Home » Health » To exercise with sex … and incidentally eliminate your stress

To exercise with sex … and incidentally eliminate your stress

MADRID

¿AHave you ever wondered if sex could be considered exercise? Everything will depend. From the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC) they warn that physical activity that requires a sexual relationship is compared to that necessary to climb two floors of stairs.

If you are able to climb two floors of stairs without having chest pain or excessive fatigue, you will be able, from a physical point of view, to have full sexual relations, “asserts the entity, pointing out that it is necessary to take into account tells that there are wide variations in energy expenditure during sexual intercourse depending on factors such as the physical state of the patient and his partner, excitement, abundant food intake before sexual activity, whether the relationship is extramarital, Inter alia.

At the same time, Dr. Marco A. Blázquez, coordinator of the Cardiac Imaging Unit of the University Hospital of Torrejón (Madrid) maintains in an interview with Infosalus that “sexual activity involves physical activation and hemodynamic stress on the vascular system, similar to what physical exercise can provide us”.

So that yes we can consider it exercise, but with nuances. This specialist spins more than the FEC and points out that this energy expenditure is usually measured in the unit of metabolic equivalents (METs), denoting 1 METs as the oxygen consumption that we perform at rest while sitting.

It has been found that sexual activity produces an energy expenditure, variable according to the situation, but that ranges from 3 or 4 METs in relationships with the habitual partner, and from 5 to 6 METs in relations with an unusual partner. This measure is equivalent to the energy expenditure we carry out when walking on the flat at 4-6 kilometers per hour, or in sports such as table tennis, or archery in the first case, or playing badminton or golf, in the second “details the cardiologist.

Now, he insists that, although sex can be considered as a physical exercise, says that it will be very difficult that, with sexual activity alone, even having a very active sexual life, the requirements for a heart-healthy life in the general population can be met (perform 30-40 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week).

Having sex with a lover, what most Mexicans in quarantine miss

In this context, Dr. Blázquez highlights that the cardiovascular effects of sexual activity are similar in both sexes: “Fundamentally, these effects are an increase in heart rate that can increase to peaks of 140-180 beats per minute, an increase blood pressure up to 80/50 mmHg, and an increase in respiratory rate. After sexual intercourse, these parameters usually normalize progressively. “

THEN WHAT ABOUT THE SICK OF THE HEART?

After having a heart attack, many people worry about whether they will be able to recover their sexual activity prior to the coronary episode. The coordinator of the Cardiac Imaging Unit of the University Hospital of Torrejón points out in this regard that, Although it has been observed that sexual activity can act as a trigger for myocardial infarction, this effect is small.

Of course, it states that during the two hours following a sexual relationship it has been observed that the risk of heart attack is “approximately twice as high as at other times”, but the absolute risk of sexual activity is very small, so that someone who due to his risk profile (included in this age) he had a risk of suffering a myocardial infarction at one year of 1%, sexual activity 8/8/2020 Sex is exercise, but with nuances https://www.infosalus.com/salud-investigacion/noticia-sexo-si-ejercicio-… Regular 3/4 would only increase it to 1.01% and, if this risk was greater than 10%, sexual activity would only increase it to 10.1%.

This effect as a trigger is less than that of psychological stress, physical exercise or an angry discussion. So this small increase in risk is not a reason to stop recommending an active sex life in the vast majority of patients, and much less only because of their age, “argues the cardiac imaging specialist.

On the other hand, Blázquez mentions that, in general, it is considered a therapeutic objective for heart patients that they can lead a life as normal as possible and, among other considerations, that they can lead a normal and pleasant sexual life.

Obviously, in those patients who present with an acute and uncontrolled cardiac pathology, such as unstable angina, the first two weeks after a myocardial infarction, uncontrolled arrhythmias, or decompensated heart failure is not a period in which it is recommended sexual activity “, advises the expert from the University Hospital of Torrejón.

However, it does point out that in patients with stable pathologiesAs a general rule, sexual activity is considered safe if the patient can develop an energy expenditure above 5 METs without presenting symptoms (neither feeling of shortness of breath, nor chest pain).

This would be equivalent to walking a couple of floors without stopping, or taking a short run to catch a bus. If we have doubts about her functional class, a stress test can be performed that will specify the functional capacity of the patient, “adds the cardiologist.

SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION AFTER INFARCTION

On the other hand, he warns that the presence of sexual dysfunction is very frequent in heart patients, both in men and women. “For example, after a myocardial infarction some degree of dysfunction (especially erectile dysfunction in men) occurs in between half and three-quarters of patients,” warns Dr. Blázquez.

As nuanced, sexual dysfunction can be caused by several factors. On the one hand, it says that some of the drugs used in Carrdiology may have side effects related to sexual activity. And on the other hand, risk-sharing factors often coexist between heart disease and sexual dysfunction, such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, or hypertension.

And, last but not least, there are psychological problems such as anxiety, fear, or depression that can occur after suffering a cardiac event. In these cases, the role of the doctor will be to improve the psychological state of the patient, recommend an active and non-sedentary life that will undoubtedly improve their sex life, and adjust medical treatment as best as possible to avoid unwanted side effects. And, if needed nally, drugs can be used 5/8/2020 Sex is exercise, but with nuances https://www.infosalus.com/salud-investigacion/noticia-sexo-si-ejercicio-… 4/4 for erectile dysfunction, which are generally considered safe for these patients unless they are taking nitrates, “he adds.

Ultimately, the specialist from the Hospital of Torrejón recalls that, within the definition of health that the WHO gives us, such as the state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being, the ability to lead a full sexual life is included and pleasant.

“In order to have it throughout our lives, regardless of age, the best we can do is take care of our cardiovascular health, controlling the risk factors that we may have, such as hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia; not smoking; eating a diet cardiosaludable and with special importance, lead a non-sedentary life through regular physical exercise, which will prevent in many cases that we can develop sexual dysfunction and decrease the risk of being able to present cardiac events associated with sex, “says Dr. Blázquez .

asc

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.