Sex not same as gym workout: Expert

A steamy sex session is not the same as an intense workout at the gym, says a health expert.

"You''re not going to get the same [physical health] benefit as going out for a 2-mile jog," Jamie Feldman, associate professor at the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, told ABC News.

"Sexual activity provides some degree of modest exercise. But it''s not the same as getting moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day."

Sex, however, can lower the blood pressure over time, says Israel Helfand, sex therapist and marriage counselor, reports The New York Daily News.u00a0

"But for this to happen, it must be done vigorously," he adds.

Sex also increases the body''s "happy" hormones such as dopamine and cortisol, Helfand says.u00a0

"And it counteracts depression, improves energy and improves people''s mood," he adds.

Consultant sexologist Eric Garrison points out its calorie-reducing benefits.u00a0

"And studies show that sex is known to relieve headaches and sinus pressure since it increases blood flow in the head," he adds. "So the 'not tonight, I have a headache,'' excuse doesn''t really work."

Ian Kerner, Ph.D., a certified clinical sexologist, said: "People who have healthy sex lives are likely to have healthier lives overall. People who have sex more often are more likely to go to the gym, eat healthy and take care of themselves. But if you are sedentary and have high blood pressure, this definitely has an effect on libido."