Add a twist to those tried-and-true sex positions.

It's easy to get lazy in bed. Why contort like a Cirque du Soleil acrobat when: a) you're already having satisfying sex b) a simple you're-on-top-tonight position will get the job done?

But like anything easy - a muesli bar for lunch, the treadmill at the gym, shopping on eBay - before long, you feel like you're missing out on the good stuff. So every once in a while change it up. Below experts and real women share their proven strategies for getting new thrills out of those same old spots.


Missionary
Gripe: "I can't move the way I need to for an orgasm."

Twist: To get more wiggle room - for hip-grinding or to reach your clitoris with your fingers - start by having him sit back on his heels on the bed. Then lie back against a couple of pillows, place your legs on either side of his thighs, and have him grasp your hips and pull your pelvis toward his crotch. You can rest the bottoms of your feet on the bed for balance and leverage, or wrap them around his waist. Stack those pillows up high behind you to prevent all the blood from rushing to your head. Then again, that might just add to the excitement.


You on top
Gripe: "everything wobbles and I don't feel sexy enough to enjoy myself."

Twist: Forget everything you've heard about how empowering and intimate it is to have sex with the lights on and just shut the frigging things off - even the night-light. "If the reality is that you feel too self-conscious about your body to really let go in bed, then having sex in the dark will allow you to forget all about what you look like and just have some fun," says Dr Ian Kerner, author of She Comes First ($22.95, HarperCollins). "There's no point in doing the empowering thing if it's not making you happy." When you're ready, fire up a candle and see how that makes you feel. Then light two, then three… until you feel comfortable doing it in broad daylight. On the beach.


Hands and knees
Gripe: "It feels impersonal because I can't see his face or touch his body."

Twist: The thing about having sex with your partner behind you is that it exposes the back of your body to a host of erotic sensations usually only played out in front. Plus, you tap into a naughty feeling that can be insanely hot. To get all of that without sacrificing any intimacy, try lying on your stomach and have him lie flat on top of you (with some of his weight on his arms so he doesn't squash you). "It's more intimate because it provides lots of skin-on-skin contact," says Dr Taylor says. Even if you can't see him, you can hear his breath in your ear and feel the warmth of his body.


Standing up
Gripe: "We're about the same height, so standing-up sex works if I stand on my tiptoes, but then my calves get tired!"

Twist: Orgasms are elusive enough without having to manoeuvre around on your tippy-toes. To double the surface area you stand on and still get the extra few inches you need for the perfect pelvic match-up, don the highest heels you own - stilettos, wedges, stilts - doesn't matter. Don't have any heels that high? Buy a cheap (but stable) pair for this purpose alone. You never have to wear them out of the house, and he'll get an extra thrill from seeing you in them - which, most guys seem to find hot.