It’s been said before – sex is a workout. And while this claim is often laced with humor, it turns out that sex can actually be as effective as a 30-minute jog, according to a new study. What’s more, it’s a much more pleasant way to get moving and burn calories. The researchers’ findings suggest that sexual activity acts as a great workout for both men and women. However, representatives of the stronger sex are more favored – they burn 4.2 calories per minute, compared to women who melt 3.1 calories in the same time. Running on a treadmill in the gym for 30 minutes, men and women burn 9, 2 and 7.1 calories respectively in one minute. Although less energy is used during sex, the intensity of intercourse is often greater. This means that the benefits of sexual activity can potentially be considered as significant as those of exercise. 21 heterosexual couples between the ages of 18 and 35 took part in the study. Initially, they run on a treadmill in a gym for 30 minutes – the intensity is moderate. For clarification – a number of health authorities recommend that we perform moderate physical activity 30 minutes a day at least five times a week. Each participant was then given a SenseWear band that measures energy expenditure using heat sensors, accelerometers and galvanic sensors that respond through the skin. Couples must have sex once a week, wearing the strip during the act. NEWS_MORE_BOX After each act of intercourse, participants answer questions related to their participation, as well as that of their partner, during the act. In addition, they should make a comparison between the performance of the load during the sexual experience as well as during running. Participants must also try to determine the amount of calories they believe they burned, as well as the effort they put into the two activities separately. Unsurprisingly, 98% of them rated sex as a much more enjoyable activity than running on the treadmill, and 81% of them reported extremely high levels of personal pleasure and satisfaction. The average duration of intercourse was 24.7 minutes, ranging from 10 to 57 minutes. Men burn an average of 101 calories during sex, while women burn 69 calories. The researchers also found that participants who lasted the longest period of sexual activity burned more calories than those who ran on the treadmill, 306 versus 276 calories. The study was published in the journal PLOS One.