How Long Good Sex Takes
Longer isn’t necessarily better, but watching the clock can be instructive.
As the saying goes, sex is like pizza. When it’s good, it’s really good. When it’s bad, it’s still pretty good. But when it’s fast, well, that’s another matter. And American sex is very fast: The national average for a romp in the sack is an unimpressive 7.3 minutes. That’s not a problem if everyone leaves happy, but it’s not ideal either.
Good sex takes time, but taking your time doesn’t always lead to good sex. As in many things (workouts, comedy), it’s more about timing than duration. Specific intervals are more likely to yield positive results. Setting a new record is only impressive if you actually accomplished something.
Here’s what to accomplish and how long it should take.
5 minutes
· Throw caution (and foreplay) to the wind and get straight to the point. There ain’t nothing wrong with a little quickie as long as you keep it intense. How about a power shower before work or a little afternoon delight on your lunch break? Five minutes doesn’t leave time for a lot of eye contact, but, hey, if you can power your way across the finish line in the time it takes to watch a Nicki Minaj music video, your partner will likely get there too.
10 minutes
· 10 minutes is a somewhat awkward amount of time in which to have sex. It’s not exactly a quickie, but chances are it’s also not exactly memorable. Keep going.
15 minutes
· Now we’re getting there. 15 minutes is enough time for a bit of foreplay and a few positions. This is a solid if not newsworthy pre-sleep routine.
20-25 minutes
· This feels like the sweet spot. Lasting longer than 20 minutes proves a point, allows you to do whatever you want to do without repeating yourself, and doesn’t rule out foreplay. Take it from the bed to the floor and back, you’ve got time.
30 minutes
· Take a water break and high five yourselves for making it this far. At 30 minutes, you’ve accomplished more than Melo in a weekend and have (probably) sated your lady. Once you’ve hydrated and caught your breath, watch something sexy to get back in the zone and get back to it.
40 minutes
· Make sure your partner is still there with you and not in the other room making a sandwich.
50 minutes
· What the hell are you still doing here? Don’t you have text messages to answer? Laundry to do? Food to eat? Pets to feed? No? Party on.
60 minutes
· An hour is not unreasonable if you’re either going back for seconds (way to go) or eating dinner. If that sounds odd, reconsider. Many women find eating while otherwise engaged in coitus a very sexy affair. If you keep the meal light and take wine breathers, you’ll last for an hour and have a nice time doing it. Think tapas, not steak.
120 minutes
· She might be impressed, but she might also be uncomfortable.
180 minutes
· Call your doctor.
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Photos by Getty Images
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