You know how sex sometimes feels like a workout? Well, sometimes working out can feel a little bit like sex.
In a landmark study published in Sexual and Relationship Therapy a few years ago, researchers surveyed 530 women on their experiences with exercise-induced sexual pleasure and orgasm. Forty-six percent of the women reported arousal during exercise; twenty-three percent of them said they'd had a full-blown orgasm during a sweat session. (Now that is a great workout!)
Researchers don't know exactly why exercise can be so arousing, says study co-author J. Dennis Fortenberry, M.D., a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University. One theory: While clitoral, vaginal, and G-spot stimulation can get you off, a less common tactic involving muscles in the uterus and pelvic floor can also do the trick. Certain core exercises appear to trigger contractions in these muscles to bring on extreme pleasure — all without manual stimulation or fantasizing.
Another hypothesis is that both exercise and orgasm affect your body in similar ways: They increase your heart rate, blood pressure, body heat, and even affect neighboring areas of the brain. "It's possible that the two sources of stimulation can be confused," says Barry R. Komisaruk, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Rutgers University and author of The Science of Orgasm.
Before you get all excited, you should know that not everyone can orgasm from exercise. While the likelihood of crossing the finish line has nothing to do with whether you regularly climax in sexual situations, it depends on your unique anatomy, the kinds of exercises you do, and your technique, says lead study author Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., associate research scientist at Indiana University's School of Public Health.
Of course it's worth a shot! So try the exercises below, which come recommended by women in the Sexual and Relationship Therapy study. (Just tack them on to the end of an intense workout, when Dr. Fortenberry says you're most likely to orgasm.)
1. Sit-Ups/Crunches: These core moves build the pelvic floor strength that's crucial to the quality and frequency of the female orgasm in the gym and bedroom. Lie on your back with the soles of your feet on the floor and your pelvis tilted up. Place your hands behind your head or fold them across your chest, brace your core, and use your abs to lift your head, shoulders, and upper back up off the floor. For a full sit-up, continue lifting until your entire upper body is upright. Pause, then slowly lower toward the floor without touching your head to the ground. Repeat, and continue for 45 to sixty seconds to complete a set. Complete two to three sets.
What they work: Your abs and back.
2. Captain's Chair: This might sound like a prop in Christian Grey's sex chamber, but you can find it at any gym. (It's the upright machine with padded armrests and a back support that you hang on while your legs hang freely.) To use it, place your forearms on the armrests with your back to the machine, keeping your shoulders away from your ears. Squeeze your thighs together, and use your lower abs to slowly lift your knees up toward the chest. (Alternatively, keep your legs straight and lift your ankles as high as you can. It's harder this way; you've been warned!) Lower your legs with control and repeat 10 to 15 reps or until you feel the burn and/or aroused. Perform two to three sets.
What it works: Your abs, thighs, biceps, and back.
3. Climbing: Mount the nearest pole, rope, or tree, and focus on contracting your pelvic floor muscles (the ones that stop you from peeing) as you shimmy up to reach your peak. Bonus: Wrap your legs and keep your pelvis close whatever you're climbing to increase friction.
What it works: Your arms, back, abs, and legs.
4. Lifting Weights: Try dumbbell deadlifts: Stand with your feet hips-width apart and one 10- to 20-pound dumbbell in front of each foot. Bend from the waist and use an overhand grip to grab one weight in each hand. Without bending your elbows, simultaneously thrust your hips forward and lift your upper body and bring the weights straight up to the front of your thighs as you return to standing position. Pause, then bend from the waist as you lower the weights down to your shins. Continue lifting and lowering for 45 to 60 seconds, and complete two to three sets. Brace your core as you heave-ho to increase your odds of an orgasm.
What it works: Your hamstrings, lower back, and abs.
5. Cycling: To turn bike riding or indoor cycling into a full-frontal, contact sport, tilt your hips forward as you peddle. It will increase the friction between the seat and your clitoris to make your workout much more fun. Pedal for 20 to 40 minutes at a moderate to vigorous pace to amp up the intensity.
What it works: Your butt, thighs, and (depending on upper body positioning) your arms, back, and chest.
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Elizabeth Narins is a Brooklyn, NY-based writer and a former senior editor at Cosmopolitan.com, where she wrote about fitness, health, and more. Follow her at @ejnarins.
