What?? You can have an orgasm from Pilates?
Yes, really. We're not making this up. You go to pilates for a tighter stomach, to improve your posture, and perhaps a bit of inner peace. The universe takes that last part quite literally, because you leave the studio with a completely different experience. Yet it can happen to you too: you're in the middle of an exercise and suddenly overwhelmed by a very familiar sensation. Without any crazy fantasy or touch. You can just get it during your nine o'clock morning class. This happens so often that it even has a name: a coregasm.
This is really crazy, right?
Personally, I don't do pilates, but the fact that you can get one orgasm surprises me. It seems far-fetched, but actually, it makes sense. A coregasm is an orgasm triggered by muscle exertion. So it doesn't have to come from a fantasy or something exciting. Researchers from Indiana University know this. They studied the phenomenon. Their research shows that of the five hundred thirty women studied, more than half have experienced a coregasm at some point. In fact, forty percent of the participants had experienced it more than ten times.
Reaching orgasm while exercising is therefore not so strange at all. It can happen due to friction with materials or due to a certain pressure on your muscles. One moment you're thinking about the laundry you still need to fold when you get home, and the next moment your legs are trembling from something entirely different: an orgasm. The trigger is actually a sustained tension in your pelvic floor, abdomen, and the inside of your thighs. Due to increased blood flow and nerve stimulation, you might accidentally ‘press the wrong button.’.
Why it's actually quite good for you
Okay, aside from the surprised look you probably have in the mirror wall of the studio: a coregasm is not only funny, it also says something positive about your body. It means that your pelvic floor muscles and deep core muscles are well activated, and that's exactly what many women, especially after a pregnancy, need to work on actively. A strong pelvic floor contributes to better control, less back pain, and, let's admit, also to more intense orgasms during sex. So your body benefits in multiple ways from this.
Additionally, pilates is already known for its mind-body connection: you learn to know your body on a deeper level than when you're just spinning your wheels on a cardio machine. More body awareness leads to better posture, better form in other movements, and, as it turns out, sometimes a surprisingly fun side effect. In short: you're going for strong abs and literally come home with just a bit more than you expected.
So how do you do this position if you actually want to?
I personally wouldn't want to fall to the ground trembling with pleasure during my pilates class, but maybe you're at home and want to experience what such an orgasm feels like without using your hands. Do you belong to that group? Then you don't even need a reformer for that. You can replicate this with a simple mat exercise:
1. Lie on your back with your arms beside your body and your legs stretched up towards the ceiling.
2. Squeeze your inner thighs lightly together as if you're holding a pillow between your knees and simultaneously engage your lower abdomen.
3. Hold this position for about 30 to 60 seconds while continuing to breathe calmly. Don't hold your breath, as that works against you.
4. In the last ten seconds, make very small, pulsing movements with your legs: a few centimeters up and down, without releasing the tension in your inner thighs and abdomen.
5. Then completely let go and feel the difference from how your body felt before the exercise.
Do you feel a familiar, warm sensation bubbling up during these last pulses? Then you now know exactly what's going on. And don't be ashamed: you're clearly not the only one who was surprised by her own body during an innocent class between the mats.
