Thinking of a risqué activity to spice up a stagnant love life and reignite passion between the sheets?
Well put away the blindfold and edible underwear. An afternoon in an escape room could be just the ticket to getting intimacy lacking couples back in the mood.
At least, that’s according to Los Angeles based sex-coach Michaela d’Artois.
For uninitiated, an escape room is an immersive game when a group of people are locked in a room, and have to work together to solve a series of puzzles in a limited time frame to find a hidden key and ‘escape’.
And according to d’Artois, entering one with your other half could be the key to rekindling passion.
An escape room could be just to ticket to getting intimacy lacking couples back in the mood according to Los Angeles based sex-coach Michaela d’Artois
D’Artois, who runs her private intimacy coaching practice Inner Eros in California, said working together could be the antidote to a sex drought.
‘When couples problem-solve together, it gives them skills to overcome trials that they will face in their relationship,’ she told the Financial Times.
Experts have suggested doing an escape room can help boost communication skills, help couples learn to handle stress together and celebrate each others successes.
Described by some as ‘the ultimate relationship compatibility test’, the intense activity could also help with building trust and reliance on one another.
D’Artois, who describes her job as helping ‘reconnect people with the eroticism and romanticism of their own lives’ also had a few suggestions for when not having enough sex was more of one-sided problem, including journaling and sketching.
Doing so could help a person advocate for themselves to their partner about what they might be wanting or seeking in terms of sex.
Her comments come amid concern about a global sex crisis — or rather, lack of sex crisis.
A survey last year revealed more than a quarter (27 per cent) of Britons are now having less sex than they used to.
Furthermore, one in six (15 per cent) admitted that they haven’t got frisky the entire year.
According to a Royal College of Occupational Therapists poll of 2,000 adults earlier this year, men and women typically romp 46 times a year — once every eight days.
But some have far less frequent amorous activity, with a tenth reported having sex less than once a year.
Britain isn’t alone in suffering a sexodus.
In America surveys have shown the number of Californians between the age of 18 and 30 without a sexual partner in the past year has reached a decade high of 38 per cent.
And although not all sex is for the purposes of procreation a number of commentators, including celebrities like Elon Musk, have voiced concern over declining birth rates, particularly in developed nations like those Europe.
Even France, a nation so famous for its lovers it has a kiss named after it, has been caught up in the crisis.
It has led President Emmanuel Macron, to announce a series of measures earlier this year to address a ‘scourge’ of infertility in the nation.
However, when it comes to how much sex we should be having d’Artois is clear that that the right amount is however much a couple mutually wants.
She said one of the critical aspects of establishing what this should be is for each person in a relation to establish how important sex is to them individually.
From there d’Artois described the process as ‘a journey’, until both parties are satisfied.
‘If we can create dynamics where the partner who desires sex less has more reason or more incentive, they can find their pathway to eroticism faster,’ she said.
And this isn’t necessarily limited to sexual acts but can be as simple as holding each other and breathing together, or a sensual massage, she added.
Sex, and intimacy more generally, has been linked to a string of health benefits, including improving the condition of your heart, reducing stress and even boosting mental health.
Research, recently highlighted by MailOnline found nationally, just 55 per cent of Brits reported having sex at least one a week — 59 per cent of men and 51 per cent of women.
Nationally 55 per cent of Brits reported having sex at least one a week, this rising to 59 per cent of men and falling to 51 per cent of women
Londoners were far above the national average, with 67 per cent reporting enjoying an amorous encounter at least once a week.
This was followed by those in the North West (57 per cent) and lovers in the East Midlands (56 per cent).
Northern Ireland was on the opposite end of the spectrum with less than half (44 per cent) of people reporting having weekly sex.
This was followed by Wales and the East of England where residents came joint second last place at just 49 per cent.
However, the survey also revealed that Brits suspect far more of us are having sex than we actually are.
Respondents were asked what proportion of Brits they thought had sex at least one a week and the average was 81 per cent, 26 percentage points higher than the reality.