Illustration: Emma Günther and Marta Pucci
WTF is a coregasm? (and how to have one)
A coregasm is an exercise-induced orgasm (EIO). And it can feel really, really good.
Welcome to my first orgasm: I was in elementary school climbing the rope — that dauntingly high rope chained to the ceiling that was standard curriculum in American public education. As I shimmied my way up, I started to notice a funny tickle in my Soffe gym shorts.
I was probably smiling like an idiot when I got to the top and rang the bell on the ceiling. I was an extremely competitive tomboy as a kid, so sure, I was proud to display my athleticism to my classmates watching below. But more than anything I was pleasantly surprised by the feeling in my midsection. No one noticed, and this moment was the beginning of my little secret.
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This discovery made me curious and intrigued — that simply moving my body a certain way could create such a strange sensation. And this was long before I liked boys, let alone knew what an orgasm was or that masturbation even existed.
Coregasms were my introduction to sexuality and the awareness of my body’s potential for pleasure.
While conversations about female sexuality are discouraged, a girl’s very first sexual moments are even more taboo. Conversations about children developing into sexual beings are generally deemed off-limits. But why? Sex is one of life’s greatest pleasures and the lifeblood of this planet.
Sexuality has to start somewhere, and I feel lucky to have had this very personal and private introduction.
Later in life, when I started working out more regularly, they started happening more often, and with less effort. Eventually, I could have a coregasm on command.
Coregasms are “expanded orgasms” or exercise-induced orgasm, most often reached through core workouts.
They spread to your lower belly and legs. They feel very different from a vaginal orgasm, and are more similar to a clitoral orgasm. For me, they are much more intense than an orgasm from sex but last only a few seconds and I don't get the pulsating body contractions that are common during penetrative sex or masturbation.
Eventually, I started talking about my coregasms with partners and close friends. It was just a weird little secret that made them laugh. One ex was a little intimidated
I’ve never met anyone who has also experienced a coregasm, so I consulted Dr. Google to see if these things are normal. Turns out, Alfred Kinsey wrote about them back in 1953 in his work Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, and 5% of women he studied claimed to experience orgasms during exercise, rather than exclusively during sex.
The mechanics of coregasms are still relatively unknown.
This caught the interest of Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., who is currently the leading researcher of exercise-induced orgasms and exercise-induced sexual pleasure (EISP).
In the 2014 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB), Herbenick and her colleagues found that out of 2,000 Americans polled about their sex lives, 10% of men and women reported an orgasm from exercise.
You’re more likely to notice them when fatiguing muscles. Like doing as many crunches as you can or as many leg lifts as you can.—Debby Herbenick
I like to think I’ve done a fair share of my own research. When it comes to coregasms, holding in your belly button to your spine is key. And like pilates, they require repetition until fatigue. Talk about motivation.
Here are some poses that can easily trigger coregasms:
1. Hanging leg raises
The roman chair is your best friend in the gym. Leg raises on one of these things deliver coregasms faster than most other poses, especially if you extend your legs straight out. You can also do leg raises lying on your back on the floor. Lift and lower your legs slowly and with control, and suck your belly in.
2. Boat pose
Boat pose is a great lower ab workout. Try to balance upright, and again, suck your tummy in tight. Extend your legs and arms straight and then bring them back into the original position. Doing this for 30 seconds should do the trick.
3. Eagle pose
This pose in Bikram yoga can trigger a coregasm if done long enough and aligned correctly. Try pulsating your midsection until you get the right alignment (knees and elbows in one line). Squeeze in your core and maintain good posture. This one requires a bit more patience.
Have you ever experienced these? Tweet @clue with your coregasm tips and the hashtag #nowyouknow. 😏
