Sex fast: Everything you need to know about this crazy sex trend

Sex fasting, like food fasting, entails restricting pleasure for some benefit, whether that advantage is a deeper connection to oneself or rejuvenation from the purifying effects. The phrase means exactly what you'd expect it to mean: abstaining from sex with your lover for an extended period.

What is a sex fast?

Consider it a sex and romantic life reset button: for a certain length of time, you and your partner agree to forego penetrative, oral, and manual sex in favour of cuddling, kissing and talking. So, you're not going without, but rather channelling your shared energy towards bonding activities that aren't centred on sex.

Who has tried doing a sex fast?

Celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley and Terry Crews and his wife Rebecca King Crews have tried sex fasting and promote it.

What are the advantages of a sex fast?

Going on a sex fast with your partner may seem pointless, but it can be particularly beneficial to your relationship. Sex fasting allows you to pay attention to sensations you've been desensitised to. It can alter sexual reactions and possibly boost desire.

This brief period of constraint allows you to re-calibrate and transform mundane intercourse into something memorable. When you've taken a break and had time to develop a fresh perspective, things feel different. The restriction gives you perspective and time to determine which aspects of your sex life you want to preserve and which you're ready to change or try something new.

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How can a sex fast help when you're dating?

The advantages of sex fasting can be applied to dating as well. This period of abstinence allows you to better recognise patterns and dynamics with others, as well as the possibility of shifting some of these patterns. Sex fasting can lead to more focused relationships and a better understanding of sexual impulses, and how to identify and advocate for your own needs. Because sex fasting brings new awareness and perspective to the sensations of sex, you may discover that your orgasms are stronger and more intense following a sex fast.

Is a sex fast really beneficial?

According to what sex therapist David J. Ley told Insider, the concept of a sex fast frequently sets individuals up for failure because it assumes that everyone has the same sex connection. If a person with a greater sex drive loves to have sex every day, attempting a sex fast for its ostensible benefits will almost certainly result in a slip-up, which could put that person into a shame spiral.

Myths regarding the benefits of not having sex or orgasms, such as higher testosterone or mental and spiritual strength, are based on the assumption that sexuality is intrinsically enticing and pulling us away from the things in life we should be focusing on. This may not be true for everyone. Registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix also told Insider that there are no evidence-based nutrition benefits for this type of fasting.