What is Sexercise? Work Out Your Way to Better Sex

Sex and exercise have a lot in common – they both make us sweat (the more, the better!) and lead to better health, increased energy, improved mood, and so on.

Apart from their similarities though, exercise can also directly influence sex.

In fact, there are types of exercise you can do to give a boost to your sex life with your partner(s).

That’s what we call “sexercise”.

In this article: 📝

Is there a thing called sexercise?

Yes, there certainly is!

Coined by influencer and celebrity personal trainer Jason Rosell, sexercise is a workout focused on physical activities that can result in more satisfying sex.

If you’re thinking of Kegels, you’re half right.

Sexercise combines those glute bridges, squats, core work, and strength training exercises you’d typically do at the gym or outdoors into one risque routine designed to keep you going all night — no matter the position.

And while you could use the term sexercise as a playful pun for using sex to stay fit, studies doubt that sex counts as exercise in itself (yes, we found that disappointing, too…).

Doesn’t mean you still can’t use it as a post-workout, erm, workout.

Is sexercise healthy?

Obviously, sexercise can do wonders for your sexual performance but by nature of the vigorous workouts involved, your fitness, health, and overall well-being get a well-earned booster too.

We’re talking improved stamina, flexibility, self-esteem, endurance, body confidence, and lower stress levels — all the good stuff needed for a happy libido.

And you needn’t be a gym bunny to reap the rewards.

Aside from giving you the strength and stamina needed to sustain pleasurable positions, the goal of sexercise is to get your rate up, blood pumping, and oxygen flowing to your heart and body.

And nothing achieves this quite like cardiovascular movement.

As long as you are getting in the recommended 150 minutes per week of cardio, how you choose to do it depends on you.

So, if traditional cardio exercises like swimming, jogging, or cycling aren’t your jam, dancing to your jam can be just as effective.

Yep, even busting your signature moves to Beyoncé on a girl’s night out still counts.

And because sexercise helps you have better sex, you can also expect to reap all the benefits of positive sexual experiences.

For example, pleasurable sex is related to higher-quality sleep because of the release of the hormone oxytocin. It can also lead to greater emotional connection thanks to all those endorphins from skin-to-skin contact not to mention reducing anxiety.

All of which can work towards improving your relationship both in and out of the bedroom.

What are the benefits of sexercise?

So we know that sexercise leads to better sex, better health, and bigger smiles all around.

But there’s far more to it than that.

Here are the seven benefits associated with exercise to improve sex:

1. Better overall health

Both sex and exercise are touted for their positive effects on the body.

Combined, they’re a power duo.

Reduced blood pressure, for instance, is a common benefit of physical activity.

Sexercise also helps decrease the risk for health issues (e.g. stroke, heart disease, cancer).

2. Building strength and stamina

Apart from health, sexercise makes you fit, too.

That makes sense – the stronger your muscles are (be it limbs, abs, or heart), the higher your sexual performance.

3. Having easier sex

Sex is exhausting, but it shouldn’t be hard.

If you want to try out that new position with your partner, and you don’t feel like your body will cooperate, sexercise can help you gain more flexibility and hold positions far longer.

Kama Sutra anyone?

4. Reduced symptoms of diseases

Many medical conditions can negatively affect sexual function (desire, arousal, orgasm) for both men and women.

These include diabetes, heart disease, depression, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and so on.

While sexercise isn’t a cure, it can still be valuable to counteract symptoms.

5. Lifting spirits

Exercise brings more energy and a better mood, and not only because of the hormones released in our brains.

The conscious choice of self-care makes us like ourselves more which is a great boost for libido.

6. Facilitating conception

If you’re trying to conceive, sex can sometimes feel like a chore.

That’s where sexercise can help.

Sexercise workouts can make it possible for you to try new positions or last longer, while providing a good boost to overall health that may have a positive effect on fertility (although, interestingly enough, too much exercise can have the opposite effect).

It may even help you get in the mood postpartum too.

7. Building connection

Just like sex, exercise is often better done with someone other than yourself (for the most part).

If you are in a relationship, sexercise is something you can share with your partner – doing exercises before sex to increase arousal or during sex to make it more fun.

So, the more you sexercise, the more likely you are to be healthy, strong, and most importantly, turned on. Nice.

