It’s sexual health time here at Erotic News and today rumors are swirling around the internet regarding women, exercise and orgasms. So, can women exercise to orgasm? Let’s take a look at some of the facts behind the hype of what’s fast becoming known as the “core-gasm”.
The science behind exercise induced orgasms
We already know that exercise helps with sex, but now you may not even have to have sex to orgasm. A research team, lead by Debby Herbenick, co-director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University used online surveys to gather their data on exercise orgasms.
The surveys were filled out by 124 women who had experienced exercise-induced orgasms and 246 women who reported exercise-induced sexual pleasure. Most of the women, ages 18 to 63 and an average age of 30, were in a relationship or married, 69 percent were heterosexual.
Researchers found that 40 percent of both groups experienced exercise-induced pleasure or orgasm on more than 11 occasions in their lives. Of the women who had orgasms during exercise, 45 percent said it happened by doing abdominal exercises; 19 percent said it was with biking; 9.3 percent were climbing poles or ropes; 7 percent orgasmed while weight lifting; 7 percent during running; the rest of the first-time experiences included various exercises, such as yoga, swimming, elliptical machine and others.
The researchers are unclear as to why the orgasms happen during exercise.
Theory for why abdominal work causes the highest percent of “core-gasms”.
So…orgasms can happen through exercise (although only 5 percent of all women interviewed by The Kinsey Institute have ever reported it). Why does it happen, especially during abdominal exercises? As a sexual health nurse and a woman, I have a theory. One word “kegels”.
What are kegels? They are exercises that women (or men) do that help strengthen the pelvic floor. Men who practice them report that they help reduce premature ejaculation and help them to increase size and intensity of erections. For women, they can help with incontinence and are often done after giving birth to “tighten up”.
When some women exercise their abdominal muscles, they may be inadvertently be doing kegels which, when done often enough, can cause orgasm by bringing blood flow to the pelvis and vaginal area.
Whatever the reason for orgasming while exercising, it’s just one more reason to hit the gym.