If getting out of bed for a walk or a game of tennis to shed the Christmas pounds feels too much like hard work, scientists have discovered that staying in bed could be just as beneficial.
Researchers at the University of Quebec have released study results that found sex can be as beneficial as many forms of exercise and admit that participants are likely to find it more enjoyable.
Scientists from the University recruited 20 heterosexual couples, aged 18 to 35, to have sex once a week for a month. The couples were instructed to perform their usual sexual activities and not to use drugs, alcohol or medication for erectile dysfunction such as Viagra. The results suggest that sexual activity may potentially be considered, at times, as a significant exercise.
Men on average burn 120 calories during lovemaking while women lose around 90, the equivalent of a brisk uphill walk, a game of doubles tennis or a 15 minute jog. And at peak times men were found to burn as many calories as running for 30 minutes on a treadmill.
A sunning revelation from the study was that, both men and women reported that sexual activity was a highly enjoyable and more appreciated than a 30 min exercise session on the treadmill. Who would have thought it?