Best exercises for sex

Before you get started with any sexercise routines, make sure you know what your body needs and what your current state of strength and endurance is.

If you have a health condition, consult your doctor before you do any new routine.

Exercise is generally good, but not every kind is for everyone.

Here are the best exercises to improve sex and sexercise workouts:

Yoga

You may have guessed this one.

After all, much of sex depends on flexibility, ease of movement, and increased balance (depending on your favorite position) — all huge benefits of yoga training.

Yoga also provides plenty of prenatal benefits, making it an exercise with a whole lot of give.

While finding an experienced yoga instructor is a big help, there are tonnes of videos online with simple yoga poses you can try easily at home.

To kickstart your new yogi lifestyle, we recommend the downward facing dog for stretching and circulation or the tree pose for balance.

Kegels

Kegels are exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, supporting your spine, bladder, rectum, and small intestines.

Most importantly, they support your uterus, meaning great things for your arousal and sexual sensation in general.

Different people will have different levels of strength in the pelvic and vaginal muscles, and that strength naturally deteriorates with age.

Introduce Kegel exercises into your life, and not only can you improve and maintain the strength and function of these muscles, you’ll achieve more intense orgasms too. Win-win.

And the best part about Kegels?

You can do them everywhere.

No equipment needed, just you and your muscles standing in line, sitting at your desk, or lying down.

There are two easy steps to simple Kegel sexercise:

• Locate your pelvic muscles. You can do this by trying to stop urination mid-stream. Avoid doing Kegels while urinating though.
  
• Contract your muscles. Hold for three seconds and release for another three. Do 10 repetitions to start, a few times per day.

Tip to do Kegels right: make sure you’re not using any other muscles (e.g. abs).

Cardio

Cardio workouts are excellent for sex because they help build stamina and an overall stronger body.

Plus, any kind of movement that engages the cardiovascular muscles helps lift your mood, too – which can increase your appetite for sex.

If you want to strengthen the entire body, including your core (where your pelvic muscles are), while getting your blood pumping, look to jumping rope.

Accessible for all ages and fitness levels, jump rope is also a top HIIT pick, giving you the most satisfying answer if you’re interested in how many calories are burned during sexercise.

Other cardio sexercises are:

• Walking
  
• Jogging
  
• Squats (especially jumping)
  
• Marching in place
  
• Dancing
  
• Jumping jacks
  
• Kicks

Strength training

Strength training, in combination with cardio exercises, is king for building strong, lean muscles that can benefit the bedroom.

Kettlebell lifting is a prime example, targeting core muscles and arms, and the (very important for sex) hip muscles.

Another great sexercise for strength is the glute bridge (pelvic floor alert!) which involves lifting your core from the ground and back down.

Here’s a step-by-step to do this exercise:

• Lie down face up with your knees bent and your arms on your sides.
  
• Slowly lift your hips until your knees, abs, and chest form a straight line. Hold for a few seconds and go slowly back down.
  
• Do a few sets of around 10 repetitions.

Sex

Ok, so we already said sex doesn’t really count as sexercise.

But it’s still a physical activity that has as many variations as you want, and some of them can be strenuous enough to help you build muscle.

For example, one partner can lift another, you can stretch to new positions, try a more vigorous rhythm, or indulge in standing sex.

You can even bring some of that gym energy into the bedroom with fitness-centric sexual renditions of squats and glute bridges.

Experiment and you may find something that works.

Note: Avoid accidents by always making sure at least one of you is in a well-supported position.

And don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with ‒ physically or mentally.

Wait, so does sex really count as exercise?

Well, sort of.

It’s a good idea to pair sex with a sexercise workout plan that doesn’t involve action between the sheets.

But if you’re doing sexercise for better sex, then there’s only one way to find out if it’s getting any better…

How do you do sexercise?

If you’re already doing many of these exercises for sex, keep going!

Doing yoga or Kegels even for 10 minutes per day can be great.

If you’re not used to exercising, try to start with a couple of days of cardio per week.

Add Kegels and stretching into your daily routine, and see where your body takes you.

Want an open-minded community to talk to about sexercise?

Why not join us on Peanut?

We think you’ll fit right in. 😏