I like working my abs from time to time. I also — for all intents and purposes — like orgasms. But is it possible for the two to actually correlate?!
That's the claim of TikToker @annieknight, who discovered that two of her friends "can't do leg downs, can't do planks...can't do the ab machine at the gym, because they'll orgasm."
And TikToker @jessdavo97 actually (allegedly) caught her "coregasm" on camera while doing some hanging leg raises at the gym:
Also, speaking completely freely, I myself actually had an incident at the gym once where I had to stop doing leg raises because things got a little too ~intense~ and I was worried I'd fully orgasm in public. It never happened again, so I figured it was a weird fluke. BUT after seeing these TikToks, I didn't feel so sure anymore???
And upon further investigation of the comments on both videos, other women said that this has happened to them too!
I decided it was time to bring in a professional, so I consulted Dr. Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, a licensed pelvic health physical therapist and owner of Femina Physical Therapy in Los Angeles, California. According to Dr. Jeffcoat, experiencing a "coregasm" is absolutely a thing. "For some women, the experience of having an orgasm is not isolated to sexual experiences. Having an exercise-induced orgasm may be dependent on several factors, from the level of anxiety or relaxation they may be in, if distractors are present, visual and physical stimulation, and what their pelvic floor muscles may or may not be doing."
"Exercise-induced orgasms can absolutely happen, and they’ve been most-reported occurring during abdominal exercises, weightlifting, and climbing."
Dr. Jeffcoat told BuzzFeed that exercise-induced orgasms can have many causes, including clitoral stimulation due to the nature of the exercise, stimulation of the genitofemoral nerve (which runs through one of the hip flexors and is responsible for motor function of the pubic area), and the mind-muscle connection between the abdomen and pelvic muscles. She also mentioned a condition called Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD), which causes women to experience spontaneous genital arousal that often isn't resolved through orgasm.
"For PGAD patients that come to my office, this is not a badge of honor, and they're distressed about this dysfunctional state. They can’t work out and sometimes can’t go to work or to a movie, as the orgasms may come 'out of nowhere.' Social isolation often results. Having an orgasm during a workout doesn’t mean you have PGAD, but it’s something to monitor to see if it comes up in other aspects of your day-to-day life. PGAD is also often found concurrently with urinary disorders, like urgency or frequency."
For those feeling hindered by PGAD or exercise-induced orgasms in general, Dr. Jeffcoat recommends consulting a pelvic floor physical therapist after being medically cleared, along with a urologist, urogynecologist, and/or sexual medicine specialist, if necessary, in order to rule out other possible medical causes.
"If you experience orgasm with core workouts, I’m all for it if you are. But if it's distressing for you, then you should absolutely find a provider that can help you better manage these symptoms," Dr. Jeffcoat concluded.
I concur! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go...do some leg raises.
You can follow Dr. Jeffcoat on TikTok and Instagram for more pelvic health content.
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