is a huge benefit for your sex life," Melancon said. "And since many people find it difficult to get off the couch, regular exercise of any type will be a bonus. But if you want to improve your fitness for specific positions, just add a few exercises at the beginning or end of your existing workout routine."
To identify exercises that will help you achieve new sex positions, think about the muscles used in said position(s). For instance, if you want to be able to have sex while standing and holding your partner up, you're going to need to have a strong back, biceps and shoulders to hold the weight of your partner, a strong core to maintain stability, and strong glutes and quads to perform any needed thrusting.
Based on this information, you could choose one or two exercises per muscle group to start working on your strength. Lynn Anderson, Ph.D., a certified yoga therapist, ACE certified fitness professional, and author of "Sex Matters," suggested exercises like squats and rope climbs to hit these muscle groups.
But if you're just looking to get started with building strength and flexibility for specific sex positions, consider the following recommendations from Melancon.
Hip mobility for the missionary
The cat-cow yoga move is appropriate for practically any fitness level, which makes it a good place to start if you're looking for exercises that can help improve flexibility and pay off in the bedroom.
"No matter what position, most people find sex more pleasurable when their upper body movement has more flow, as opposed to remaining fairly stationary," Melancon said. "The cat-cow pose can be particularly helpful for the top penetrating partner."
If you're not ready to include any extreme positions in your sexual repertoire, this move can make even a standard missionary position more enjoyable.
For the pose, get on all fours on a mat with your palms aligned under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Start with your spine in a neutral position, as though you could draw a straight line from your hips to the top of your head. Take a breath in, and as you do so, drop your belly toward the mat as you press your chest forward and look up, simultaneously rolling your tailbone toward the ceiling to create a U shape with your spine.
Try to exaggerate your pelvis and release tension through your hips. As you exhale, reverse the movement, lowering your head between your arms as you press your mid-back toward the ceiling and roll your tailbone forward to create space in your spine. Continue at a comfortable pace with each inhale and exhale, making the movement as smooth as possible. Complete 10 total rounds.
Core strength for the wheelbarrow
Remember doing a "wheelbarrow" with your friends in grade school, where one friend would hold your legs as you "walked" forward on your hands? Well, the wheelbarrow sex position is basically an X-rated version of that. Instead of walking you forward, your partner stands between your legs at your hips to enter from the standing position.
In case you don't remember, supporting your body weight with just your arms—even with help from a friend or partner—can get really tough, really quick.
"Planking is great for your core and arm muscles," Melancon said, which helps you build the stamina needed to maintain the wheelbarrow position for an extended period of time. Plus, she adds that even if you're not up for wheelbarrow yet, this move helps with the missionary position, too, as "the top partner is basically in a plank position."
To perform a high plank, start on your hands and knees on a mat with your palms under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Step your feet back, one at a time, so that you're in a high push-up position with your entire body weight supported by your palms and feet.
Engage your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine as you tuck your pelvis forward. Your body should form a straight line from your heels to your head. Hold the position as long as you can without allowing your form to suffer. Complete three sets, gradually working your way up to hold each plank for 60 to 90 seconds.
Simple, straightforward squats
"Squats are particularly helpful for when the receiving partner is on top, like when performing cowgirl or reverse cowgirl positions," Melancon said.
This would also hold true for more challenging cowgirl variations, where the receiving partner plants their feet on each side of the giving partner in a deeper squat-like position. "Because you have to balance your weight and focus on sexual pleasure, stronger thighs and glutes can make this position physically easier, so you can stop worrying about holding yourself up and have more fun," Melancon added.
To perform a basic air squat, stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart, your toes angled slightly outward. Engage your core and roll your shoulders back to make sure you have good posture. Press your hips back to start the movement (as though you were about to sit in a chair), but keep your chest up and squared to the front of the room.
As you press your hips back, bend your knees and lower your glutes toward the floor between your feet. Keep your weight in your mid-foot or heels to help with balance. Lower your glutes as far as you comfortably can, while keeping your core engaged and your knees aligned with your toes. When you can't move further, reverse the squat and press yourself to standing. Perform three to five sets of 15 repetitions. As your stamina and strength improve, add additional weight with dumbbells or a barbell.
"The secret to great sex is not found in a position or a magic elixir, but in a healthy and fit body and mind," Anderson said. "Exercise promotes blood flow to the genitals, and the rush of endorphins helps us to get in the mood."
Even if you aren't quite ready for any wild sex antics in the bedroom and don't feel the need to choose exercises based on sex position, remember, all exercise routines have the ability to give your sex life, and everyday life, a boost.
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