Stretch it out on the mat to loosen up your muscles in the sheets. Try these 6 stretches to improve your sex life.
By Leslie K. Hughes
No matter how much of a god or goddess you are in the bedroom, there is always room for improvement. New angles to try, new moves to perfect, new experiences to explore. And the best way for you to prep adding some fire to that romping sesh is to stretch.
There is no beating around the bush — sex is a workout. Depending on what position you’re in, there is potential to burn up to 200 calories with your very personal trainer. For women, the best position to burn calories is cowgirl, and for men, the best way is doggy style. So keep that in mind if you decide to skip your workout today . . .
To keep yourself from getting hurt, and to ensure that you can bend your way into whatever compromising position you’d like, you need to first roll out the mat and get some stretching on before you jump onto or into anything else.
Here are the top stretches that will get your body in shape to shape-up your sex life.
1
Upward-Facing Dog
What it does.
This stretches and strengthens your abdominal muscles while also stretching and opening up your chest and spine. And if you’ve ever done an upward-facing dog, you know that it strengthens your arms and shoulders as well. All of these moving parts play a role at some point when you’re rolling around in the sack.
How to do it.
- Start in plank position
- Lower halfway down, keeping your elbows tucked in
- Push up and bring your chest forward, rolling over your toes
- Press your thighs into the ground and look up
- Hold for 5-10 seconds
2
Frog Stretch
What it does.
Hello, hip opener. Hips are often one of the tightest parts of our bodies which is seriously unfortunate because it’s a part that is crucial to a successful sex sesh. Don’t worry — if you have tight hips there is still hope to be wow your partner in bed. Just start adding this frog stretch to your daily routine and you’ll start to see a difference.
How to do it.
- Get down on all fours (we love this move already)
- Put your forearms down on the ground, elbows directly underneath your shoulders
- Spread your knees as wide as you can (push boundaries on this)
- Rock back and forth, pushing your hips and ass back to your feet
- Rock for about 30 seconds, and then sit back into the stretch
- Hold it here for 30 seconds
3
Cat-Cow
What it does.
This pose makes everything feel better, in and out of the bedroom. Cat-cow stretches the muscles in both your back and belly, which allows you to have more movement in your spine. You get bonus points with this move thanks to its pelvic work that strengthens your use of this muscle in both directions. And, if you engage your ab muscles, you’ll feel some burn there, too. A strong core is always beneficial in bed.
How to do it.
- Start on all fours (you are getting good at this), making sure your wrists are under your shoulders, and your knees are under your hips
- (Cow) Inhale and drop your belly towards the mat while lifting your chin and your chest and looking up at the ceiling
- Hold for a breath or two
- (Cat) Exhale and draw your belly in towards your spine, rounding your back like a cat and releasing the crown of your head to the floor
- Inhale and return to cow pose, and exhale to return to cat
- Move between the 2 moves 10-20 times
4
Happy Baby
What it does.
The person you call baby will surely be happy when they see the results of this stretch. Adding happy baby into your life will help open up your hips, which gives you room to have a deeper connection, both literally and figuratively. This stretch will also help ward off those cramps that have been known to ruin a perfectly good f***.
How to do it.
- Lie on your back
- Grab the outsides of your feet with your hands, or hook your peace fingers around your big toes
- Open your knees slightly wider than your hips and bring them up toward your armpits
- Rock back and forth, side to side, while pushing your feet into your hands and pulling your hands down, thus creating a resistance
5
Bridge
What it does.
We love the bridge pose most for its ability to strengthen your glutes. A good derriere is undeniably good for your sex life. You’ll see the benefits of this stretch in your hamstrings, back, chest, and hips too. So start bridging the gap between you and your best sex life.
How to do it.
- Lie on your back with feet shoulder-width apart
- Press your shoulders into the ground while lifting your hips up until your torso and thighs are in a straight line
- Hold here for a few seconds, return to the starting position and repeat 20 times
6
Forward Fold
What it does.
Fold your body any way you please once you’ve got some forward folds under your belt. Alleviate tension in your hamstrings, back, and neck with this simple stretch. Trust us — it feels amazing to just let your body hang there in complete relaxation. Turn your mind and body down before you turn it back up in bed.
How to do it.
- Stand up with feet hip-width apart
- Fold over, grabbing onto your ankles or calves, pulling down to make the stretch more intense
- Hold for 30-45 seconds
- Repeat a few times
- On the final fold, grab opposite elbow with opposite hand and swing from side to side, shaking loose any tension
To loosen up your muscles even more, try our favorite massage tool, the Theragun Pro.
