Sex in 2020 was mostly about comfort and familiarity, as the vast majority of us followed stay-at-home guidelines once the pandemic hit. Now that vaccines have arrived and experts believe life will start returning to normal in 2021, the year will be all about stretching your sexual boundaries (physically or virtually) and feeling a stronger, deeper sense of intimacy with your partner (or yourself) without so much stress and anxiety. Here are the moves you'll want to try, according to three sex experts.
This full-body, eye to eye move offers lots of physical and romantic intimacy, Gigi Engle, certified sex coach and sexologist, tells Health. Here's how to get into it: Have your partner sit on the bed, chair, or couch with their legs crossed one over the other in the shape of a pretzel. This is called "half lotus." You get a "full lotus" when you join in, says Engle.
Sit on top of your partner and wrap your legs around them as if they were a tree trunk. Instead of bouncing up and down after penetration, move your hips back and forth in a rocking position. "The main appeal of this position is intimacy, says Engle. "It's not to say that it's off limits for a casual sex encounter, but keep in mind that there is a lot of face-to-face contact while in this position." That means the opportunity to connect deeper and tighter on many levels.
This empowering sex position pushes you out of your comfort zone, giving you the confidence to receive intense pleasure from your partner unapologetically. Sit in a chair and spread your legs over both arms of the chair. Have your partner kneel inside your legs and use their mouth and fingers to touch and stimulate you. Engle recommends a chair that's low to the ground, which is more comfortable for you both. "Queening is a take-charge, female-centered act," says Engle, which puts you in control and with no obligation to return the pleasure.
Thanks to the pandemic, virtual sex became part of many couples' lives, Debra Laino, a clinical sexologist, tells Health. Sex toy sales also skyrocketed, making socially distanced mutual masturbation, whether manually or with a hands-free sex toy, a hot option to connect sexually, according to Engle.
Here's one way to do it: Strap on a bluetooth-controlled toy like the We-Vibe Moxie Remote and App Control Wearable Clitoral Panty Vibrator ($130, lovehoney.com) and let your virtual partner play with the 10 discreet settings to help you have a hands-free orgasm. For partners with pensises, try synced up sex toys like Lovense's Max ($140; lovehoney.com) and Nora ($119; amazon.com) for the ultimate virtual sex experience that allows for any sex position you can dream of.
With romantic sex making a comeback, Florida-based sex therapist Rachel Needle, PsyD, tells Health, this passionate missionary move will be at the top of your repertoire. Lie on your back and have your partner penetrate while on top of you. Keep your legs close between theirs and have them angle their body forward, so their shaft is stimulating your clitoris as they move in and out. The simultaneous clitoral stimulation and G-spot penetration goes beyond your usual quick missionary-and-fall-asleep sex. "You can also squeeze your legs together to make your vagina feel tighter and create more friction for both of you," says Needle.
This move is an adventurous spin on the usual woman on top position, says Needle: Straddle your partner while they're sitting upright in a chair or on a couch, leaning on your knees with your toes pointing at the edge. After penetration, take charge of the action by bouncing up and down for deep, deep penetration. It's perfect for partners of all shapes and sizes; you can connect via eye contact, and your breasts and nipples cget plenty of attention, too. "This is also perfect for clitoral stimulation because the woman can maneuver her body so that her clit rubs on his pelvic bone," she says.