How Sex Affects Your Heart Rate: Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy on World Heart Day

Sex is often seen as a personal or private matter, but very few people think of it in connection with heart health. Although a normal conversation on a healthy heart looks at exercise, diet, and stress management, sex is rarely mentioned. However, it is significant to the functioning of our heart.

On World Heart Day, it is worth remembering that heart health is not only about avoiding disease but also about understanding everyday activities that impact the heart, including sex. To explore this connection, we spoke to an expert who gave her views on the influence of sex on the heart and what individuals can do to remain safe.

Why Sex and Heart Health Are Linked

We reached out to Dr Divya Mani, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Apollo Cradle and Children's Hospital, Bangalore-Electronic City, who explained why sex should be part of the heart health conversation.

“When we consider heart health, it typically involves exercise, diet, and managing stress. An important component that is generally ignored is sex, partly due to the stigma that surrounds it and due to a lack of education. Sex as a physical and emotional activity generally has a biological effect on heart rate and cardiovascular health,” says Dr Mani.

Sex is a physical activity, and just like any other activity of any kind, it exerts pressure on the heart. When sexual activity occurs, the body consumes more energy, muscles strain more, and the heart beats at a faster rate to deliver oxygen and blood.

The expert adds, “sexual intercourse raises the heart rate and blood pressure and makes one breathe harder, on a short-term basis, which is comparable to the impact of light and moderate exercising. This increase is benign in a normal individual, but in someone with an underlying heart condition, such as coronary heart disease, arrhythmias, and hypertension, it may cause complications. That is why it is necessary to know what is possible and impossible to do and to listen to the body.” Though these are but temporary, they provide us with hints regarding the fact that sexual activity and cardiovascular health are highly interconnected.

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How Sex Impacts Heart Rate

According to a study, sexual activity gets the heart pumping faster, sometimes raising the rate to around 130 beats per minute in men and less in women. It is similar to dancing, brisk walking, or light jogging. Blood pressure goes up briefly, and breathing quickens. In healthy people, sex counts as mild-to-moderate exercise. It burns a few extra calories and supports cardiovascular endurance.

When Sex May Be Risky for the Heart

For most healthy adults, the increase in heart rate and blood pressure during sex is temporary and safe. However, in some cases, it may pose risks. Dr Mani states that the following conditions require additional attention.

• Coronary artery disease
• Abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias).
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Heart failure

In case a person experiences chest pain, dizziness, or strange shortness of breath during sex, then he should seek medical attention immediately.

Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy and Safe

Dr Mani stresses that a healthy heart is able to cope with physical activity, such as sex. The practical steps that she suggests are:

• Regular exercise: Physical activity makes the heart muscles strong, and it trains the body to meet future requirements.
• Ease stress: Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness are some stress-reducing practices that can help reduce blood pressure and optimise blood flow.
• Follow-up medications: There are certain heart medications that can influence sex. Before commencing or altering medication, it is always best to speak with a doctor.
• Be a candid person: It can be less stressful to discuss any health issues or sexual difficulties with a doctor or partner and feel better.
• Eat right and sleep right: Balanced diets and sufficient rest make the heart strong and healthy.

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Why Talking About Sex Matters on World Heart Day

The discussion of sex and health is usually suppressed due to the social stigma. However, when people do not pay attention to the role of sex in heart health, they will not find the appropriate advice.

When talking about World Heart Day, Dr Mani emphasises the significance of awareness, saying that Sex is an essential component of any healthy life. Thus, during World Heart Day, it will be as crucial as possible to build awareness about the contribution the heart makes to sex, and what we can do to take care of it.