00:00With Valentine's Day around the corner, sex is on our mind.
00:03At least that's the excuse we're using.
00:04But here's the question.
00:06Can hitting the sheets be a substitute for hitting the gym?
00:09To clue us in is health and wellness reporter Zulana Momony
00:11with today's Fit or Fiction.
00:13Well, hello, Becca.
00:14All right, let's talk about sex.
00:15Let's talk about it.
00:16More specifically, I'm thinking of intense,
00:18intimate encounters like Ryan Gosling and The Notebook.
00:21Yes, we all are.
00:22But while we might not all be lucky enough to include Ryan
00:25Gosling, experts do agree that women who regularly exercise
00:28do lead more active sex lives, reach orgasm quicker.
00:31So being in shape definitely means better sex.
00:33OK, but does better sex equal a better body?
00:36You know, if you're working it out, is that a workout?
00:38Well, I mean, a huge myth in this instance is if you're sweating,
00:41you're getting exercise.
00:42You know, sweat can happen because of arousal.
00:44It doesn't necessarily mean you're burning calories.
00:45The truth is an average couple has sex for six minutes
00:48and burns 20 calories.
00:49So that's nothing like going for a jog.
00:51OK, so if you're just steaming up the windows Titanic style,
00:53that's not enough.
00:54But if you're having, like, marathon supernatural vampire sex,
00:57like Edward and Bella?
00:59And all of us, of course.
01:00OK, then that'll do the trick.
01:02Yeah, I mean, you don't have to go that far.
01:04But for couples who do like to spend more time in bed,
01:06sex can actually count as exercise.
01:08A small study was done that showed that if people who have sex
01:10for at least 20 minutes can burn the same amount of calories,
01:13like a modest workout, like walking uphill, playing tennis.
01:16OK.
01:18So ditch the racket, do the bubbles thing inside.
01:20Yeah, I mean, think of it this way.
01:21Sex burns three to four calories a minute.
01:23So if you're having sex for 30 minutes,
01:24you're burning about 100 calories, plus it has a lot of other benefits.
01:28Well, please enlighten us.
01:29Well, sex releases a hormone that helps relax us.
01:32So it can improve sleep.
01:33It can, you know, make us feel better.
01:35It can reduce stress.
01:36Really, it improves a lot of different things.
01:38And you have that get it on glow afterwards.
01:39Absolutely.
01:40It actually is really good for your skin.
01:42All right, so what's the final verdict?
01:43Sex can count as exercise.
01:45Yeah, you know it.
01:47Yay!
01:48Yeah, it can absolutely have a positive impact.
01:50But as far as exercise goes, what matters here is the length of the activity.
01:53So it's not going to replace a gym workout.
01:56It's definitely a lot more fun.
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