The Better Sex Workout: 5 Moves to Do Before Your Honeymoon

You know how amazing you feel after a hard-won workout. You’re sweaty, breathing heavy and feel more energized (slash potentially exhausted) than ever before. If you notice that you’re in a better mood than when you first arrived to the gym or studio, it’s not just in your head. It’s all thanks to the feel-good endorphins cruising through your body. All of this blood flow is beneficial in almost all areas of your health, as more oxygen is traveling to your lungs, heart and other organs. Another added perk of this blood flow is that you might experience a boost in your sex drive, a “better sex workout,” so to speak. “As your body becomes toned and tight, you appreciate looking at yourself more, which also helps if you’ve been experiencing a low libido,” adds Jacqui Olliver, author, speaker and recognized authority on solving sex problems and intimacy issues.

These expert-approved workouts will give you an added boost in the bedroom. 

Squats

You might hate this exercise move when you’re doing a dozen or so reps or holding it for long periods of time in class, but this is one of the best exercises for getting blood and oxygen flowing throughout your body as well as toning your legs and booty—essential for this better sex workout. “Squats are some of the best moves around because they focus on the pelvis, an area which plays a pretty important role in sex,” explains Caleb Backe, certified personal trainer and health and wellness expert for Maple Holistics. “Whether you are thrusting or seeking to match your partner’s rhythms, squats will help you get there.”
How to: “Keep your heels on the floor and start to bend at the waist. Then, bend the knees like you are about to sit down in your chair,” explains Alexis Craig, fitness coach at Gixo. “Move up and down very slowly and do between 10 and 30 reps for a great burn and results you will notice in the bedroom!”

Plank

Holding a plank pose is not only good for core strength, but Craig explains that it’s a great way to build stamina and strength throughout your entire body. And you’ll feel strong and sexy! The plank position is hard to hold, and with good cause. “It is a move designed to increase endurance and stamina, two things which are crucial in the bedroom,” says Backe. “It also works to improve your thrust strength, and is a simple and powerful position which can be done pretty much anywhere.”
How to: Start by holding for 20 seconds and work up to two minutes at a time. You can modify by doing the plank on your knees and for an added challenge do on your forearms or stack you toes from one foot on top of your heel and alternate.

Kegel clenches

This exercise move is popular among the pregnancy and postpartum set because it specifically targets the pelvic muscles used during childbirth. It can also seriously come in handy in the bedroom because it tightens all of the muscles you use during sex. “This is one of the better known ‘sexercises,’ because whether you are a man or a woman, kegels are synonymous with more powerful orgasms,” says Backe. “For the men, it can seriously improve the strength of your erection and your ability to last longer.”
How to: “The pelvic floor muscles are most easily identified when stopping the flow of urine, so next time you have to pee, hold it and notice those muscles that are tightening,” says Olliver. “Contract those muscles for the count of 10 and then relax those muscles for a few seconds. Start with 10 repetitions in a row three times daily and add 10 repetitions each week until you move up to 50 repetitions three times daily over a five-week period.”

Push-ups

Olliver explains that this move is generally easier for men, who tend to hold more muscle strength in their upper body, however, women can modify push-ups in two ways to for a better sex workout.
How to: “The most common push-up modification for women is to have your knees bent resting on the floor, instead of balancing your weight on your toes,” she says. “Then, put your hands flat on the ground shoulder-width apart and push yourself up and down while keeping your upper body formed in a straight line.” An alternative to this is to balance your weight on your toes as per a normal push-up and keep your hands shoulder-width apart, but only lower yourself half-way down before pushing yourself back up again. “Both variations of this exercise will increase your upper body strength.” She recommends starting with five repetitions, three times daily and work up to 20, three times daily from there. Only increase the number of push-ups as the previous amount becomes easy.

Crunches

Whether or not you’re an avid exerciser, you know the six-pack sculpting capabilities of this popular move. “These strengthen your back, shoulders and abs and prevent back injury, but they can also aid balance when you heating things up in many positions,” says Craig.
How to: Start this move lying on the floor with your feet firmly planted hips-width apart. Then, put your finger tips at the nape of your neck and raise your body slowly as your abs tighten. Release and slowly lower down to the ground. Repeat and work up to three sets of 30 crunches, says Craig.