Jerking off, rubbing the nub, wanking or petting the cat, regardless of what you call it, masturbation is a fun activity that we've all indulged in. Whether you’re going solo or enjoying mutual masturbation with your partner, there are no drawbacks to self-pleasure. On top of all the other awesome things masturbation can do for you, it also burns calories! But how many calories does masturbation burn?
To find the answer, we’ve consulted industry experts and the current research. Here's what we discovered.
Can you burn a lot of calories masturbating?
Masturbation and exercise have some serious similarities. Both of these activities spike your heart rate and can leave you with a rush of endorphins and a feeling of stress relief. But can masturbation really burn as many calories as a good session in the gym?
To find out, we asked Suzannah Weiss, a sexologist and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, how many calories you can burn while masturbating.
“In short, not very many," she told Kinkly. "One study found that sex burns about 3-4 calories a minute. Masturbation likely burns fewer calories because it typically only involves your hand, while partnered sex involves your whole body. So if you masturbate for, say, 10 minutes, you could burn perhaps 20 calories. Not enough to masturbate for the purpose of exercise, but nevertheless a nice bonus."
On average, you can burn at least 120 calories in 30 minutes of light physical activity, such as water aerobics, tai chi and yoga, whereas you might only be able to burn about 20-25 calories from masturbating. So, unfortunately, a good masturbation session doesn't measure up to a session at the gym.
There are ways to increase the number of calories burnt, though. Similar to exercising, the more time you spend on an activity, the more calories you are likely to burn. So, the longer you spend masturbating, the more calories you can burn. You can also burn more calories by using sex toys and other props.
Turns out, you also burn calories during an orgasm, if you masturbate to completion. So, how many calories does an orgasm burn? As it stands, there's no clear answer. Turns out, there hasn't been a lot of research done on how many calories we burn during orgasms.
However, Dr. Uchenna Ossai, a pelvic health physical therapist, counsellor and sex educator, told Men’s Health that “if we are looking at a measure of heart rate, and your orgasms are lasting anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds, you can expect a maximum calorie burn of 4 calories [during an orgasm]."
So still, not a lot.
Now that we know how many calories masturbating burns, it begs the question can masturbating cause weight loss? Conventional wisdom says that to lose 1kg of weight weekly, you need to create a 500-calorie deficit through a combination of reducing the number of calories eaten and increasing the number of calories burned.
While masturbating can marginally assist in increasing the number of calories you burn toward that deficit, it’s not possible to lose weight from masturbating alone. However, Weiss points out that masturbation can be a healthy substitute for emotional eating. So, it could contribute to a reduction of calories consumed if someone is replacing emotional eating with masturbation.
Exercise plays a fundamental role in overall health and well-being. To reap the full benefits of exercise, it is ideal for your workout sessions to be at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity weekly. However, the amount of calories burnt depends on various factors like age, body weight, metabolism and general health.
Editor's note: Current research shows weight loss is not as simple as "calories in/calories out" or just increasing the amount of calories you burn from exercise and reducing the number of calories you consume. Research also shows that even though many people are able to lose weight in the short term, only about five percent of people maintain that weight loss for five years or more, and some research suggests chronic dieting can actually lead to weight gain in the long-term.
Tips for burning more calories during masturbation
Unfortunately, masturbation isn’t a full workout. However, using different masturbation techniques will allow you to burn more calories and at least make you feel like you’ve been through a vigorous workout session.
To burn extra calories, you could try using different sex toys while going on about your day.
As Weiss points out, a “fun experiment might be to get a wearable vibrator like the Lovense Vulse and go on a walk or run while it vibrates inside you. It'll definitely make exercise more enjoyable!”
Changing up the positions you use while masturbating is another way to increase the number of calories you burn during masturbation. Here are some different positions that will engage different muscle groups and help you burn some extra calories.
Browse and Buzz Position:
The Browse and Buzz position allows you to use spicy online content and your favourite toy to bring your fantasies to life. For this position, you'll need your laptop and suitable sex furniture, such as the Liberator Axis Magic Wand Toy Mount. You can modify this position by using a firm pillow and a wearable vibrator or a panty vibrator.
This position involves sliding your sex toy into the furniture and kneeling. While kneeling, you tend to contract your hamstring and calf muscles, allowing you to burn a few extra calories.
Hole Lot of Love Sex Position:
The Hole Lot of Love position allows for a hands-free self-pleasure session. For this position, you will need a suitable sex toy mount like the Liberator Tula, where you can place a dildo, vibrator, or wand into the top of the cushion. Then you put one knee on either side of the prop and lower your body down onto the sex toy mount and thrust to your heart's delight. Kneeling and thrusting means you'll use the abdominal and leg muscles, including the abductors and hamstrings.
Horseless Rider Sex Position:
This position specifically stimulates the vulva, however, the horseless rider position can also be adapted for men. You'll need a pillow to straddle and a wearable vibrator or a vibrator you can stick in your underwear.
For this position, straddle the pillow, place a vibrator in your underwear or put on your wearable vibrator, and proceed to bump and grind! The extra movement of grinding the pillow will add a few calories to your burned total.
Other Benefits of Masturbation
Just like all good things in life, there can be downsides to masturbation. There are also plenty of myths about masturbation, such as the belief that it can cause sexual dysfunction or affect your kidneys, which it does not. The supposed downsides of masturbation are nothing but myth, and the actual downsides are rare. Generally, masturbation and self-pleasure have several benefits in addition to burning a few calories.
Stress Reduction:
It is widely known that masturbation can reduce stress and promote relaxation. But how does it happen? During masturbation, the brain releases several hormones that help to relieve stress. Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter that helps decrease cortisol levels, the primary stress hormone.
Improves Mood and Sleep:
Masturbation and reaching orgasm can drastically improve your mood and sleep. During masturbation, the brain releases serotonin and endorphins, which play a role in improved mood, motivation, and satisfaction.
Weiss adds that “masturbation also boosts your mood and improves your mental clarity by releasing endorphins. Because the hormone prolactin is released during orgasm, some also find that masturbation helps them fall asleep”.
Boosts Self-Esteem:
Outside of the physical health benefits, masturbation has several psychological and interpersonal benefits. A 2020 review of the current research notes that masturbation is vital in boosting self-esteem, self-confidence and exploring sexuality. A study that explored female masturbation found that masturbation is also closely connected to sexual empowerment and higher self-image. However, this study also noted that some women feel shame when they masturbate, and fear being selfish for taking time to masturbate.
The Bottom Line
Masturbation has many health benefits, but unfortunately, it's not the best way to burn calories. The amount of calories burnt from masturbation will vary from person to person. With intense and longer solo sessions, you can burn more calories.
But don’t let the lack of calorie burn deter you! Masturbation is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to relieve stress and relax, making it essential for a healthy and happy life.
