Does Masturbating Burn Calories? Let’s Break It Down

When we hear the words fitness, running, gym, and yoga come to mind. But what if we told you that the usual single activity masturbation burns calories too? It sounds ridiculous, but it’s one of the many questions people quietly ask themselves: Does masturbating burn calories? Let’s find out 

What Does the Body Experience During Masturbation

Prior to discussing the calorie-burning mechanism, it should be understood what happens in the body during the process of masturbation.

When you’re excited, your heart beats faster, blood pressure goes up a notch, and your muscles get tense. Your brain also secretes “feel-good” hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins. These hormones not only make you feel good but also reduce stress.

Physiologically, your body experiences a fleeting bout of effort, similar to the sensation experienced with other types of physical activity. But then comes the question: is it enough to count as exercise?

So, does masturbating really burn calories?

Yes, it does burn calories, though not as much in the same manner that a cardio class would.

Let’s consider a simple comparison:

• 30 minutes of television viewing: Consumes 35 to 40 calories.
• Walking at a slow pace for 30 minutes: Burns about 90 to 100 calories.
• Masturbation (duration of session 5 to 10 minutes): Burns 5 to 30 calories, depending on intensity, position, and duration.

If you’re a little bit more energetic or adventurous with muscle or position activation (i.e., using your entire body as opposed to your hand), you might burn around the level of light stretching or slow dance.

You’re not going to lose 10 pounds from jerking off every day, but it’s not totally calorie-free either.

Factors Influencing Caloric Consumptions During Masturbation

As with any type of body exercise, a number of things affect the calories you burn while masturbating:

1. Duration

The longer the time, the more calories are burnt. An exercise of 3 minutes will burn 3 to 4 calories, and an exercise of 15 minutes will burn 20 to 30 calories.

2. Intensity

Gentle touches vs. passionate movement yes, intensity counts. The greater the movement, the greater the effort, the more calories burned.

3. Body Position

Flat on your back burns fewer calories than squatting, kneeling, or using multiple muscle groups. Burning more calories is possible by engaging your core or altering your position.

4. Heart Rate and Breathing

As your level of arousal becomes higher, your heart beats quicker. Your heart beats quicker, expending more calories even for brief durations.

Masturbation vs. sex: which burns more calories?

Now, consider a thought-provoking comparison.

Sex:

• Average session: 5 to 20 minutes
• Calories burned: 100 to 300 calories (dependent on movement, position, and on duration).
• Whole-body involvement

Masturbation:

• Average session: 5 to 10 minutes
• Calories burned are between 5 and 30.
• Constrained body involvement (typically limited to wrist and hand)

In summary: sex burns significantly more calories than masturbation, but both include high heart rates, muscle activity, and hormone release.

Can masturbation be used as an exercise?

Let’s be truthful – no.

While masturbation does burn a couple of calories, it is not strenuous or long enough to be a genuine workout. Instead, consider it a very light body activity that is healthy for your mind.

If you’re looking to lose weight or get fit, masturbation all by itself is not the ticket. But if you want to relax, de-stress, or sleep better, okay, it can be a useful complement.

Masturbation’s Secret Health Gains (Besides Calories)

As we are sitting here, it is appropriate to mention some real health benefits of masturbation. While these might not have anything to do with calorie burning, they definitely contribute to overall healthfulness:

1. Stress Relief

Releasing sexual tension floods the brain with pleasure chemicals. Masturbation has been found to lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and calm you.

2. Improved Sleep

Relaxation that occurs after orgasm can help induce deeper, quality sleep. This is particularly beneficial for individuals who experience insomnia or anxiety.

3. Heart Health

Any exercise that gets your heart rate up a bit can be beneficial. While not an intense cardio exercise, masturbation is a mild cardio exercise nonetheless.

4. Increased Circulation

Arousal and orgasm cause enhanced blood circulation, particularly within the pelvic area. This is beneficial to the prostate and sexuality in general. 5. Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength For men as well as women, orgasms assist in contracting pelvic floor muscles like Kegel exercises that are excellent for sexual and urinary well-being.

Fun Calorie Comparisons: Let’s Put It in Perspective

Just for fun, let’s compare the calorie burn from a 10 minute masturbation session (roughly 15 to 30 calories) to other common activities:

Activity	Time	Calories Burned
Masturbation	10 min	15 to 30
Drinking a glass of water	–	0 to 5
Laughing	10 min	10 to 20
Walking slowly	10 min	35 to 50
Yoga (mild)	10 min	30 to 60
Sex (active)	10 min	70 to150

Conclusion? Masturbation burns more calories than doing nothing but less than walking around your block.

Can You Lose Weight from Masturbating?

This is a common question and the answer is simple:

No, not in any significant way.

To lose weight, your body needs to burn more calories than it takes in. Since masturbation burns a small amount of calories, you’d have to do it dozens of times a day to see any weight-loss effect and even then, it wouldn’t be practical or healthy.

That said, adding a little movement, stretching, or even turning it into a mini full-body session (like combining it with pelvic exercises) can raise the calorie count a bit. But still it’s not a replacement for a workout.

Should You Masturbate for Fitness?

Only if you’re joking.

Sure, every little bit of movement helps your body stay active, but masturbation isn’t a fitness solution. It’s a personal activity with physical and mental health benefits, but not a substitute for the gym.

Think of it as a bonus—a natural, feel-good way to engage your body, relax your mind, and burn a few extra calories.

Final Verdict: How Many Calories Does Masturbating Burn?

On average, 5 to 30 calories per session, depending on:

• How long you do it

• How intensely you move

• Which parts of your body are involved

It’s not enough to make a major impact on your weight, but it’s not completely useless either. Just like laughing or standing burns a few calories, so does a good old-fashioned solo session.

The real benefits lie beyond just calories, stress relief, better sleep, boosted mood, and improved sexual health. So while you won’t get abs from masturbating, it still has a place in a healthy lifestyle.

Key Takeaways

• Masturbation does burn calories, but only a small amount.

• It’s comparable to light activities like walking or stretching.

• It won’t help with weight loss but has other health benefits.

• Don’t rely on it as a workout, but enjoy it for what it is a natural stress-buster.