5 Riding Tips Your Knees Will Thank You For
Being on top used to be my least favorite sex position. Call me a pillow princess, but I preferred my partner to be in control, and being on top puts me in the driver's seat. Additionally, riding is exhausting and intimidating. Once I realized cowgirl was the ultimate way to take control of my pleasure, my perspective changed. It turns out you don't have to have Megan's knees to ride, in fact, there are several knee-friendly riding techniques that are both comfortable and pleasurable, and also provide mind-blowing orgasms.
Known for its versatility and popularity, the cowgirl position allows the person on top to control penetration depth, intensity, and thrust angle. For most women penetration alone rarely leads to orgasms, but in this position, you have full control of the penetration. In cowgirl, there are many options for stimulating clits by manipulating positions. Your partner might know your body and how to satisfy you, but you are the only one who knows exactly when to push deeper, faster, or “a bit to the left!” Being on top also allows you to replace shyness with sexiness.
On top, you're in your partner's line of sight, which can make anyone feel shy. Nevertheless, if you follow a few hints and tips, you can ride him like a rodeo without getting tired or hurting your knees and finally throw your shyness out the window.
Rock instead of bounce.
It's common for the person on top to bounce violently up and down for what feels like an eternity in porn. Porn, however, is entertainment, not life. While bouncing is great, rocking back and forth can allow you to explore more angles and sensations, and it's better for your knees. When you're rocking instead of bouncing, it's easier to involve your clit. In the beginning, it can help you get used to sex on top by grinding rather than bouncing. Straddle your partner and lower yourself onto their penis before slowly rocking them back and forth as they lie flat on their back.
Use pillows for support.
You can add pillows to kneeling if it becomes too hard on your knees. By propping a pillow underneath both knees, you can bounce more easily, and you will cover less ground. Using sex pillows or wedges, the receiving partner can draw the penetrating partner deeper inside by placing one under their booty.
Put it in reverse.
The reverse cowgirl (where you are in the same position, but with your back to your partner) is another option. You will be able to bend over and let your knees loosen a bit, as you can control the movement with your hands - placed on your partner's thighs. When you do reverse rider on your knees, you can easily shift your body forward and back to find the right position. In addition, it allows your partner to see your booty, which is always nice to see. Similar to the traditional cowgirl position, reverse cowgirl gives you total control over how you move.
Leaning backward will give you more space to stimulate your own clitoris. It can be done with your hands or with an external sex toy like a vibrator. If you’re into booty play, this will give your partner all the access they could imagine to give it some love.
Let him do the work.
Being on top does not mean you need to ride them all the time. There are positions that require them to do some of the work too. For example, lay on your partner while they move their hips, or squat above them while they work. The point is, being on top doesn’t mean it’s all about you doing the work. Ask your partner to move you around if you're new to cowgirl or need a little guidance. Try out different movements, speeds, and penetration levels that feel good to you both so that you don't have to be the one coordinating everything.
Use a chair.
Using a chair for cowgirl is pretty straightforward. You're doing classic cowgirl just on a chair. Ask your partner to sit in a chair the same way as they normally would. There's no need to seek out a chair that's uncomfortable and relatively wide-based for this, but climb on top of your partner as soon as they're seated, straddling them. Your shins can rest along the outside of your partner's legs if your chair is wide enough. If it’s a tighter squeeze, you may have to rest your feet and shins along your partner’s thighs.
Once you’re there, your partner can lean back or pull you in close—and you can do the same. You can grind forward and backward, slide up and down, as you normally would. Just make sure the chair is sturdy enough so it won't fall over as soon as things get started.
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Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
SZA Says She's Not The Poster Child For Insecurity & Talks 'Childish' Past With Drake
With all the accomplishments the R&B artist racked up in 2023, it's clear the year is coming up SZA. On the heels of announcing she'll be hitting us with a deluxe version of her runaway hit SOS, the release of a visual and a Justin Bieber-coded remix for the fan favorite single "Snooze," and the duet with the rap game's favorite Certified Loverboy, SZA is gifting Rolling Stone with her presence in a recent cover story penned by writer Mankaprr Conteh.
Known for the raw vulnerability of her lyrics and going there with her songwriting in ways many artists would shy away from, SZA's pen game is unmatched, but it's also made her the center of 'low vibrational energy' think pieces that feel SZA's brand of wearing her heart on her sleeve for listeners to keep on repeat is problematic.
That plus, the clear-as-day struggles that the 33-year-old "Kill Bill" singer navigated as her physical appearance has made dramatic shifts over the years makes her liable to catch strays when the subject of insecurity comes to the forefront. In the cover story, Mankaprr writes, "It took SZA a long time to feel beautiful."
Her ability to be honest about high highs and low lows, the moments of self-preservation versus the moments of self-destruction that are bound to pop up on anyone's self-love journey is what makes tracks like "Garden (Say It Like Dat)" hit and especially songs like the previously shout-out "Snooze." The road to self-love might be paved with good intentions but that doesn't mean every part of that journey is going to be met with seamless effortless confidence.
Everyone has those moments, but SZA adamantly rebukes the idea that her brand is "insecurity," calling it a "good old misconception" in the Rolling Stone cover story.
Instead, SZA is a proponent of radical truths, especially with herself about herself. However, that doesn't mean she won't throw hands if she gets a whiff of someone treating her with disrespect.
"People be like, 'Insecurity is her brand.' It's like, 'No, bitch, I'm honest with how I feel about myself, but if I catch you saying that, it's going to be different. I'll still beat your ass over disrespecting me."
To be clear, SZA will slap a bitch.
And regarding those Drake rumors? SZA says there's not much to write home about despite what was alluded to by Drake in the 21 Savage song, "Mr. Right Now." In his verse, Drake references SZA, rapping, "Yeah, said she wanna f*ck to some SZA, wait, / Cause I used to date SZA back in ’08 / If you cool with it, baby, she can still play.”
After the Canadian rapper let it be known that he and SZA used to be a thing back in the day, SZA confirmed the past romance in October 2020. She clarified that they actually dated in 2009 to concerned fans who thought she might have been underaged at the time, which Drake rapped was in 2008.
"I hate being a long-term bitch," SZA told Rolling Stone. And when defining the relationship she had with Drake way back when, she referred to it as being "childish" since they "were really young" at the time.
SZA continued, "It wasn't hot and heavy or anything. It was like youth vibes. It was so childish."
Their names recirculated in the news recently when the 36-year-old rapper dropped the "Slime You Out" collaboration he did with the "Shirt" songstress, which funnily enough was an invitation to collab that Drake extended on the phone with SZA while her interview for the cover story was being conducted.
Read the story in full here.
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