Women can reach orgasm by just working out!

While the findings by Indiana University researchers are new reports of this phenomenon sometimes called ldquocoregasmrdquo because of its association with exercises for core abdominal muscles have circulated in the media for years said Debby Herbenick codirector of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion in IU39s School of Health Physical Education and Recreation ldquoThe most common exercises associated with exerciseinduced orgasm were abdominal exercises climbing poles or ropes bikingspinning and weight liftingrdquo said Herbenick who is a widely read advice columnist and book author ldquoThese data are interesting because they suggest that orgasm is not necessarily a sexual event and they may also teach us more about the bodily processes underlying womenrsquos experiences of orgasmrdquo she stated The results are based on surveys administered online to 124 women who reported experiencing exerciseinduced orgasms EIO and 246 women who experienced exerciseinduced sexual pleasure EISP The women ranged in age from 18 to 63 Most were in a relationship or married and about 69 percent identified themselves as heterosexual The study found that about 40 percent of women who had experienced EIO and EISP had done so on more than 10 occasions Most of the women in the EIO group reported feeling some degree of selfconsciousness when exercising in public places with about 20 percent reporting they could not control their experience Most women reporting EIO said they were not fantasizing sexually or thinking about anyone they were attracted to during their experiences Diverse types of physical exercise were associated with EIO and EISP Of the EIO group 514 percent reported experiencing an orgasm in connection with abdominal exercises within the previous 90 days Others reported experiencing orgasm in connection to such exercises as weight lifting 265 percent yoga 20 percent bicycling 158 running 132 percent and walkinghiking 96 percent In openended responses ab exercises were particularly associated with the ldquocaptainrsquos chairrdquo which consists of a rack with padded arm rests and back support that allows the legs to hang free The goal is to repeatedly lift the knees toward the chest or toward a 90degree angle with the body Herbenick said that the mechanisms behind exerciseinduced orgasm and exerciseinduced sexual pleasure remain unclear and in future research they hope to learn more about triggers for both She also said that study findings might help women who experience EIOEISP feel more normal about their experiences or put them into context Herbenick cautioned that it is not yet known whether such exercises can improve womenrsquos sexual experiences ldquoIt may be that exercise which is already known to have significant benefits to health and wellbeing has the potential to enhance womenrsquos sexual lives as wellrdquo she stated The study did not determine how common it is for women to experience exerciseinduced orgasm or exerciseinduced sexual pleasure But the researchers noted that it took only five weeks to recruit the 370 women who experienced the phenomenon suggesting it is not rare The findings were published in a special issue of Sexual and Relationship Therapy a leading peerreviewed journal in the area of sex therapy and sexual health