Spice up your lovemaking with the sex pyramid

Engaging in different shagging styles not only prevents boredom in the bedroom, but “it also fulfills your many physical and emotional needs, allows you to express different aspects of your personality and enables you to grow sexually as a couple,” explains Ian Kerner, Ph.D., a sex and relationship therapist in New York City. No one is saying you have to install a trapeze in your bedroom or invite the neighbors to join in. But just as following the food pyramid’s guidelines will improve your overall diet, integrating different types of sex into your regular routine can recharge your romance.

Building your own sex pyramid is easy: It’s all about finding the right balance for you. The foundation should be whichever style nourishes you on the deepest level, your second favorite kind will fill the spot immediately above, and so on. Use the following recommendations to guide you, and be sure to take your personal preferences and lifestyle into account.

Intimate
What it is: A leisurely exploration of each other’s body that allows you to reestablish your bond; it may or may not include intercourse.

Adventurous
What it is: Anything that’s out of the realm of your routine, whether it’s a new position, sex in the shower or dressing up in a costume.

Electric
What it is: Fast, furious and strikingly short on foreplay: Let’s do this right here and right now! (Otherwise known as a quickie.)

Apologetic
What it is: You just had a major blowout. Now that it’s over, all you want to do is take each other’s clothes off so you can kiss and make up.

Take-charge
What it is: You know exactly what you want, and you’re not going to stop until you get it. (Whips or cuffs are not necessarily required.)

Solo
What it is: No partner, no pressure, only your vivid imagination and perhaps a battery-operated device.